"I soar / and fly, but have no wing / I dip / and dive / from a trail / of string." - Rebecca Kai Dotlich
I first met Rebecca Kai Dotlich in the early 90s and had the good fortune of collaborating with here on a few projects.
Her poem "Fiddler from Sassilli Street" appears in my anthology: My Own Song and Other Poems to Groove To.
I love Rebecca's poetry. The language is spontaneous and energetic. It is accessible and musical. Children love it. I rarely leave a language arts classroom experience or staff development session without sharing at least one of her works.
Here are some of Rebecca's collections:
About her work Lemonade Sun: And Other Summer Poems, Booklist said:
Gilchrist's bright, sturdy acrylics work well with these child-friendly poems, simple but graced with the occasional fabulous image: sunflowers as "garden kings / with chocolate eyes" or a firefly as a "Rhinestone in / a jelly jar." Some poems on walking barefoot, dragonflies and bumblebees, and selling lemonade might be more accessible to country children than to city ones, but the joys of jump rope and jacks seem to be universal. The racially diverse cast of children who inhabit these sidewalks and meadows have individual charm; some, such as the titian-haired moppet who peers from behind a sunflower, could be portraits.
One of my favorites is In the Spin of Things: Poetry of Motion. In this book, Rebecca pays poetic tribute to things that shake or slap, whoosh or whirl, swirl or spill in this captivating book of verse. With delightful illustrations by Karen Dugan, these twenty-three poems sparkle with clever imagery and crackle with dazzling wordplay. This is a remarkable collection by a gifted poet to set young imaginations spinning.
When Riddles Come Rumbling: Poems to Ponder includes presents 29 short, descriptive, rhyming poems about everyday ideas and objects such as a telephone, soup, fireworks, a hula hoop, and an octopus, ending with a poet. "Readers must guess what each poem is about and are helped by the realistic pictures that provide a two-inch border around each one. In addition to the riddle element, each picture also contains jumbled alphabet letters that spell out the poem's subject," according to School Library Journal. Karen Dugan's illustrations help readers to ponder the solutions. Finally, answers appear in fine print at the bottom of the copyright page. Children can enjoy these riddle poems either one-on-one or in a group setting.
Also check out Bella & Bean:
Bella wants to write poems.
Bean wants to go for a walk.
Bella wants to write poems.
Bean wants Bella to look at her cute toes.
Could these two best friends be more different? But as Bean's attempt to coax Bella away from her notepad become ever more over the top, Bella finds her poetry taking unexpected twists.
You might be a Bella or you could be a Bean - either way, this sweet, clever tale will remind you there is perfect poetry to mismatched friends.
Booklist said:
Little Bella is a poetry-writing rat. Bean is a fashion-conscious rat. It’s hard to see how they can be best friends when one wants to think about rivers and moons, and the other wants to think about hats. Words like flow, gurgle, and silver are put down on Bella’s pages of poems, but even as she demands peace and quiet to write, she knows she’s missing out on fun with her friend. But Bean’s not one to hold a grudge, and when invited by Bella to sit under the stars and listen to poems, she’s happy to oblige—and thrilled when one of the verses is about her.
This rodent duo is a good example of how opposites attract and can improve each other’s lives. The artwork uses rich shades of gold, teal, and sea green as backgrounds for the very personable rats. Bella & Bean is a nice starting point for a discussion of friendship.
Immersing children in great poetry is an ideal way to start the new year. Thank you, Rebecca, for sharing your song with us all!