# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
549: Mountain Dew Commercial Disguised as a Love Poem

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Today’s poem is Mountain Dew Commercial Disguised as a Love Poem by Matthew Olzmann.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Muslim and Jewish girl's bold poetry slam

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Solli Raphael, 12, becomes youngest winner of Australian Poetry Slam

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Notes to Beauty | 7th Graders Compete with Slam Poem

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
2015 - Brave New Voices (Finals) - "Emmett" by Philadelphia Team

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
to clean the clock of the fledgling robins low
in their nest stuck in the dense hedge by the house
but what came was much stranger, a liquidity
moving all muscle and bristle. A groundhog
slippery and waddle thieving my tomatoes still
green in the morning's shade. I watched her
munch and stand on her haunches taking such
pleasure in the watery bites. Why am I not allowed
delight? A stranger writes to request my thoughts
on suffering. Barbed wire pulled out of the mouth,
as if demanding that I kneel to the trap of coiled
spikes used in warfare and fencing. Instead,
I watch the groundhog closer and a sound escapes
me, a small spasm of joy I did not imagine
when I woke. She is a funny creature and earnest,
and she is doing what she can to survive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
to clean the clock of the fledgling robins low in their nest stuck in the dense hedge by the house but what came was much stranger, a liquidity moving all muscle and bristle. A groundhog slippery and waddle thieving my tomatoes still green in the morning's shade.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When choosing books to read with your kids, how often do you reach for poetry books? If you're like me, not all that often. Which is why I recently set a goal to incorporate more poetry and nursery rhymes into our storytime routine. I have fond memories of enjoying Shel Silverstein's classic poetry book Where the Sidewalk Ends during my childhood years. Can you believe that book is now over 40 years old?

I love poetry because it's so universal, unique, and accessible to kids. The compact, songlike nature of many poems can make learning language feel almost effortless to children. They don't even realize how much they're retaining by reciting a simple nursery rhyme or short poem. Reading poems aloud helps children to practice their volume, pitch, and voice inflection, among other things.

Poetry, like other forms of literature, can also be entertaining, beautiful, and meaningful. Kids are usually immediately drawn to the rhythm and rhyme of poetry. Much like diversity, poetry can provide a mirror for us to see ourselves, and a window into others' experiences, to help us understand the lives and perspectives of different people.

Here are more than 20 diverse poetry picture books to explore with kids. Enjoy!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
22 Diverse Poetry Picture Books for Kids | Brightly

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When choosing books to read with your kids, how often do you reach for poetry books? If you're like me, not all that often. Which is why I recently set a goal to incorporate more poetry and nursery rhymes into our storytime routine.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Poetry as a medium for popular reading has made a comeback in the last few years, thanks in no small part to the growth of Instagram and social media. Platforms have allowed independent creators to share their voices in new, novel ways and have reached new readers. Though this uptick in poetry consumption has been most obvious in adult readers, teen readers have been-and continue to be!-avid consumers of the format. Poetry books for teens have been around as long as young adult literature has, but in the wake of renewed interest in the format, it's worth checking out some of the wide range of books out there.

This is a list of YA poetry books that doesn't include YA books in verse. Rather, these are strict collections of poetry, written by a single writer or a group of writers teaming up for an anthology. It also includes books not published specifically for teen readers in the YA category, but with tremendous appeal to teen readers.

Descriptions come from Amazon.

Poetry Books for Teens

Beauty is a Verb is a ground-breaking anthology of disability poetry, essays on disability, and writings on the poetics of both. Crip Poetry. Disability Poetry. Poems with Disabilities. This is where poetry and disability intersect, overlap, collide and make peace.

A 15-year-old girl named Jessie voices typical-and not so typical-teenage concerns in this unique, hilarious collection of poems. Her musings about trying out new makeup and hairstyles, playing volleyball and cello, and dealing with her annoying younger brother are never boring or predictable. Who else do you know who designs her own clothes and writes poetry to her cat? Jessie's a girl with strong opinions, and she isn't shy about sharing them. Her funny, sarcastic take on high school life is revealed through concrete poetry: words, ideas, type, and design that combine to make pictures and patterns. The poems are inventive, irreverent, irresistible, and full of surprises-just like Jessie-and the playful layout and ingenious graphics extend the wry humor.

