Poem in Your Pocket Day is April 29 and is part of National Poetry Month. Here are 9 Poetry Picture Books for POEM IN MY POCKET.
Here’s how to participate:
It’s easy to participate in Poem in Your Pocket Day from a safe distance. Here are some ideas of how you might get involved:
- Select a poem and share it on social media using the hashtag #PocketPoem.
- Print a poem from the Poem in Your Pocket Day PDF and draw an image from the poem in the white space, or use the instructions on pages 57-58 of the PDF to make an origami swan.
- Record a video of yourself reading a poem, then share it on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or another social media platform you use.
- Email a poem to your friends, family, neighbors, or local government leaders.
- Schedule a video chat and read a poem to your loved ones.
- Add a poem to your email footer.
- Read a poem out loud from your porch, window, backyard, or outdoor space.
Discover more ways to celebrate National Poetry Month in the classroom, or at home or online! Need poems for your pocket? Here are some picture books for inspiration!
10 Poem in My Pocket Poetry Picture Books
If This Bird Had Pockets: A Poem in Your Pocket Celebration by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, illustrated by Emma J. Virján
Do you need a poem to carry in your pocket for Poem in Your Pocket Day? Do you ever wonder what animals would do if they wanted to participate in this poetry celebration as well? Where would they stash their poems and what would they write about? Some of these poems are confessions, others are things that an animal would like you to know. If you have a favorite animal, then this lovely poetry picture book will supply you with the perfect poem for your pocket! There are 21 poems in a variety of poetry forms to choose from!!
My favorite animal is a hummingbird. Here’s what a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird has to say:
My feathers
are tiny
I sing
with my wings.
I’m ruby.
I’m emerald.
I shine
like a locket.
You’ll discover
I hover
near flowers for hours.
I find
nectar poems
in hollyhock pockets.
I love how this poem is small like a hummingbird in terms of line length. It also rhymes in an interesting pattern. I don’t recognize the poetry form, but I bet one of my readers will know! I also love how it tells you where the poems are kept. [poetry picture book, ages 4 and up]
Poem in My Pocket by Chris Tougas, illustrated by Josée Bisaillon
A whimsical story about a girl who has a poem in her pocket but when her pocket gets a rip, the rhymes fall out and get mixed up all over town. The words make up their own crazy rhymes. She tries to put her poem back together again when she gathers up the words, but another breeze scatters them across town. Finally, her words turn into a poetree! What a playful way to think about finding the right words for a poem! Pair this with word magnets to make poetry! [picture book, ages 4 and up]
A Poem in Your Pocket by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by B. Brian Karas
Elinor is excited about an author visit at school. Emmy Crane is a poet and Elinor wants to create six poems for Poem in a Pocket day, but when she tries to write poems, doubt plagues her. Nothing seems good enough. Her classmates are playing around with poetry, learning about different forms, but Elinor is stuck. When it’s time to meet Emmy Crane, Elinor doesn’t have a poem for her but she goes up on stage to meet her anyway. Emily asks Elinor about her poems and she closes her eyes and her words spill out and become a poem! [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Keep a Pocket in Your Poem: Classic Poems and Playful Parodies written and selected by J. Patrick Lewis, illustrated by Johanna Wright
Here’s a clever way to inspire kids to write poems! How about writing a parody of a famous poem? J. Patrick Lewis riffs funny versions of famous poems like “Stopping by the Fridge on a Hungry Evening,” a spin-off “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. And, it just might be easier to swap out your own words while using the framework of an existing poem. Kids who like all things funny might want to choose TWO poems for their pocket as they compare the original poem with a new, funnier version! [picture book, ages 5 and up]
Read! Read! Read! by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, illustrated by Ryan O’Rourke
This poetry picture book celebrates all that there is in the world to read … cereal boxes, maps, road signs, books, and more. Reading opens up hearts, minds, and worlds. Combine the joy of reading with the joy of poetry in this exuberant book! [poetry picture book, ages 5 and up]
Write! Write! Write! by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, illustrated by Ryan O’Rourke
Writing is power. It’s also a way to unlock reading independently. If you need some inspiration to write, start with this poetry picture book that coaxes the reader to write by modeling how to get started. [poetry picture book, ages 5 and up]
Gnomes and Ungomes: Poems of Hidden Creatures by The Writers’ Loft Authors & Illustrators
I have three Haiku poems on Asian mythological creatures in this beautiful poetry book.
From the nightmare-eating Baku of Japan to the weather-weaving Acalica fairies in Bolivia. Can you keep track of all seven heads of the Cambrian dragon? Do you want to know what’s inside a unicorn’s horn? Can you spot Spectre Moose in Maine? Flip the page to India and behold the stunning 9-animal patchwork Navagunjara.
With over 13 different types of poems, this book is an unbelievable poetry resource for teachers, librarians, and parents, perfect for homes and classrooms. Whatever you do, don’t forget to find the hidden gnome on every spread![poetry picture book, ages 1 and up]
An Assortment of Animals: A Children’s Poetry Anthology by The Writers’ Loft Authors & Illustrators
There is an assortment of animals — 54 birds alone! — both in the poems and in the illustrations in this lovely poetry picture book created by The Writers’ Loft, a group that I belong to. There are some names you might recognize such as Brian Lies, Jane Yolen, Haley Barrett, and Josh Funk. It’s a reminder of how warm and welcoming the children’s book community is! This assortment of animal poems explores many different poetry forms and is perfect for a Poem in Your Pocket or any time of the year! [poetry picture book, ages 1 and up]
Friends and Anemones: Ocean Poems for Children by the Writers’ Loft Authors and Illustrators
This poetry picture book is an all-volunteer labor of love by The Writers’ Loft, a writing group that I belong to, and take my picture manuscripts for critique by fellow members. Members are both published and pre-published authors and poems in this beautiful book include people you will probably recognize like Peter H. Reynolds, Haley Barrett, Heidi E.Y. Stemple, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Lisa Rogers, Nancy Tupper Ling, Kip Wilson, Josh Funk, Erin Dionne, and Jane Yolen. As for the other authors in this book … be on the lookout for them. They will be the children’s book creators in the future to watch for! [poetry picture book, ages 2 and up]
Forwards Always: Poems to be Read Aloud by Matthew Hodson
This slim volume with whimsical illustrations invites audience participation and can fit easily in a purse or backpack, though not a pocket. [poetry picture book, ages 4 and up]
Did you find a poem for your pocket? If not, here are some more poetry book lists:
Poetry Anthology Books for Kids
New Great Poetry Books for Kids !
Cover Reveal: AN ASSORTMENT OF ANIMALS: A Children’s Poetry Anthology
Top 5: Latinx Poetry Picture Book List
Poets and Their Poetry Books for Kids
Poetry for Kids: Haiku using Japanese Art
Fun & Easy Ways to Expose Kids to Poetry
Poetry in Sports Books for Kids and the Kid Lit Blog Hop
Teaching Poetry at Home To Your Kids
3rd Grade Poetry and Dreams Coming True
Top 10: Best Poetry Books for Kids
Novels in Verse for Kids: Poetry in Motion
Funny Novel That Teaches Poetry to Kids
Picture Book Poetry Collection for Spring
Reader Challenge: Poetry for 5th Grade Girls’ Bookclub
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My books:
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
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Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me
