Poetryactions

What are Poetryactions? They’re short, quick poems written in response to a book, usually a picture book. Poetryactions started when I was sitting down to do my daily poem for my poetry diary. I was thinking about a picture book I had just read, and that’s what I jotted my poem about. And I liked it! I liked thinking about a book and writing a poem inspired by something the author wrote or the illustrator created. So I started doing it regularly, and the result is poetryactions. I think these would be lots of fun to share and write in the classroom. A few ideas:

• Write them just for fun!
• Forget a book report–do a poetryaction instead!
• Tie in with what you’re studying. Setting? Write a poetryaction about the setting of the book. Narrative voice? Write a poetryaction in the voice of the narrator.
• Clip students’ poetryactions to the actual book in your book bin, like blurbs on a book cover.
• Have the whole class write poetryactions to the same book and then share/compare.

I’d love to hear what you do in your classroom. Meanwhile, here are my poetryaction blog posts. You can also see just the poems themselves on my Poetryaction Pinterest Board. Enjoy!

• Waiting, a Poetryaction for The Lodge That Beaver Built

  March 9, 2023

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Howdy, friends–I missed you last week. I’ve been dealing with a crazy busy schedule of books coming out, plus a family member with a health scare that’s had me pretty anxious. It was nice to get ...

• The Idea and A Poem Grows Inside You

  February 16, 2023

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Howdy, everybody! Thanks for all your well wishes–my back is feeling better! It’s been a super busy February so far with author visits, my 35th wedding anniversary <3, freelance deadlines, and endless promotion for my 3 ...

• Somewhere, Mom Is Sewing

  February 9, 2023

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This week, I’m sharing another Poetryaction. There’s a lovely new book by Nancy Bo Flood out called Walking Grandma Home. Click here to read my post about it from Wednesday. And here’s my poem. Although I ...

• Lydia Lukidis and Deep, Deep Down: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench

  February 2, 2023

  

  From Laura: Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Lydia Lukidis is one of those kidlit bloggers who is always so generous about celebrating other authors’ books (including mine). Plus she’s an all-around lovely person. And when I read her new book from Capstone, ...

• Five Fall Favorites, a Poetryaction

  January 12, 2023

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Whee! My blog MIGHT be receiving comments. If you’re willing, would you try commenting? It could be very brief! Thanks :>) I’ve really missed comments the past couple of weeks. [Note: If you get an error ...

• Poetryaction for Summer Birds [Poetry Friday]

  March 10, 2016

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I got to meet Margarita Engle at NCTE last fall when we were signing books next to each other. What a lovely person! Have you read her Summer Birds, with glorious illustrations by Julie Paschkis? I confess ...

• A Poetryaction for If You Plant a Seed [Poetry Friday]

  February 25, 2016

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’ve blogged about NCTE last fall, and one of the many enjoyable sessions was the Children’s Literature Breakfast, featuring Kadir Nelson. I was quoting Kadir in a talk about mentor texts that I gave last weekend ...

• Poetryaction and Bookalikes for P. Zonka Lays an Egg

  January 27, 2016

  

  Here’s one more poetryaction! I am feeling more like a dreamer lately, wanting (but not having) more time for writing just for the heck of it—that’s a rare luxury for me. P. Zonka‘s daydreaming and its randomly beautiful results really touched me in this book. ...

• Poetryaction for The Secret Life of Squirrels

  January 26, 2016

  

  Here’s today’s poetryaction! I’ve had this poetryaction for The Secret Life of Squirrels for a long time and am finally getting around to sharing it! I didn’t expect to like this book because, well, the cover looks a little cheesy to me. Then I read ...

• Poetryaction for The Harvey Milk Story

  January 25, 2016

  

  While I try to catch up this week, I’m going to share a few poetryactions. Hope you like them!   The flap copy of The Harvey Milk Story says, “In making history that day, Minnie Milk’s intelligent, energetic and courageous son showed the world that…” so ...

