  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 08/01/2014 Gr 1–4—This amusing collection covers a variety of topics that can be read simply for enjoyment, or used as a springboard for classroom activities. The author, a former U.S. children's poet laureate, divides his collection into broad sections. "People" offers short pieces from the voices of both famous and lesser-known historical figures, from Muhammad Ali to the first human to survive going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Younger children will delight in hearing some of the sillier pieces, such as "Mosquito" again and again, as well as participating during read-alouds. (Who wouldn't enjoy repeating the word "Okefenokee" in the "Okefenokee Swamp Song"?) The "Places" section includes short works that can easily be integrated into geography lessons for students, while the "Riddles" selections are pure fun. Pritelli's colorful illustrations have a textured feel that reinforces the mood of each poem. A solid addition to libraries where poetry collections are popular.—Sherry J. Mills, Hazelwood East High School, St. Louis, MO - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 10/15/2014 Serious and silly, nonsensical and informative, written in metered rhyme and in free verse, there is a poem for everyone in this collection by former U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis. Organized into subject categories (animals, people, reading, riddles, and places), this is an eclectic mix for many ages and interests. Poems about Jesse Owens and Rosa Parks sit side by side with ones about a record-holding bubble-gum blower or the first survivor of a barrel ride over Niagara Falls. Other sections could use more diversity: the sports section has all baseball poems except for one featuring the Kentucky Derby. Each poem includes the year that it was written—dates that are cleverly integrated into Pritelli’s airbrushed acrylic paintings, which suit the mood of the poems and enhance their meanings in delightful ways. The titular poem, “Everything Is a Poem,” closes the solid volume with this wisdom: “A busy bee’s a poem / With nectar that’s so fine / A reader-eater laps up every / Honey of a line.” - Copyright 2014 Booklist. Loading...
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