Beloved children's book author and speaker Pat Mora has written an original collection of poems, each with a different teen narrator sharing unique thoughts, moments, sadness, or heart's desire: the girl who loves swimming, plunging into the water that creates her own world; the guy who leaves flowers on the windshield of the girl he likes. Each of the teens in these 50 original poems, written using a variety of poetic forms, will be recognizable to the reader as the universal emotions, ideas, impressions, and beliefs float across the pages in these gracefully told verses.

For Teenage Girls celebrates the incendiary brilliance and limitless promise of young women-our daughters, sisters, friends, ourselves. Drawing on the legacy of Joan of Arc, Anne Frank, Malala, Cleopatra, Sacajawea, and other young women who dared to believe in themselves, poet Clementine von Radics calls on a new generation of girls to trust their hearts, follow their paths, and light up their worlds. Clementine's video performance of "For Teenage Girls" is an internet sensation, and has won praise from Bustle, The Huffington Post, Smart Girls at the Party, Hello GIggles, and Everyday Feminism.

Acclaimed writer Walter Dean Myers celebrates the people of Harlem with these powerful and soulful first-person poems in the voices of the residents who make up the legendary neighborhood: basketball players, teachers, mail carriers, jazz artists, maids, veterans, nannies, students, and more. Exhilarating and electric, these poems capture the energy and resilience of a neighborhood and a people.

In Light Filters In, Caroline Kaufman-known as @poeticpoison-does what she does best: reflects our own experiences back at us and makes us feel less alone, one exquisite and insightful piece at a time. She writes about giving up too much of yourself to someone else, not fitting in, endlessly Googling "how to be happy," and ultimately figuring out who you are.

This hardcover collection features completely new material plus some fan favorites from Caroline's account. Filled with haunting, spare pieces of original art, Light Fi lters In w ill thrill existing fans and newcomers alike.
it's okay if some things are always out of reach. if you could carry all the stars in the palm of your hand, they wouldn't be half as breathtaking
Today my name is colorful.
Yesterday my name was dead souls.
Tomorrow my name will be lively spirits.
My friends think my name is fire.
The police think my name is burden.
My parents think my name is symphony.
Secretly I know my name is anything I want it to be.

Paint Me Like I Am is a collection of poems by teens who have taken part in writing programs run by a national nonprofit organization called WritersCorps. To read the words of these young people is to hear the diverse voices of teenagers everywhere.

Included are a forward by acclaimed poet Nikki Giovanni, an essay from Kevin Powell, another poet associated with WritersCorps, and writing tips from WritersCorps instructors.

Here is a cross-section of American poetry as it is right now-full of grit and love, sparkling with humor, searing the heart, smashing through boundaries on every page. Please Excuse This Poem features one hundred acclaimed younger poets from truly diverse backgrounds and points of view, whose work has appeared everywhere from The New Yorker to Twitter, tackling a startling range of subjects in a startling range of poetic forms. Dealing with the aftermath of war; unpacking the meaning of "the rape joke"; sharing the tender moments at the start of a love affair: these poems tell the world as they see it.

Poetry Speaks Who I Am is filled with more than 100 remarkable poems about you, who you are, and who you are becoming. Dive in-find the poem you love, the one that makes you angry, the one that makes you laugh, the one that knocks the wind out of you, and become a part of Poetry Speaks Who I Am by adding your own inside the book.

From Lucille Clifton's "Here Yet Be Dragons" to Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee" to "Tia Chucha," by Luis J. Rodriguez, Poetry Speaks Who I Am is a collection that is dynamic, accessible, challenging, classic, edgy, and ultimately not quite perfect. Just like you. If you're lucky, it'll serve as a gateway to a lifetime lived with poetry. At the very least, it'll be a good time. Dive in, and happy hunting.

Cruelties come not just from wicked stepmothers, but also from ourselves. There are expectations, pressures, judgment, and criticism. Self-doubt and self-confidence. But there are also friends, and sisters, and a whole hell of a lot of power there for the taking. In fifty poems, Christine Heppermann confronts society head on. Using fairy tale characters and tropes, Poisoned Apples explores how girls are taught to think about themselves, their bodies, and their friends. The poems range from contemporary retellings to first-person accounts set within the original tales, and from deadly funny to deadly serious. Complemented throughout with black-and-white photographs from up-and-coming artists, this is a stunning and sophisticated book to be treasured, shared, and paged through again and again.

