I just recently started reading “The Poetry Home Repair Manual” by Ted Kooser and have been loving it. So imagine my delight to discover that he had put out a poetry picture book as well!

MARSHMALLOW CLOUDS: TWO POETS AT PLAY AMONG FIGURES OF SPEECH is a beautiful collection of poems written by Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek on a variety of subjects, using the frame of elements (fire, etc.) and each one playing with figures of speech.  I cannot lie.  THIS is one of my favorite poetry picture book discoveries this year!

It’s unlike anything else I’ve seen out there and it’s darn near impossible to say who writes which poems in this book.  Do I really need to know?  No, and maybe that’s the point.  This is playing with words at its finest.  This is a book that is marketed as a “writing primer” to prompt older kids who might be writing poems, but I think it could simply spark a lifelong love of poetry just by itself.  I do not see why a younger child wouldn’t love some of the poems that are in this book.

As such, I chose one poem that I thought has a gorgeous mental image as well as illustration (which my photo does NOT do justice to).  There are many poems in this book that stayed with me long after reading it.  I desperately need to add this one to my collection!

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