Words with Wings and Magic Things by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Doug Salati (Tundra Books, 128 pages, grades 1-5). This poetry collection is divided into seven sections: Welcome, Wonders, Wild, Wheee!, Whoops and Whallops, Windows, and Whispers & Well Wishes. The poems range from Jack Prelutsky-laugh-out-loud funny to thought provoking meditations. All are illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Doug Salati with a colorful collection of animals and humans, mostly younger ones, with some fun cut-outs on the pages that start each new section. Includes an index.

This feels like a happy throwback to the days when Prelutsky and Shel Silverstein published lengthy collections of poems, with a nice mix that includes multi-stanza stories mixed in with meditative poems just several lines long. The illustrations add a lot to the fun.

When I Hear Spirituals by Cheryl Willis Hudson, illustrated by London Ladd (Holiday House, 40 pages, grades 1-4). Each two page spread features a young girl describing how spirituals make her feel, with the words to different spirituals written on the facing page. The brilliant illustrations portray her singing, dancing, and praying, as well as showing scenes from Black history, when spirituals gave people courage and hope. A long author’s note describes the history of spirituals and her personal connection to them. There’s also a glossary, a list of the historical figures and events shown in the book, and a long lists of resources for listening to spirituals and learning more about them.

This beautiful book should definitely be considered for a Coretta Scott King award, both for the writing and the illustrations. The text reads like poetry and focuses on emotions evoked by spirituals, but there’s also plenty of information and resources for more research and listening.