Ten years after the publication of the acclaimed Cool Salsa, editor Lori Marie Carlson has brought together a stunning variety of Latino poets for a long-awaited follow-up. Established and familiar names are joined by many new young voices, and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Oscar Hijuelos has written the Introduction.

The poets collected here illuminate the difficulty of straddling cultures, languages, and identities. They celebrate food, family, love, and triumph. In English, Spanish, and poetic jumbles of both, they tell us who they are, where they are, and what their hopes are for the future.

Tupac Shakur's most intimate and honest thoughts were uncovered only after his death with the instant classic The Rose That Grew from Concrete.
His talent was unbounded - a raw force that commanded attention and respect.
His death was tragic - a violent homage to the power of his voice.
His legacy is indomitable - as vibrant and alive today as it has ever been.
For the first time in paperback, this collection of deeply personal poetry is a mirror into the legendary artist's enigmatic world and its many contradictions.

Written in his own hand from the time he was nineteen, these seventy-two poems embrace his spirit, his energy - and his ultimate message of hope.

They are inspiring talented stunning remarkable wise

They are also fearless depressed hilarious impatient in love out of love pissed off

And they want you to let them in.

In 1807, the British parliament passed an Act making the trading and transportation of slaves illegal. This book brings together stories and poems which provide a first-hand account of the horrors of slavery, remembering the brutal and long-lasting inflictions which have shaped millions of lives.

This collection of original stories and poems provides rare insight into the minds of adolescent African American boys. There's Tow-Kaye, getting married at age seventeen to the love of his life, who's pregnant. James writes in his diary about his twin brother's terrible secret, while Tyler explains what it's like to be a player with the ladies. And Eric takes us on a tour of North Philly on the Fourth of July, when the heat could make a guy go crazy. Sharon G. Flake's talent for telling it like it is will leave readers thinking differently, feeling deeply, and definitely wanting more.

More Poetry Books Teens May Love

BEASTGIRL & OTHER ORIGIN MYTHS is a collection of folkloric poems centered on the historical, mythological, gendered, and geographic experiences of a first generation American woman. From the border in the Dominican Republic, to the bustling streets of New York City, Acevedo considers how some bodies must walk through the world as beastly beings. How these forgotten myths be both blessing and birthright.

Claudia Rankine's bold new book recounts mounting racial aggressions in ongoing encounters in twenty-first-century daily life and in the media. Some of these encounters are slights, seeming slips of the tongue, and some are intentional offensives in the classroom, at the supermarket, at home, on the tennis court with Serena Williams and the soccer field with Zinedine Zidane, online, on TV-everywhere, all the time. The accumulative stresses come to bear on a person's ability to speak, perform, and stay alive. Our addressability is tied to the state of our belonging, Rankine argues, as are our assumptions and expectations of citizenship. In essay, image, and poetry, Citizen is a powerful testament to the individual and collective effects of racism in our contemporary, often named "post-race" society.

IRL is a sweaty, summertime poem composed like a long text message, rooted in the epic tradition of A.R. Ammons, ancient Kumeyaay Bird Songs, and Beyoncé's visual albums. It follows Teebs, a reservation-born, queer NDN weirdo, trying to figure out his impulses/desires/history in the midst of Brooklyn rooftops, privacy in the age of the Internet, street harassment, suicide, boys boys boys, literature, colonialism, religion, leaving one's 20s, and a love/hate relationship with English. He's plagued by an indecision, unsure of which obsessions, attractions, and impulses are essentially his, and which are the result of Christian conversion, hetero- patriarchal/colonialist white supremacy, homophobia, Bacardi, gummy candy, and not getting laid.

IRL asks, what happens to a modern, queer indigenous person a few generations after his ancestors were alienated from their language, their religion, and their history? Teebs feels compelled towards "boys, burgers, booze," though he begins to suspect there is perhaps a more ancient goddess calling to him behind art, behind music, behind poetry.

one day i met a guy
who stole my heart,
we created a world
for ourselves.
and another day
he broke my heart
and shattered
my soul.

i took the tattered
pieces of this
broken soul and
became anew.

- here lies the hurting, the healing, and the learning

The book is divided into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose. Deals with a different pain. Heals a different heartache. Milk and Honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.

