“Sing to the sun
It will listen
And warm your words
Your joy will rise
Like the sun
and glow
Within you”
Those beautiful words are included in Sing to the Sun: Poems and Pictures, written by the venerable author and illustrator Ashley Bryan. April is National Poetry Month, a celebration founded in 1996 to recognize “poetry’s important place in our culture and our lives.” The sixteen featured poetry books celebrate nature and neighborhoods, islands and imagination, words and wisdom. There is plenty reading enjoyment for all ages. Go to our category page Genres, Themes, and… to discover more picture, middle grade, and young adult poetry book selections for your home or classroom library or to donate to those whose access to books is limited. Happy Poetry Month!
Books:
Sing the Sun: Poems and Pictures – Ashley Bryan
Dance with Me: Super Sturdy Picture Book – Charles R. Smith Jr.
I Am the Virgin Islands – Tiphanie Yanique
In the Land of Words: New and Selected Poems – Eloise Greenfield, Illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
Deshawn Days – Tony Medina, Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
Can’t Scare Me! – Ashley Bryan
Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon – Ruth Forman, Illustrated by Cbabi Bayoc
Bronzeville Boys and Girls – Gwendolyn Brooks, Illustrated by Faith Ringgold
H.O.R.S.E.: A Game of Basketball and Imagination – Christopher Myers
America, My New Home – Monica Gunning, Illustrated by Ken Condon
Poetry for Young People: Maya Angelou – Dr. Edwin Graves Wilson Ph.D., Illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue
Out of Wonder – Kwame Alexander, Chris Colderley, & Marjory Wentworth, Illustrated by Ekua Holmes
How I Discovered Poetry – Marilyn Nelson, Illustrated by Hadley Hooper
Under The Moon & Over the Sea: A Collection of Caribbean Poems – James Berry & Grace Nichols
One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance – Nikki Grimes
The 100 Best African American Poems – Nikki Giovanni
