We are so excited to have Sam Smith join us today to share the joy of writing (and reading) picture book poetry collections.
Sam Smith is a freelance commercial writer and children’s book author. Her first picture book, CATE’S MAGIC GARDEN, celebrates the power of positivity. It was published by Two Hoots Press in 2017. Sam has served on the SCBWI PA WEST Leadership Team, participates in two writing critique groups and loves writing poetry for people of all ages. She lives with her husband and their two sons in poetry-loving Pittsburgh.
Picture books are poetry to me. They’re usually sparely written with meaningful breaks and pauses, they feature word plays, metaphors, similes and even distilled dialogue — and when the stories are combined with art, there is real poetic magic in the marriage. Both picture books and poetry sometimes feature rhyme. Both beg to be read aloud. Both evoke emotions. And both tend to be brief — but powerful. That’s why there is such a natural fit for poetry inside picture books, whether the picture book itself is a poem or it houses a collection of poetry.
So How Do You Write a Collection of Poetry for Children?
Author Darcy Pattison provides excellent advice on how to start. She recommends that you:
Review poetry collections to familiarize yourself with what’s popular and then find the ideas that haven’t happened yet. You might mine curricula for fresh thoughts — or brainstorm ideas on your own.
Stick to about 15-30 poems on a topic so you’ll also be categorized as a poetry collection for classrooms as well, and teachers will be able to find your book easily.
Use different types of structures to keep the stories interesting. Or, you can stick with one genre but cover different topics.
Mix rhyming and prose, structured haiku and iambic pentameter; concrete (shaped) or mask (from the POV of an animal, object or person that is not you); or play with a rhyme scheme all your own.
The best part about writing poetry for children is that there are no real rules, but creativity rules it all!
Get Inspired with Shel Silverstein
Poetry collections abound! One of the most well-known writers of poetry collections for children is Shel Silverstein. He definitely inspired me to become a poet when I was younger! Although Silverstein didn’t initially plan on writing poetry for children, his style is irresistibly child-friendly. His poetry is clever and features stories about children and animals that are often silly, outlandish and just plain fun — and brought to greater life with charming pen and ink drawings. Silverstein’s poetry often rhymes but does not always have a standard — or discernable meter. That’s part of the magic.
Here is a sampling of his books you must try:
Where the Sidewalk Ends
“If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer,
A wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er,
A magic bean buyer …
Come in! You’ll enter directly into a child’s imagination, where you’ll find a girl who eats a whale one bite-at-a-time, a boy who turns into a TV set and a place where you can plant diamond gardens. It’s greatly entertaining and limitless in possibility.
If you’re game for another wild ride, this poetry collection lives up to its title. It espouses the joys of growing down, getting tongue-tied with Stick-a-Tongue-Out-Sid and what happens when you get a case of the Lovetobutcants.
And don’t miss his A Light in the Attic, Falling Up and The Missing Piece (not a collection, but a poem in itself), which are always wonderful companions with which to curl up.
Get Inspired with Jack Prelutsky
Our first Young People’s Poet Laureate (2006-08), Jack Prelutsky has authored more than 50 poetry collections and is a well-loved figure in the children’s poetry sphere. He says he hated poetry while growing up, but loved to draw imaginary turtles. Upon a friend’s prompting, he submitted the turtles to a publisher and at the last minute added some poetry. A star was born! He was amazed that they chose the poetry that took him two hours, but not the turtles that he had labored over for months….
Some of Prelutsky’s poetry collections include Stardines Swim High Across the Sky and Other Poems, The Swamps of Sleethe: Poems From Beyond the Solar System and Be Glad Your Nose Is on Your Face and Other Poems. He has also edited collections of poetry for children, including The 20th Century Children’s Poetry Treasury. Prelutsky wrote the book Pizza, Pigs and Poetry: How to Write a Poem for kids, but adults can find great advice for writing for kids here too.
Be Glad Your Nose Is on Your Face and Other Poems: Some of the Best of Jack Prelutsky
You’ll enter a magical world where ogres run wild, frogs wear red suspenders in a rainstorm of pigs and noodles and Scranimals gallivant under a pizza the size of the sun. Crazy rhymes and hilarious stories run rampant in Prelutsky’s most beloved tales!
Celebrate Diversity
Written by Eloise Greenfield and Illustrated by Ehsan Abdollahi
A new collection of poetry for kids from Coretta Scott King Book Award winner Eloise
Greenfield. In this book, even the puppy is a poet!
Words with Wings: A Treasury of African-American Poetry and Art
Compiled by Belinda Rochelle
This beautiful collection features African-American poetry and art from the the nineteenth century through the present, with twenty poems from distinguished African-American poets and twenty works of art by acclaimed African-American artists. Renowned poets and artists such as Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Rita Dove, Countee Cullen, Jacob Lawrence and Paul Lawrence Dunbar grace the pages.
Edited by J. Patrick Lewis
Former U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis chronicles the wonders of America’s people and places through 200+ inspiring poems and stunning photographs, contributed by Langston Hughes, Dorothy Parker, Robert Frost, Naomi Shihab Nye, Walt Whitman, and more.
Concentrate on One Genre or Subject
H Is For Haiku: A Treasury of Haiku from A to Z
Written by Sydell Rosenberg and Illustrated by Sawsan Chalabi
The late poet Sydell Rosenberg, a charter member of the Haiku Society of America and a New York City public school teacher — and illustrator Sawsan Chalabi have put together an A-Z collection of haiku that finds the fun and poetry in everyday moments.
Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World
Written by Susan Hood and Illustrated by Sophie Blackall, Emily Winfield Martin, Shadra Strickland, Melissa Sweet, LeUyen Pham, Oge Mora, Julie Morstad, Lisa Brown, Selina Alko, Hadley Hooper, Isabel Roxas, Erin Robinson, and Sara Palacios.
This collection of poetry honors the stories of women who changed the world, from a brave six-year old who helped to end segregation in the South to a 21-year old whose design for a war memorial won — yet she had to defend her right to create to Congress.
Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices
Written by Paul Fleischman and Illustrated by Eric Beddows
This book was written to be read aloud by two voices — sometimes alternating, sometimes simultaneous; these poems celebrate the insect world, from the short life of the mayfly to the love song of the book louse.
Let Your Imagination Loose
The Ice Cream Store
Written by Dennis Lee and Illustrated by David McPhail
Completely kid-focused, this light-hearted verse roams from digging holes to foreign lands to searching for the perfect pet.
Let Art Inspire You
World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from The Metropolitan Museum
Edited By Lee Bennett Hopkins
“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.”
—Leonardo da Vinci
Inspired by this simple statement, poets including Marilyn Singer, Alma Flor Alda, and Carole Boston Weatherford wrote new poems to pay homage to some of the most popular works in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Ready to Write?
There are many, many more collections to explore. And we are on the cusp of National Poetry Month, which kicks off in April. It’s the perfect time to get inspired and then try your hand at this genre of unlimited possibilities — to play with words and pictures until they are poetry to your ears. Enjoy the ride, and let us know how you fare!