In his New York Times bestselling memoir, A Work in Progress, Connor Franta shared his journey from small-town Midwestern boy to full-fledged Internet sensation. Exploring his past with humor and astounding insight, Connor reminded his fans of why they first fell in love with him on YouTube-and revealed to newcomers how he relates to his millions of dedicated followers.

Now, two years later, Connor is ready to bring to light a side of himself he's rarely shown on or off camera. In this diary-like look at his life since A Work in Progress, Connor talks about his battles with clinical depression, social anxiety, self-love, and acceptance; his desire to maintain an authentic self in a world that values shares and likes over true connections; his struggles with love and loss; and his renewed efforts to be in the moment-with others and himself.

Told through short essays, letters to his past and future selves, poetry, and original photography, Note to Self is a raw, in-the-moment look at the fascinating interior life of a young creator turning inward in order to move forward.

From Amanda Lovelace, a poetry collection in four parts: the princess, the damsel, the queen, and you. The first three sections piece together the life of the author while the final section serves as a note to the reader. This moving book explores love, loss, grief, healing, empowerment, and inspiration.

Planets, stars, and constellations feature prominently in this beautiful, original poetry collection from Lang Leav. Inspired by the wonders of the universe, the best-selling poetess writes about love and loss, hope and hurt, being lost and found. Lang's poetry encompasses the breadth of emotions we all experience and evokes universal feelings with her skillfully crafted words.

In this magical poetry collection, Nikita Gill unflinchingly explores the fire in every woman and the emotions that lie deep in one's soul. Featuring rewritten fairytale heroines, goddess wisdom, and verse that burns with magnificent beauty, this raw and powerful collection is an explosion of femininity, empowerment, and personal growth. In these words, readers will find the magnificent energy to spark resistance and revolution.
Love poetry and want more? Check out these books of poetry for young readers, books about teen poets, and great books like milk and honey.
Have any other favorite collections of poetry books for teens? Drop 'em in the comments!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Poetry Books for Teens Who Can't Get Enough Verse In Their Life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Poetry as a medium for popular reading has made a comeback in the last few years, thanks in no small part to the growth of Instagram and social media. Platforms have allowed independent creators to share their voices in new, novel ways and have reached new readers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
19 books based on 1 votes: The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta, A Perfect Blank by Rye Duran, Blood Moon by Lucy Cuthew, Bull by David Elliott, Clap When You...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"A poem makes a sound when it is finished

like the click of the lid of a perfectly made box"

UPDATED APRIL 2019!

April is National Poetry Month! More poignant than prose, poems go straight to the soul. They fuel children's imagination, promote literacy, and are a great way to express emotions.

Browse this list of multicultural poetry books for children for some inspiration!

40 Multicultural Poetry Books for Children

Babies & Toddlers

"In tickly-toe grass/a buttercup offers up/yellow nose kisses." Told in traditional Japanese poem form, Haiku Baby celebrates baby's joy of watching nature: A bird, a fish, a snowflake or a rainbow. Cute pictures and tabs for little hands to turn the pages make this an appealing poetry book for babies and toddlers. ~ Asian - Babies & Toddlers

"How do you like to go up in a swing / Up in the air so blue?" An adaptation of Stevenson's poem, The Swing celebrates the joy of swinging: A multicultural bunch of kids swings under cherry blossoms, above plants or on their bellies like superheroes. With magical pictures and poetic text, this beautiful book will have your little one mesmerized. ~ Diverse - Babies & Toddlers

"Where morning meets light, we rise. Where friends meet friends, we smile." With expressive watercolour illustrations and lyrical text, Caribbean Dream celebrates the magic and the breeziness of the Caribbean. Happy children run, splash, sing and enjoy themselves on an island in the West Indies. ~ African - Preschool

More books set in the Caribbean: 36 Children's Books set in the Caribbean

"Quiet . . ./ like a quilt on a feather bed . . ./ and frost on the window . . ./ we write our names knowing . . ./ the sun will melt them off. / But the sun is so quiet . . ./ that we don't care/ we smile." With bright illustrations, The Sun Is So Quiet is a collection of quiet and noisy, wintery and sunny poems, describing wonderful childhood memories, from tiptoeing through strawberry fields to licking chocolaty fingers and snuggling under warm covers. ~ African - Preschool

