Foot in the Mouth: Poems to Speak, Sing, and Shout

Despite the dry subtitle, this is actually a lively guide to poetry forms both familiar and obscure. In a picture-book format, Janeczko uses examples and informative language to illustrate a wide variety of poems.

In this creative collection, words are used as objects to create images — both on the page and in the reader’s mind. These literal representations make poetry and imagery accessible even to very young children.

Seasons are celebrated from spring when “Rain beats down,/roots stretch up…” to a cold winter night as “A welcome mat of moonlight/on the floor…” entices a child to snuggle in a warm bed. Accessible, jewel-toned illustrations add setting and movement to a wide range of appealing and very short poems.

An introduction presents an overview of the collection’s unique perspective: poetry from different historical periods connected by poems about objects. A range of poets and places are presented, each illustrated by loose watercolor illustrations. An opening poem by Eloise Greenfield entitled “Things” provides a lively start to this appealing collection.

Sophisticated readers will appreciate the sly humor and wordplay in the “kissin’ cousin of haiku.” Senyru focuses on everyday activities (e.g., “Freedom vanishes, as the babysitter arrives… kids are tied in nots”) complemented here by comic illustrations.