• A Poetryaction for Poetry Friday

  January 21, 2016

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This week, I’ve talked about writing about hard topics, worrying about manuscripts turned in, and reading things twice. Since I’m in technology chaos right now, I think I’m just going to share a poetryaction I’ve shared ...

• Poetryaction and Bookalikes for Marilyn’s Monster

  January 13, 2016

  

  I’ve been working (for many years, off and on!) on a poetry project with a main character who feels rejected in  many areas of her life. She tries so hard to not want things like friends and invitations to birthday parties, because she doesn’t have ...

• Poetryaction for Blizzard

  December 10, 2015

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, we’re going from fire to ice. Yesterday, I shared an image for 15 Words or Less that some of you wondered what it was. I thought it resembled frozen flames, and y’all saw fire, ice, ...

• Poetryaction for Please, Mr. Panda

  December 9, 2015

  

  Oh, my goodness. My writers’ group, the Wordsmiths, met yesterday for our holiday gathering. The laughing! The food! The good advice! Hope you are all enjoying some holiday gatherings with your teacher colleagues and/or writing friends, too! Please, Mr. Panda is a quirky little book! To ...

• Poetryaction for Ben & Zip

  December 8, 2015

  

  OK, I know a beach book and poem isn’t exactly seasonal, but…a five-minute imaginary trip to the beach might be just what you long for, now that we’re knee deep into December! I used to be in a crit group with author Joanne Linden, and I ...

• Poetryaction for Bedtime at the Nut House

  December 7, 2015

  

  Happy Hannukah to everyone celebrating! This week, I’m going to be sharing poetryactions. Quick poems written in reaction to picture books. I hope you like them! My house feels a little like The Nut House right now, mostly because of holiday stuff and book stuff. It’s all ...

• Poetryaction and Bookalikes for In Mary’s Garden

  October 22, 2015

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) If you’re not a regular reader here, welcome! I share poetryactions, or poems written in reaction to picture books (usually) on a fairly regular basis. And I’m sharing one today! In Mary’s Garden, a lovely picture book ...

• Poetryaction for Toad Weather

  October 21, 2015

  

  I had read Sandra Markle’s Toad Weather, and I was just in a mood to play with words, so I started jotting. Out came “toads” with “toes,” and “toads” with “roads,” and “herds” with “hurry.” I followed the syllable count of a cinquain here, but ...

• Poetryaction and Bookalikes for Emu

  October 15, 2015

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) If you’re not a regular reader here, welcome! I share poetryactions, or poems written in reaction to picture books (usually) on a fairly regular basis. And I’m sharing one today! One of my favorite things about Claire ...

• Poetryaction and Bookalikes for By Mouse & Frog

  October 14, 2015

  

  Deborah Freedman’s By Mouse & Frog made me think about the old adage of opposites attract, and how so often kids are indeed friends with their own opposites (haven’t you ever wondered, “What does my kid SEE in that kid?”). This gave me the idea ...

• Poetryaction and Bookalikes for Sweep Up the Sun

  October 13, 2015

  

  The phrase “stitching earth to sky with invisible thread” is my favorite part of this absolutely beautiful Helen Frost book, Sweep Up the Sun (follow-up to Step Gently Out, shown below). I took that image, that metaphor of a bird’s flight holding together the earth ...

• Poetryaction and Bookalikes for Whale Trails

  October 12, 2015

  

  Good morning! I’m going to share some poetryactions this week, because it’s been a while! Hope you like them! Whale Trails, a fun and wonderfully structured book by Lesa Cline-Ransome made me think of the whale-watching trip Randy and I went on in 2010 when we ...

• poetryaction for When the Wind Blows

  September 24, 2015

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I saw an early version of Linda Booth Sweeney’s When the Wind Blows, and it was already a lovely, image-drenched story! It’s super exciting for me to seeit now in published form! Congratulations, Linda. ...