The World Is Awake: A celebration of everyday blessings
by Linsey Davis

"This is the day the Lord has made./ A butterfly floats through the sun and the shade, / while dragonflies flit past the flowers and trees / and grasshoppers hop in the soft morning breeze." The World Is Awake is a lyrical, rhyming story that inspires young children to be thankful for all of God's blessings that surround us in our daily lives. ~ African - Preschool

"I am ready with four tomatoes./ They are bongos and kettledrums./ The onion is a maraca./ Cloves of garlic are trumpets,/ and the cilantro is the orchestra conductor/ with his shaggy, green hair." Two young siblings prepare a traditional salsa, singing and dancing all the while and imagining the ingredients to be parts of an orchestra. With gorgeous Mixtec-inspired illustrations in earthy browns, greens and reds, Salsa is a fun cooking poem for preschoolers. ~ Hispanic - Preschool

Inspired by his parents' paintings, a young boy creates four short poems about his family, one of them about his father. Rich oil illustrations from the family's home studio introduce each of the sweet poems in Daddy Calls Me Man. "Big Shoes" is about the boys' desire to have big running shoes just like his daddy. ~ African - Preschool

"I love/ I love a lot of things,/ a whole lot of things/ Like..." From family trips to the country to laughing with a friend and kissing her mother's arm, a young girl finds love and joy in the simple things. Honey, I Love is a recent anniversary edition of Greenfield's classic poem, newly illustrated with warm watercolour illustrations. ~ African - Preschool

"In the dark, in the dark, in the deep, deep dark, a speck floated, invisible as thought, weighty as God." With lyrical text and the most gorgeous illustrations, The Stuff of Stars takes young readers from the void before the Big Bang to the birth of each one of us. In a seamless blend of science and art, this wonderful picture book reveals how we are all the stuff of stars. ~ African - Preschool

More science and art books: 50+ Multicultural STEAM Books for Children

My Village: Rhymes from Around the World
by Danielle Wright

My Village includes poems from 22 different countries, ranging from short and descriptive ("Swish your tail, whale / Spout your blowhole, whale") to rhythmic and sensory ("Zick, zack, / Hour after hour, / Tick, tack, / Shower after shower"). Told in English and native tongue, they are brought to life by cheerful cut paper and textured paint illustrations. ~ Diverse - Preschool

This beautiful collection of poems celebrates the importance to feel loved. With vibrant illustrations by Newbery honoree Ashley Bryan, I Am Loved sends this important message to young, old, parent, child, grandparent, and friend alike: You are loved. One page is mirrored, so young readers can see that they themselves are loved. ~ African - Preschool

More books about love: 12 Multicultural Picture Books about Love

Lively little Tiana loves words! "Look! Here's a fresh/ green growing word./ SPRING. I plant it/ like a seed." A Handful of Poems is a playful homage to words. Two poems (one free verse, one haiku) on each double-page are set on fun, unusual collages of hand-sculpted letters on cut paper and found objects like denim cuts or pumpkin seeds. ~ African - Preschool

"School is done./ It's a sunny day./ Goodbye, TV!/ Let's go out and play!" A Stick Is An Excellent Thing is a poetic celebration of outdoor games children all over the world love. A diverse bunch of kids spends a summer day playing games outside, from hide-and-seek and hopscotch to making mud soup and using a stick as a magic wand. ~ Diverse - Preschool

"Black is brown is tan / is girl is boy / is nose is face / is all the colors of the race." The first published picture book about a multiracial family, story poem Black is Brown is Tan follows two young siblings and their parents' daily loving interactions. This is an updated version of the 1973 classic. ~ African - Preschool

Find more picture books about multiracial families here: 70+ Picture Books about Mixed Race Families

"January - / when sleds flurry downhill / again and again. / September - /when yellow pencils / in brand-new eraser hats / bravely wait on perfect points." With energetic illustrations and a dozen fresh poems, Once Around the Sun takes young readers through every month of the year, capturing the distinct clues and fun of every season. ~ African - Preschool

"Little Gourds / drying on the vine / shaking like maracas / tlaka, tlaka, tlaka / keeping time to the whine / of wind / in Oaxaca." In rhythmic poems and engaging pastel illustrations, bilingual My Mexico captures the warmth and idyllic feel of Mexican villages with their colourful houses, the scent of roses and chillies, and the sounds of corn shaking quietly in the wind. ~ Hispanic - Preschool

