Published by Chronicle Books 

Summary:  Each two-page spread features a creature from the files of cryptozoology (creatures rumored to exist, but never scientifically documented).  The actual animal isn’t shown in full, just a part or hint of it, with a report of a sighting in the form of a poem.  For instance, Bigfoot’s entry includes a milk carton with this verse: “Missing/Last seen: walking in the forest/Height and weight: much more than you/Gender: unknown/Hair: all over/Shoe size (Rumored): 92”.  The first page tells about cryptozoology, and the endpapers include a list of all the creatures in the book with a brief description of each.  Grades 2-6.

Pros:  This is one clever book, and the topic is sure to be popular with young readers, who will want to spend some time studying the illustrations.  A fun and easy introduction to poetry by two former children’s poet laureates.

Cons:  If you get this book out of the library (which you should), the creatures’ descriptions on the endpapers will most likely be partially covered by a taped-down book jacket.

Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Summary: “This summer still hangs heavy and sweet with sunlight as it did last year./The autumn still comes showering cold and crimson as it did last year./The winter still stings clean and cold and white as it did last year./The spring still comes like a whisper in the dark night./It is only I who have changed.” After this introductory poem, the book moves through the circle of seasons, beginning with spring, with several poems in each section that describe a simple, observable moment of that season. Beautifully illustrated with soft, seasonal colors, every poem is written by children’s literature legend Charlotte Zolotow, whose hundredth birthday this book commemorates. Grades K-4.

Pros: These poems seem like throwbacks to an earlier time, in a good way. They are simple enough for a very young child to understand, yet beautiful in their imagery; “Little trees like pencil strokes/black and still/etched forever in my mind/on that snowy hill.” This would be a wonderful introduction to both readers and writers of poetry.

Cons: Readers raised on the likes of Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky may need some guidance to appreciate this sort of poetry.

Published by Candlewick

Summary:  Veteran poetry anthologist Paul B. Janeczko has collected 50 poems about objects from nine periods in history, starting with the early Middle Ages and going to the present.  There are familiar selections such as “My Shadow” by Robert Louis Stevenson and “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams, as well as lesser-known writers like Chinese poet Bai Juyi and Vietnamese emperor Le Thanh Tong.  The introduction gives the reader a brief overview of the different historical periods.

Pros:  This reminded me of my college Norton anthologies, traveling through time with literature.  Except that I actually enjoyed reading this book.  Norton would also benefit greatly by adding Raschka’s illustrations.  Kids will be motivated to look for objects in their world that can serve as inspiration for their own poems.

Cons:  With the exception of Pablo Neruda, all the poets after the Renaissance are British or American.

Published by Candlewick

Summary:  There are twenty haiku in this collection, each one about a different type of cat.  The sections alternate between indoor cats and outdoor cats, with five in each of the four sections.  The last four pages give a brief description and history of each breed.

Pros:  A great introduction to haiku as well as a treat for all cat lovers.  Fun illustrations.

Cons:  An explanation of haiku will be necessary, as there is none in the book.