• poetryaction and bookalikes for Lost and Found

  August 20, 2015

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I love the whimsy of Oliver Jeffers’ books and the beauty and simplicity of his art. Sigh. Lost and Found made we wish for a little more whimsy and excitement and surprise in my own life. Really, ...

• poetryaction for Totally Secret Secret

  August 19, 2015

  

  Who could not love Bob Shea’s Ballet Cat and Sparkles the Pony? In The Totally Secret Secret, you will recognize real kid behavior and the negotiations of friendship. I can’t wait for the next one coming out in 2016. Anyway, I thought about the secrets ...

• poetryaction and bookalikes for Popcorn Astronauts

  August 17, 2015

  

  Popcorn Astronauts is full of zany and delightful poems about food, and it put me in mind of one of my favorite desserts, bomboloni from Biaggi’s. My sister Patty and I always go get it when she comes up to visit from Florida. And we ...

• poetryaction for Wherever You Go

  August 11, 2015

  

  For Wherever You Go,?I wondered how I would describe my own perfect path. And I wanted to use rhyme, which this book by Pat Zietlow Miller (beautifully illustrated by Eliza Wheeler) does in such a lovely way. I think it would be fun to have ...

• poetryaction and bookalikes for Yard Sale

  August 10, 2015

  

  In Yard Sale, a lovely book by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Lauren Castillo, those cheery balloons at the yard sale, contrasted with Callie’s sadness about her family’s move to a smaller home and having to sell most of their belongings, really stuck in my ...

• Meet Me in St. Louis? And poetryaction for Dolphin Baby!

  July 16, 2015

  

  I’m on my way to St. Louis this morning for ILA 2015! Anybody else heading there? Would love to see you–leave a Comment here or Message me on Facebook or DM me on Twitter. Maybe we can meet up! Now… Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what ...

• poetryaction for Giant Squid

  July 2, 2015

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I love the ocean and its mysterious creatures. I really enjoyed the text of Mary Cerullo’s Giant Squid, but one of Clyde F.E. Roper’s photos is what inspired this poetryaction. Alas, I didn’t create a Bookalikes, but ...

• poetryaction for See What a Seal Can Do

  June 24, 2015

  

  I loved See What a Seal Can Do (Candlewick). It has delightful language, beautiful art, and clear, simple facts. One of the words early in the book inspired this poetryaction full of wordplay.   Check out my Pinterest boards of poetryactions and bookalikes if you’d like to ...

• poetryactions and bookalikes for Snow School

  June 18, 2015

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) OK, I perhaps went a little overboard with Sandra Markle’s Snow School, which I loved! This book was so full of wonderful, vivid action, so my first poetryaction is simply a list of verbs. It’s my ...

• poetryaction for Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise

  June 17, 2015

  

  In Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise (Sean Taylor), I love the contrast between the dark, majestic language and the silly, everyday tone when Hoot Owl’s hunting methods don’t work. It makes me picture a kid pretending to be a superhero or something and talking all ...

• poetryaction and bookalikes for Wolfie the Bunny

  June 11, 2015

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Dot in ...

• poetryaction and bookalikes for Santa Clauses

  June 10, 2015

  

  Yes, I know it’s almost summer, and therefore not the right season for Bob Raczka’s Santa Clauses. Too bad! I didn’t hear about this wonderful book until halfway through December, and I wish I’d seen it earlier! So I’m sharing this poetryaction way out of ...

• poetryaction for Spiky, Slimy, Smooth

  June 9, 2015

  

  This picture book all about textures made me really think about how things feel. Couple that with the fact that I’ve been doing a mindfulness meditation recently that invites me to really think about how things feel against my body (the stool rung against my ...

• poetryaction for The Iridescence of Birds

  May 28, 2015

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I loved Patricia MacLachlan’s untraditional biography of Matisse, The Iridescence of Birds. It made me feel like I knew the heart of Matisse, like I knew what made him tick. I have written several long biographies, ...