More books set in Mexico: 24 Children's Books set in Mexico

"The night is beautiful,/ So the faces of my people./ The stars are beautiful, So the eyes of my people./ Beautiful, also, is the sun./ Beautiful, also, are the souls of my people." My People is a stunning photographic interpretation of Langston Hughes' short but soulful tribute to his people. Acclaimed photographer Charles R. Smith Jr. paired the beloved poem with expressive sepia photographs of black people of all ages. ~ African - Preschool

Elementary School

In lyrical text, Juan Felipe Herrera describes how he grew up sleeping outside, moving with his family several times, and teaching himself English to becoming the United States Poet Laureate and reading his poems aloud on the steps of the Library of Congress. If he could do all of that . . . what could you do? Imagine is a poem of endless possibility that will speak to children everywhere. ~ Hispanic - Elementary School

This unusual poetry book is a New York Times bestseller and is included in The Booklist Tope 10 Art Books for Youth. Hip Hop Speaks to Children celebrates poetry with a beat in 50 well-known poems and songs, from Langston Hughes' "The Negro Speaks Of Rivers" to Kanye West's "Hey Mama". The accompanying CD contains over 30 performances, either by the artists themselves or uniquely interpreted by other artists. Children will love this cool poetry book and will be encouraged to create their own hip hop poetry. ~ African - Elementary School

For a more in-depth review go to Multicultural Book of the Month #4

"I say yo soy libre / I am free / free, free, /free as confetti." With a fun mix of English and Spanish, the poems in Confetti! celebrate the Southwest, children's imagination and their connection with nature. The beautiful bright illustrations complement the poems perfectly. ~ Hispanic - Elementary School

Around the World in Eighty Poems takes young readers on a captivating trip through the world of poetry. From Greenland to Kenya, from Chile to Nicaragua, the collection includes poems from 50 different countries, some lighthearted, some more serious. A wonderful multicultural poetry book for children that celebrates the richness of our world's cultures! ~ Diverse - Elementary School

Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World
by Susan Hood

This stunning new release introduces 14 trailblazing girls and young women who changed history. From 6-year-old Ruby Bridges, who helped end segregation, to 21-year-old Maya Lin, who had to defend her right to create a war memorial, all of these girls and young women were persistent in the face of great challenges. With fresh poems and beautiful artwork, Shaking Things Up is sure to inspire young girls and boys alike. ~ Diverse - Elementary School

More books about trailblazing women: 30 Diverse Children's Anthologies About Trailblazing Women

"By the shores of Gitche Gumee,/ By the shining Big-Sea-Water/ Stood the wigwam of Nokomis/ Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis." With the most gorgeous, well-researched and detailed drawings, Hiawatha presents the part of Longfellow's classic poem that deals with Hiawatha's boyhood and how his grandmother taught him about the natural world. ~ Diverse - Elementary School

More Native American books: 32 Native American Children's Books

"Today I am going to wear/ My favourite pink blouse / I'm going with my daddy / To visit Langston's house." Visiting Langston is a tribute to Langston Hughes, African American poet and central figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Told as a poem from a little girl, this multicultural poetry book is stunningly illustrated with muted, dramatic mixed-media collages. ~ African - Elementary School

Pablo's friend Maltide takes the moody poet around her garden to gather food for their lunch. Where Pablo sees tension, darkness and sadness, Matilde sees love, light and hope. Inspired by Pablo'Neruda's famous poem, Ode to an Onion is a poetic ode to friendship, a humble vegetable and unexpected beauty. ~ Hispanic - Elementary School

"I face south / "blue" I cry / same color - / the sea, the sky." Renowned poet Francisco X. Alarcón's takes young readers on a trip to his childhood home in Mexico to learn about his grandma's stories, his aunt's tasty breakfasts , and the keys to the universe. Part of the 'Magical Cycle of the Seasons' series, From the Bellybutton of the Moon is a joyful collection of 22 bilingual summer poems . ~ Hispanic - Elementary School

From the same series: Laughing Tomatoes // Angels Ride Bikes // Iguanas in the Snow

"We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. We just need to believe it." I Am Enough is a lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another. Every Black girl should have this simple yet powerful book by Empire actor and activist Grace Byers! ~ African - Elementary School

"I have a secret place to go. / Not anyone may know. / And sometimes when the wind is rough. / I cannot get there fast enough." In 34 timeless poems, Bronzeville explores the dreams and experiences of different children in an urban neighbourhood in Chicago. Faith Ringgold's expressive, colourful illustrations complement the poems beautifully. ~ African - Elementary School

