Bibliography
Giovanni, Nikki, ed. Hip Hop Speaks to Children a Celebration of Poetry with a Beat. 2008. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks, Inc. ISBN: 978-1-4022-1048-8.
About the Book
Poetry can have rhythm or rhyme or both. Sometimes it is obvious and can be detected easily but sometimes it is less obvious. But poetry is vibrant and exciting, and showing that to kids is a great experience. When you find yourself involuntarily clapping your hands or tapping your feet, you have surely found the beat of poetry. This book will, no doubt, help kids hear rhyme, feel rhythms, and enjoy poetry. Designed and compiled to give voice, specifically, to African American children - though it is universally enjoyable - this book/CD combination accomplishes its goal. This is a remarkable collection of more than 50 songs and poems including an excerpt from the famous Martin Luther King, Jr. speech, "I Have A Dream." The illustrations are beautiful and the audio CD is enjoyable. When they are put together, this resource is a delight.The poems included in the book were written by a very diverse group of people including Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Eloise Greenfield, Gary Soto, and Walter Dean Meyers. Then there are the musicians who have written poems, including Queen Latifah, Aesop Rock, and Young MC. The book comes with a CD which includes readings by Queen Latifah, Gwendolyn Brooks, Langston Hughes, and many more. The book alone, or along with the CD, is a great introduction to poetry and is a fun way to explore poetry with kids.
The poems are about a variety of subjects, many of which have a powerful and meaningful message. Tupac Shakur writes about a rose "that grew from the concrete." Nikki Giovanni's The Rosa Parks encourages children to "do the rosa parks" and "shame the bad / comfort the good." The words are simple, punchy, and to the point, and they remind children that they are the ones who can make the world a better place. What a great message for today's children! The following poem is an example of poems in this collection.
One Poem
People Equal
by James Berry
Some people shoot up tall.
Some hardly leave the ground at all.
yet - people equal. Equal.
One voice is a sweet mango.
Another is a nonsugar tomato.
yet - people equal. Equal.
Some people rush to the front.
Others hang back, feeling they can't.
yet - people equal. Equal.
Hammer some people, you meet a wall.
Blow hard on others, they fall.
yet - people equal. Equal.
One person will aim at a star.
For another, a hilltop is too far.
yet - people equal. Equal.
Some people get on with their show.
Others never get on the go.
yet - people equal. Equal.
Activities
The back of the book provides readers with more about the poets and musicians who contributed to the book. Use this resource to research poets and musicians from other types of collections.
Have students work as a team to write a poem that could be added to this collection. Brainstorm other types of poetry collections that could be put together - show some examples from the library. Write a class poem that could be included in another collection.
Tie in to a social studies lesson about cultures. Discuss how the poems and songs in this collection are specifically written to honor African-American children. Think about other cultures in the community in which students live. Search poems and songs that could be compiled into a collection to honor another culture.
Poetry can have rhythm or rhyme or both. Sometimes it is obvious and can be detected easily but sometimes it is less obvious. But poetry is vibrant and exciting, and showing that to kids is a great experience. When you find yourself involuntarily clapping your hands or tapping your feet, you have surely found the beat of poetry. This book will, no doubt, help kids hear rhyme, feel rhythms, and enjoy poetry. Designed and compiled to give voice, specifically, to African American children - though it is universally enjoyable - this book/CD combination accomplishes its goal. This is a remarkable collection of more than 50 songs and poems including an excerpt from the famous Martin Luther King, Jr. speech, "I Have A Dream." The illustrations are beautiful and the audio CD is enjoyable. When they are put together, this resource is a delight.The poems included in the book were written by a very diverse group of people including Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Eloise Greenfield, Gary Soto, and Walter Dean Meyers. Then there are the musicians who have written poems, including Queen Latifah, Aesop Rock, and Young MC. The book comes with a CD which includes readings by Queen Latifah, Gwendolyn Brooks, Langston Hughes, and many more. The book alone, or along with the CD, is a great introduction to poetry and is a fun way to explore poetry with kids.
The poems are about a variety of subjects, many of which have a powerful and meaningful message. Tupac Shakur writes about a rose "that grew from the concrete." Nikki Giovanni's The Rosa Parks encourages children to "do the rosa parks" and "shame the bad / comfort the good." The words are simple, punchy, and to the point, and they remind children that they are the ones who can make the world a better place. What a great message for today's children! The following poem is an example of poems in this collection.
One Poem
People Equal
by James Berry
Some people shoot up tall.
Some hardly leave the ground at all.
yet - people equal. Equal.
One voice is a sweet mango.
Another is a nonsugar tomato.
yet - people equal. Equal.
Some people rush to the front.
Others hang back, feeling they can't.
yet - people equal. Equal.
Hammer some people, you meet a wall.
Blow hard on others, they fall.
yet - people equal. Equal.
One person will aim at a star.
For another, a hilltop is too far.
yet - people equal. Equal.
Some people get on with their show.
Others never get on the go.
yet - people equal. Equal.
Activities
The back of the book provides readers with more about the poets and musicians who contributed to the book. Use this resource to research poets and musicians from other types of collections.
Have students work as a team to write a poem that could be added to this collection. Brainstorm other types of poetry collections that could be put together - show some examples from the library. Write a class poem that could be included in another collection.
Tie in to a social studies lesson about cultures. Discuss how the poems and songs in this collection are specifically written to honor African-American children. Think about other cultures in the community in which students live. Search poems and songs that could be compiled into a collection to honor another culture.
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