The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To Poems

Who can resist a good how-to? Janeczko, an astute editor of children's poetry, capitalizes on his readers' natural curiosity and yearning for autonomy while opening up the possibilities for what a how-to--both the question and the answer--can be. The selections are giddily eclectic: J. Patrick Lewis offers pointers on distinguishing the Dromedary from the Bactrian camel; Irene Latham tells readers how to walk on Mars ("Don't take off your helmet, / whatever you do"). Kwame Alexander's "Basketball Rule #2" uses abrupt, imperative rhythms ("Hustle dig/Grind push/Run fast"). And Douglas Florian goes for full-on silliness, advising readers who are tired of their hair to "Mail it in first class in a letter;/ Weave it in your cashmere sweater." Digitized paintings by Jones (The Squirrels' Busy Year) have silk-screened textures and create visual cohesion even as they range as widely as the verse. One spread offers an everyday, ordinary scene: a boy rides his bike through a sunlit park; in another, a tiny, solitary astronaut gazes into a vast, yellow-orange Martian landscape. The entire book becomes a how-to , instructing readers not only in various activities but also in all the ways poetry can resonate. Ages 6-9. (Mar.)

PreS-Gr 3--Janeczko's latest anthology is a cozy collection of humorous and thought-provoking "how-to" poems from contemporary writers, including Kwame Alexander, Margarita Engle, J. Patrick Lewis, and Nikki Grimes, as well as poems from Christina Rossetti, Robert Louis Stevenson, and more. This collection thoughtfully compiles poems that range in focus from the fantastical, to the natural, to the domestic. The book opens with "How to Build a Poem" by Charles Ghigna and sets the tone with the closing lines ."..words that leave us/wanting more." Throughout the book, poems are often grouped thematically. For instance, the poems "On the Fourth of July" by Marilyn Singer and "Fireworks" by Anna E. Jordan occupy adjacent pages of the same spread. Jones's illustrations tenderly bring each poem to life. Children are invited to see themselves in many of the earth-toned, textured scenes. The final scene depicts an empty chair with an abandoned book on it--The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog--and, through the doorway, a girl and her dog stepping out into the world. Overall, Jones's illustrations achieve a strong balance of white space and image, and the full-bleed spreads connect the poems into a single, unified work. A great pick for read-alouds or for sustained, one-on-one reading. VERDICT This anthology is a solid pick for public and school collections large and small.-Erica Ruscio, Madison Public Library, WI