Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

This collection of 23 poems by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater celebrates the job of reading in all its forms from books to the back of cereal boxes. It highlights the power of imagination and reading’s ability to transport us to different worlds. My favorite poem was “Forever” which reminds us that our reading experiences stick with us across time and shape how we see the world. Ryan O’Rourke’s colorful illustrations add to the whimsical and imaginative feel of the book. This is definitely show more a book I’d add to the collection! It gets a 5 out of 5 from me for reminding me of the magic of reading. show less

This book celebrates the many ways we read, from cereal boxes and sports pages to maps and road signs and field guides to magazines and birthday cards. The poems and illustrations are delightful! It's a motivating read-aloud for younger children, and those who are already big readers will smile in recognition of the joy in getting lost in words. Can't wait to use this in my school library!

From the poem "Forever" by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater:
You've read the words. / You've seen the pictures too. show more / Every single thing you read / becomes a part of you. show less

As a school librarian, my vision statement is: "Every student is a reader, an information seeker, a thinker, a tinkerer, and a lifelong learner." As such, they are MAKERS who engage in makerspaces. Makerspaces are hands-on activities that promote cooperation, motivate students to figure things out, and decrease stress.

So, you can imagine my delight in discovering Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's new book of children's poems.

Today's child grows up surrounded by technology. Think back to days of show more creating our own fun instead of relying on a screen to provide entertainment. Amy includes everything from thumbprint pictures, clay, and cookies to sock puppets, forts, and shadow shows—and more. It made me a bit nostalgic, but for children now, these ideas may be novel!

"Maker" begins the collection and sets the inventive tone. The poems that follow are of various forms, breaking the book up nicely as it moves along. (The layout of "Knitting" caught my eye in particular!) The clever collages of the Lou Fancher and Steve Johnson illustrator team are the perfect pairing for these energetic, imaginative poems.

Adding this one to our elementary school library immediately. show less

"Everyday birds" is a poetry picture book that teaches young readers about twenty different types of birds. I really enjoyed this book because it was fascinating to learn about different types of birds through poems. I think this would be a great book to teach children not just about poetry but also about animals that all children are familiar with.