• poetryaction for If You Were a Dog [poetry friday]

  May 21, 2015

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I spent most of the last week in Florida, visiting family. That’s always an emotional time, so I’m choosing a lighthearted Poetry Friday selection! Jamie Swenson’s picture book is an explosion of fun sounds and wordplay. I ...

• poetryaction and bookalikes for Last Stop on Market Street

  May 19, 2015

  

  I love it when picture books can show a harder side of the real world but in a way that’s still comforting. I wrote this poetryaction from CJ’s point of view. And in one of those weird convergences, I was suddenly seeing Nanas everywhere (in real ...

• poetryaction for All Aboard [poetry friday]

  May 14, 2015

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) If you’re a regular visitor to the blog (and if you are, thank you:>), you know I love Rebecca Kai Dotlich’s poetry. She was one of the first poets whose work I fell in love with ...

• poetryaction and bookalikes for You Are (Not) Small

  May 13, 2015

  

  Kids are always told they’re too young or too small for just about everything they want to do. This picture book reassures kids that they are not small…and they are. It depends on how you look at things. For this poetryaction, I borrowed a line from ...

• poetryaction for Imani’s Moon

  May 12, 2015

  

  Sometimes I like to start a poetryaction by wondering what happened after the last page was turned. Has the main character changed? Are there hints in the book about what might happen in the future?     Check out my Pinterest boards of poetryactions and bookalikes if you’d ...

• poetryaction and bookalikes for Scaly Spotted Feathered Frilled

  May 11, 2015

  

    Happy Monday! It’s been a while since I’ve shared some poetryactions and bookalikes, so I’m planning to share quite a few in the coming weeks! I love how Catherine Thimmesh clearly explains how paleoartists study, make inferences, draw analogies?and how they also must come to terms ...

• poetryaction and bookalikes for One Plastic Bag

  February 18, 2015

  

  This wonderful nonfiction picture book by Miranda Paul just came out–don’t miss it! It really made me think about the power of a single person. This book is about a woman who makes a tremendous difference in an environmental way.? I took a single line ...

• poetryaction and bookalikes for Star Stuff

  February 11, 2015

  

    This is one of the best biographies I’ve read in a while. I really loved it. And I connected to it personally because my dad worked at NASA for most of his career. I find star stuff fascinating. We watched shuttle launches in person, and ...

• poetryaction and bookalikes for Taking a Bath With the Dog

  February 9, 2015

  

  Happy Monday! In making this list poem poetryaction, I realized there’s really nothing like listing things that cheer me up to put me in a good mood:>)     Check out my Pinterest boards of poetryactions and bookalikes if you’d like to see more:>)

• poetryaction for Junkyard Wonders

  February 4, 2015

  

    I often don’t like picture books that teach overt lessons. But this one was lovely, and I wanted to work the main point, the lesson, into my poetryaction. Check out my Pinterest boards of poetryactions and bookalikes if you’d like to see more:>)  

• poetryaction and bookalikes for Toucan Can!

  February 3, 2015

  

    I don’t celebrate silliness enough, and I don’t know why. When I do read something silly that is expertly done, I like it. But then it will be many months before I look for more. I tried to borrow Juliette MacIver’s wonderful silly style for ...

• poetryaction and bookalikes for Yuck!

  February 2, 2015

  

    Yuck! Kids know how fun it is to be grossed out! This book shows the foods different young animals like to eat, and they all seem pretty disgusting. Then it ends with a reversal about what those animals think about human food. This made me ...

• poetryaction for Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla

  January 29, 2015

  

    I was excited to share on Wednesday about Water Can Be… making it onto the Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly Commended list. And one of the reasons it’s such an honor is because of the OTHER books loved by the award committee. Katherine Applegate’s Ivan: The ...

• poetryaction for Ben Franklin’s Big Splash

  December 30, 2014

  

      The author uses a LOT of alliteration in this book–and I’m a fan of alliteration, but there were so many “s” sounds and words that I tried to avoid them in my poetryaction. Fail. All I really did was swap out “s” for “sh,” I ...

