Poetry Book Review #6

Janeczko, P. B. 2001. A poke in the I. Ill. by Chris Raschka. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

Paul Janeczko displays a unique conglomeration of concrete poetry in his book, A Poke in the I. For this imaginative and entertaining collection, Janeczko chose poems that don’t follow any particular pattern, only the unique feature of being concrete ties them together. The shapes, forms and language of the poetry make it fun for readers to figure out, read and share with others.

Caldecott Award-winning illustrator, Chris Raschka brilliantly adds his distinctive illustrations to the text shapes. The pictures and words are subtly intertwined and work so well together that it would be difficult to read the poetry without the illustrations and the illustrations would mean nothing without the text forms.

Paul Janeczko and Chris Raschka’s collaboration on the concrete poetry extravaganza known as A Poke in the I envelops and engages readers in a wonderful poetry experience.

Here is one of my many favorites from this collection:

A Seeing Poem by Robert Froman (p.2)