It’s time!  National Poetry Month is here and I’m starting it off with a great poetry picture book.

ALL WELCOME HERE is a collection of haiku poems about school written by James Preller and illustrated by Mary GrandPre.  This is a book all about my stomping grounds and I marveled from page to page how James managed to capture all of the emotions found within a school’s walls and beating in every student’s heart.  I reveled in the amazing patterns and collages that Mary used in every single scene to bring life to every character, even the school bus!

It should probably come as NO surprise then that I struggled to pick just one poem to share.  I thought I would start us off with the opening poem which perfectly captures what I’m feeling on the first day of school every single year (yes, even as a teacher).  BUT I also wanted to share some of the literary genius that went into this book’s composition (and the stunning details in the illustrations).  I was torn!  In the end, I compromised and picked two poems.  Yes, this is breaking my rule of only one poem per book, BUT trust me, they are just the tiniest glimpse into this book.  You will have to track down a copy and read it for yourself.

This poem feels OH so appropriate to start off our dive into poetry picture books this month:

And this poem captures my heart right now.  I’m preparing to release the students I’ve spent all year with, working with each and every one to learn and grow as best as they (and I) can, loving each and every single one.  This is one of the hardest parts of the job.  I know this poem is written from a parent’s point of view sending their child off to school, but teachers feel this too at the end of the school year.  And I love how Mary incorporates an actual bird into the image.

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