• poetryaction for Caminar

  December 29, 2014

  

    I don’t usually remember specific plot points of books. Instead, I tend to remember flashes of small moments, images that, if a book is really powerful, come back to mind at seemingly random times. Caminar, which I just read, and Red Midnight, which I read ...

• poetryaction to Sometimes You Barf

  December 25, 2014

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! Maybe you overindulged yesterday and can relate to this book. I personally have a brickle hangover. And Captain Jack got sick yesterday and guess who was on clean-up duty. Yup, me. Ugh. Anyway…   We’ve all been the kid or sat next to the ...

• poetryaction for Circle, Square, Moose

  December 24, 2014

  

    They’re back! I loved Zebra and Moose in Z Is for Moose, and now they’re back in another adventure! —————————————————————————————————————————– Poetryaction: After reading a picture book, sometimes I jot down a quick poem based on something in the book. It could be inspired by the entire book, ...

• poetryaction and bookalikes for Big Bug

  December 23, 2014

  

    I love books that give me a new perspective, that help me see the bigger picture–and both Big Bug and Me and My Place in Space (an older favorite of mine) do that! —————————————————————————————————————————– Poetryaction: After reading a picture book, sometimes I jot down a quick poem ...

• Happy Holidays and poetryaction to Camp Rex

  December 22, 2014

  

  Good morning, my wonderful kidlit community. I feel like we are a beautiful forest, stronger because we grow together. Thank you for being part of my kidlit world:>) And now, for today’s Kidlit Combos: I Am Cow, Hear Me Moo! is a wonderful rhyming picture book. So ...

• poetryactions for Moonlight and It Is Night

  December 18, 2014

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! I’ve been to DC for NCTE and to Florida to visit family in the past month, which makes me feel a little discombobulated. The art in these picture books makes me feel like I’m home and all is right with the world. Here ...

• poetryaction for The Baby Tree

  December 17, 2014

  

  The Baby Tree is a funny and clever picture book, but somehow when I wrote my poetryaction, my first draft (and, for these poetryactions, I usually only do one draft, or maybe a quick second one) came out kind of creepy. I felt like a ...

• poetryaction for Flight School

  December 4, 2014

  

    I shared Flight School before as a Bookalikes for Flat Rabbit, but I ended up doing a poetryaction for it, too:>) One of the things that can make a list poem interesting–more than a simple list, like a grocery list–is a twist. That briefly-flying penguin ...

• poetryaction for Monday, Wednesday, and Every Other Weekend

  December 3, 2014

  

  I didn’t want to rhyme here, but I did want a bit of a swingy rhythm…   —————————————————————————————————————————– Poetryaction: After reading a picture book, sometimes I jot down a quick poem based on something in the book. It could be inspired by the entire book, the setting, a ...

• poetryaction for Silly Doggy!

  December 1, 2014

  

  Two fun and funny books!   —————————————————————————————————————————– Poetryaction: After reading a picture book, sometimes I jot down a quick poem based on something in the book. It could be inspired by the entire book, the setting, a character, or even just a tiny detail in a picture or ...

• poetryaction to Pierre in Love

  November 27, 2014

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! I hope you all had a terrific Thanksgiving! I’m very thankful for my online community of teachers, writers, and friends who gather around the cozy campfire we build of words and books and poems. My husband is having kidney stone surgery today, so ...

• poetryaction for Trains Go

  November 26, 2014

  

  Starting your holiday shopping? If you’re looking for a nonfiction book, click here to see the signed, personalized books? (including a few rhyming ones, alphabet ones, and color-based ones) I sell through Amazon. Great gifts for teachers/classrooms:>) Thanks! Now, on to today’s poetryaction! I got this book ...

• poetryaction for What There Is Before There Is Anything There

  November 25, 2014

  

  NCTE was an amazing, overwhelming, exhausting time! Met, saw, heard so many fabulous poets, educators, writers, and editors. I’ll share some pics and highlights next week:>)     I like scary stories and dark and quirky picture books. I had fun thinking about what happens to my own ...

