A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems

Since April is National Poetry Month and Young People's Poetry Week is April 13th through the 19th, now is a particularly good time to tell you about A Poke in the I, one of my favorite books of concrete poetry. In case you are not familiar with them, concrete poems can be one-word poems or poems with a number of words, but in every case, the words are arranged into a particular shape that reflects the poem's meaning. A Poke in the I is a collection of thirty concrete poems by well-known visual poets. Poet Paul B. Janeczko edited the book, which was published by Candlewick Press. The quality of the poetry, the design of the book, and the witty collages by Chris Raschka, a Caldecott Honor artist, create an exceptional experience for the reader. I recommend the book for 8-14 year olds.

(Cover art courtesy of Candlewick Press)