This is a wonderful collection of Lee Bennett Hopkin’s.  I hope there will be a few more like this one yet to come (thanks to the slow publishing process).

“I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage” has poems and art from a variety of people.  It’s a delightful melange of culture that left me wanting more.  To make it even better, it’s obvious that Lee must’ve asked every poet “What is poetry to you?” and every illustrator “What is art to you?”  These are at the top of every poem and the bottom of every picture.  The answers alone are varied and stunning.  SO much so that I had to share a couple that just blew my mind.

First, there is the incomparable Ms. Jane Yolen on poetry:

Great GOD!  That’s practically a poem in and of itself!  Then, there is G. Neri:

That doesn’t even begin to touch on some of the greatness that is inside this picture book.  It’s stunning!  God bless you Lee!  Thank you for this gift.

The poem I picked is one of my favorites in the collection (though you really should read them all).  It is written by Janet S. Wong and illustrated by Simone Shin:

And if you’re looking for more poetry fun this month, be sure to check out the Kidlitosphere Event Roundup!