Poetry Book Review

DAYS TO CELEBRATE. Hopkins, Lee Bennett, ed. 2005. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-000765-6.


This anthology from Lee Bennett Hopkins includes poems for every single month of the year. Hopkins divides this book into twelve chapters, one for each month of the year. On the first page of each chapter, he provides his readers with a calendar of that month. Every single day contains at least one notable event that occured on that date. Hopkins lists birthdates, holidays, important inventions, and miscellaneous fun trivia facts such as on August 2nd, 1858, the first US mailboxes were installed in Boston and New York City. In April, to commemorate National Poetry Month and Young People's Poetry Week, he has a page of quotes from poets on poetry.

The poems included in this anthology range from 2 line snippets to full page poems. Even though the cover's illustrations are cartoons, the inside illustrations are done in Folk Art style. I think this switch from cartoon to folk art makes this book primarily for middle school or young adult readers.

My favorite poem in the entire collection is for February 2nd (today, actually!), to commemorate Groundhog's Day:

Groundhog

by Maria Fleming

People shoo me

from their lawn,

scold me,

chase me,

want me gone,

treat me like

some kind of pest,

a most unwelcome

garden guest.

Then one day,

for mysterious reasons,

they crown me--

ME!--

King of Seasons.

Will spring come soon?

Will winter flee?

The world awaits

my royal decree.