All the Small Poems

All the Small Poems

Author:Valerie Worth

Illustrator: Natalie Babbitt

Grade Level: 3-6

Genre: Poetry 

Awards: none

Summary: In this collection of poems, Valarie Worth takes the readers through simple yet profound poems.  The poem "cat" tells the story of a cat looking for a perfect place to lounge.  "Fence" tells the story of a fence post that fell down, giving freedom to the cows inside.  The poem "grass" paints a vivid picture of the simplicity and complexity of a field of grass.  It is clear throughout this collection that Valerie Worth sees beauty in the simple objects around her.  She sheds light and tells the story of these sometimes unnoticed items in a poetic form.

Evaluation: I enjoyed this book of poems.  I love how this collection talks about daily objects around you.  It helps the reader to notice the beauty of these things that go unnoticed due to their presence in our everyday life.  This collection helped remind me to take in the beauty around me, even if it means appreciating a bed of grass.  I can definitely see myself using this book in my future classroom.  I think it is important to remind students to pay attention to the things around them.

The poems in this book are appropriate for third through sixth grade (and beyond!).  Most of the poems are easy to read and deep in meaning.  

You could use this book when introducing Writing Territories.  As students write words in their notebooks to later help them in their writing, they can use examples from this book to spark ideas.  When they tell you they can't possibly write about a cup, show them this collection!  Don't let them give excuses for not writing.