• poetryaction for When the Wolves Returned

  November 24, 2014

  

  I love how When the Wolves Returned shows how the entire ecosystem of Yellowstone is interdependent. Great text! (Images…not so much, in my opinion.)   —————————————————————————————————————————– Poetryaction: After reading a picture book, sometimes I jot down a quick poem based on something in the book. It could be ...

• poetryaction to Winter Bees

  November 6, 2014

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! Don’t miss Joyce Sidman’s wonderful new collection! For ?more poetry fun, visit the Poetry Friday Roundup at Diane’s Random Noodling!

• poetryaction to Number One Sam

  November 5, 2014

  

      —————————————————————————————————————————– Poetryaction: After reading a picture book, sometimes I jot down a quick poem based on something in the book. It could be inspired by the entire book, the setting, a character, or even just a tiny detail in a picture or a single phrase from ...

• poetryaction to Peggy: A Brave Chicken on a Big Adventure

  November 4, 2014

  

    —————————————————————————————————————————– Poetryaction: After reading a picture book, sometimes I jot down a quick poem based on something in the book. It could be inspired by the entire book, the setting, a character, or even just a tiny detail in a picture or a single phrase from ...

• poetryaction to Dinosaur vs. School, by Bob Shea

  November 3, 2014

  

  I’ve been around those kids who take over a room with explosive voices and actions, and so I was totally sympathizing with the nervous classmates in Dinosaur vs. School, by Bob Shea.     —————————————————————————————————————————– I’ve been doing something new. After reading a picture book, sometimes I jot down ...

• poetryaction to The Flat Rabbit, by Bardur Oskarsson

  October 28, 2014

  

  To say that The Flat Rabbit, by?Bardur Oskarsson, is an odd picture book is an understatement, since it’s about a rabbit that is…roadkill. Ugh. But, somehow, this ends up being a kind of sad, beautiful statement on life and what we do for each other, ...

• poetryaction to Chengdu Could Not, Would Not Fall Asleep

  October 23, 2014

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! I’m sharing another poetryaction today. I sometimes have trouble sleeping. Lately, my back has been aching–I don’t know why. Long car trips to blame? Anyway, I felt bad for Barney Saltzberg’s Chengdu and wrote this cinquain in his honor. Here I am reading ...

• poetryaction to Super Sniffers, by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

  October 22, 2014

  

  My little nonfiction book group is talking about some of Dorothy Hinshaw Patent’s books today, and one I read and loved was Super Sniffers: Dog Detectives on the Job. Very. Cool. Nonfiction. Book.   I decided to do a poetryaction for it, and at first I was ...

• poetryaction to Take Away the A, by Michael Escoffier

  October 21, 2014

  

  I love the concept of Take Away the A, by Michael Escoffier. It pairs words together, showing what one word becomes if you take a letter out of it. ? One of the pairs in the book (the “i” pair) turned “stair” into “star.” I especially ...

• My Little Free Library! and a poetryaction to Fall Leaves, by Loretta Holland

  October 20, 2014

  

      Look what I got for my birthday! More on my Little Free Library next week! And here’s another poetryaction, this one inspired by a beautiful book that Mary Lee Hahn at A Year of Reading raved about, Fall Leaves. After I read this gorgeous book, I brainstormed ...

• poetryaction to The Tree House That Jack Built, by Bonnie Verburg

  October 16, 2014

  

  Happy Poetry Friday! I’m sharing another poetryaction today. In this one, I just was intrigued by the monkey that’s pictured in much of the book, and I went off on a little tangent imagining how much trouble one monkey could make. So this is a ...

• poetryaction to The Promise, by Nicola Davies

  October 14, 2014

  

    I’ve been doing something new. After reading a picture book, sometimes I jot down a quick poem based on something in the book. It could be inspired by the entire book, the setting, a character, or even just a tiny detail in a picture or ...