More by and about Faith Ringgold: Author Spotlight: Faith Ringgold

"Sing a song for Gwendolyn Brooks. / Sing it loud - a Chicago blues." Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Gwendolyn Brooks' passion was reading and writing. She ultimately published 20 books of poetry, two autobiographies, and one novel, and became the first Black author to win the Pulitzer Prize. A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks celebrates the life and work of this witty poet whose poems captured the urban Black experience and the role of women in society. ~ African - Elementary School

"I, too, sing America. / I am the darker brother. / They send me to eat in the kitchen / When company comes, / But I laugh, / And eat well, / And grow strong." Winner of the Coretta Scott King illustrator award, I, too, Am America is a beautiful and inspirational picture book of Langston Hughes's celebrated poem about equality. ~ African - Elementary School

This instant NY Times bestseller is another firm favourite of 2018! In lyrical text and with the most beautiful illustrations, Dreamers tells Yuyi Morales' own immigration story. She left almost everything behind in Mexico and came to the US with her infant son in 1994. What she brought with her though were her strength, her passion, her hopes and dreams...and her stories. ~ Hispanic - Elementary School

More books about immigration: 30 Multicultural Picture Books about Immigration

"One leaf rides the wind. / Quick as I am, it's quicker! / Just beyond my grasp." In 11 haiku poems and with gentle paintings One Leaf Rides the Wind follows a young girl as she enjoys the beauty of a tranquil Japanese garden while having some counting fun. ~ Asian - Elementary School

More Asian & Asian American Children's Books: 30 Asian & Asian American Children's Books

A poke in the I is a fun collection of 30 concrete poems - visual poems that startle and delight the eye and the mind. A winking man pokes the letter "I" with his umbrella, a poem takes the shape of crows that fly off the page, another one becomes a balloon that is drifting away from outstretched hands. Includes tips and inspiration for writing your own concrete poems. ~ Diverse - Elementary School

"His leathery skin's / Like indigo ink / This rugged dude / Whos some folk think / Looks fierce in clothes / Of midnight black." In 14 heartfelt poems, My Man Blue follows the friendship that blossoms between Damon and Blue, a boy without a father and a father who has lost his son to the streets. A moving story, perfectly complemented by expressive deep-hued acrylic paintings. ~ African - Elementary School

"The fortune-teller sits outside, / huddled in her stool / buried in her coat, / hat down over her forehead." Acclaimed My Chinatown is a vivid homage to Chinese culture in the US. With richly detailed paintings the touching poems explore a Chinese boy's experiences in his first year in Chinatown as he grows to love his new home. ~ Asian - Elementary School

"You oughta meet Danitra Brown / the most splendiferous girl in town. / I oughta know, 'cause she's my friend." 13 individual poems blend together in Meet Danitra Brown to tell a story of friendship. The misty oil paintings show two proud, happy girls in a mostly grim urban landscape. ~ African - Elementary School

Poems To Dream Together is a vibrant collection of 17 bilingual poems about the hopes and dreams of individuals and families in California and Mexico. With boldly coloured mixed-media illustrations the poems touch on smaller issues as well as larger life lessons. ~ Hispanic - Elementary School

Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Boy presents thirteen fresh glimpses into the everyday life of Black boys, from dressing in their Sunday best to running to catch a bus, and growing up to be teachers. Each of the tanka poems is matched with a different artist, including some recent Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Award recipients. ~ African - Elementary School, Middle School

Martin Rising: Requiem For a King
by Andrea Davis Pinkney

This poetic and beautiful book looks at Dr Martin Luther King Jr.'s life from an unusual angle. Through metaphor, spirituality, and multilayers of meaning, Martin Rising providesa deeply emotional account of the final months and assassination of one of the most iconic figures in American History. Perfect for classroom use! ~ African - Elementary School, Middle School

*You can buy any of the books on this site from Amazon USA, CAN or UK by clicking on the book titles or covers*

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
40+ Multicultural Poetry Books for Children

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"A poem makes a sound when it is finished like the click of the lid of a perfectly made box" UPDATED APRIL 2019! April is National Poetry Month! More poignant than prose, poems go straight to the soul. They fuel children's imagination, promote literacy, and are a great way to express emotions.