Leading a creative writing day camp for middle schoolers recently sparked my interest in different forms of poetry. A couple of new favorite books and children’s poets emerged. Nine: A Book of Nonet Poems by Irene Latham is a treasure trove of poems where the first line has nine syllables, the next line eight syllables, and so on down to one. The reverse, starting with one and building to nine syllables, is another option. The poems in this collection also have content connections with the number nine, including Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, a cat’s nine lives, and the nine players on a baseball team. The playful illustrations provide details that elaborate on the spare text. I’ve already given the book for a ninth birthday – a perfect present!
The other book newly on my shelf of favorites is Echo, Echo: Reverso Poems About Greek Myths by Marilyn Singer. Singer invented the reverso, a poem that can be read both up and down, with different meanings in the two directions. Arachne and Athena describe their weaving competition from opposite points of view, using the identical words in a different order—a clever achievement also accomplished with the other well known myths in the collection. The stunning illustrations by Josee Masse pair gold and blue and add a visual element of duality. If these books whet your appetite, dive into these poets’ other books – the choices are many!
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Ruth Kirk, Author for Children 