This is very much a not for me book, but I do understand the appeal. These are sweet simple poems told in very unconventional ways. The author called them "word paintings" and I think that fits them perfectly. Kids would love this for sure, it's novel and interesting. I just didn't care for it. ( )

This is a cute book filled with various fun, lighthearted poems. The author used the words in his poems to create imagery in the readers minds. He also illustrated his written words to reflect the subject matter of the given poem. I would recommend this book for second through fourth grade students. ( )

Reading Level: 2nd-6th grades
Awards: Junior Library Guild Selections (2016), Notable Poetry and Verse Novels (2017), El día de los niños/ El día de los libros (2017, 2018), Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts (2017), ILA Children's Choice Reading List (2017), Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices (2017), Association for Library Service to Children's Notable Children's Books- Commended (2017)

Concrete poems make poetry come alive for young readers. The author's play on "concrete" is a fun way to introduce this unique and fun form of poetry. After reading these word pictures, readers will be tempted to try creating their own

This is a collection of what the author calls "word paintings" or concrete poems. The poems are written and displayed in a shape that mimics their title and theme. For example the poem titled "Firefly" is written on two black pages while the print is white and scattered about the page. This book is clever and incredibly fun to read. It would be an amazing introduction to the genre and I think it would really peak student's interest. I would definitely use these as a mentor text for having students write their own concrete poems as well. ( )