The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To Poems

The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To PoemsThe Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To Poems by Paul B. Janeczko
Published by Candlewick Press on February 25th 2019
ISBN: 0763681687
Pages: 48
Goodreads
four-stars

A collection of how-to poems that provide instruction on the very best parts of childhood, some practical, some fantastic: how to toast a marshmallow, how to make pancakes, how to be a snowflake. Each page of this slightly over-sized book contains 1 or 2 poems from poets old and new, from Christina Rosetti and Robert Louis Stevenson to Nikki Grimes and Kwame Alexander, and is richly illustrated by Richard Jones in earth tones. Janeczko is a master of gathering poems into collections that can be used in units on poetry or in themed story times or just browsed through to tantalize and inspire a new generation of poetry readers. This collection speaks to the joy of childhood and of the life well-lived and would be a delightful addition to any elementary library or classroom.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

four-stars