Thanks a Million: Poems

In sixteen extraordinary poems that range in form from Haiku to a rebus to a riddle, this book reminds us how wonderful it is to feel thankful, and how powerful a simple "thank you" can be.

This collection of poems about giving thanks spans a variety of verse forms and a variety of subject matters. Each poetic device is used intentionally and corresponds with the subject matter of the poem. For example, a thank you note in rhymed couplets is light-hearted, while a poem with a deaf speaker that verbalizes how sign "thank you" is more subtly lyrical.

While each poem uses rhythm, rhyme, sound, language, imagery, and emotion in unique and valuable ways, the beauty of this book is truly the book as a collection of poems. Because each poem explores a different facet of the concept of giving thanks, the poems work together to illustrate the complexity of this concept. The illustrations also add to the diversity of the text because show more of the racial and ethnic diversity of the children pictured. The illustrations are done in oil (paint or pastel) and the text is placed over them, adding to the aesthetic appeal of the book as a whole. The language is accessible for young readers and the subject matter is accessible and relevant for all readers.

Highly recommended for elementary, middle, and high school libraries show less

Level: Primary, Intermediate

This book is a good example of poetry because each word is carefully chosen to portray thankfulness and the individual poems display deep emotions of gratitude.
The author very effectively develops the theme of thankfulness throughout her poems. Each poem portrays a different way to say thank you across a wide variety of situations. By showing so many diverse forms of gratitude, the author drives home the importance of this attitude.

I've read a few really, really good poetry books lately, and this one didn't do much for me. "Homemade Card" is really cute, and "Even the Trees" is astonishingly good -- but the rest are just sort of there.

Vibrant, eye-catching illustrations grace the sixteen very different poems in this collection, all sharing the power of a thank you and the many, many ways to show and tell thanks. Some are super short, others are longer. Some rhyme, some don’t. One is for two voices. All are engaging, quality poems.

A variety of different poems that each have a theme of showing gratitude. The illustrations in the book are either painted or hand drawn giving this piece a great feel for artwork also giving it an intimate appeal. This would be a great book to use when the class is going to do an art/ poetry project. The book provides examples the students can study then create on their own. Great for grades two and up.

Poetry. This story is great to use during the thanksgiving holidays. It's all about different things to be thankful for. The author has a range of riddles and poetry to read about. I would also use this to expose the student to different types of poetry.