POETRY FRIDAY- AMAZING FACES- Lee Bennett Hopkins

Review copy provided by publisher

We interrupt this month (or two) of CYBILS nonfiction picture book nominee reviews to bring you a Friday of Poetry. The ever prolific, ever poetic Lee Bennett Hopkins has collected sixteen poems about people from different cultures. He's gathered poem stories and images from some of today's best known children's poets and authors- people like Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Carole Boston Weatherford, Nikki Grimes, Jane Yolen, Pat Mora, Janet Wong, and Prince Redcloud- to produce a beautiful collection. And just when you think it can't get any better, well, you aren't going to believe this, but it does, because these poems are illustrated by one of my all time favorite children's book artists- Chris Soentpiet. His paintings are lovely, lovely, lovely- sooooo rich in detail and color.

The lead poem in the collection is one of my favorites, Rebecca Kai Dotlich. Today I'm dedicating it to one of my favorite amazing faces, Son #1,

pictured below at homecoming last week.

(If you missed Son #2, you can check him out on last week's Poetry Friday).

"Amazing Face"

Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Amazing, your face.

Amazing…

You will climb stalks,

greet giants,

crawl before you walk.

And you will fly.

And you will fall.

And you will fly again.

Amazing, your face.

Amazing.

Toby Speed and her friend Kashi are hosting POETRY FRIDAY here.