"A Poke in the I"
The quality of the poetry, the design of "A Poke in the I," and the witty collages by Chris Raschka, a Caldecott Honor artist, create an exceptional experience for the reader. The artist makes great use of white space, populating it here and there with colorful, fabric-collage people, animals, gardens, and buildings. The fact that the poems, which are visual artworks themselves, are mostly separated from the collages and printed in varying typefaces on the white background, gives them the prominence they deserve.My only quibble with this book is that in a couple of cases, I started to read a poem in the wrong direction, reading down when I should have been reading up, for example. In looking at some of the same poems in other books, I found I did not have that problem because the title of the poem was placed at the start of the poem rather than in a corner as it is in "A Poke in the I." However, those other books lacked the sheer joy and exuberance that this book conveys.
The poetry and artwork complement one another most effectively. "A Poke in the I" is just plain fun. Good concrete poems have the ability to tickle a child's funny bone, pique a child's interest in poetry, and engage children in word play of their own. If you give "A Poke in the I" to a child as a gift, be sure to include a pad and a pencil. Once children have seen concrete poetry, the urge to create their own may be irresistible. I'd recommend this book for most eight to fourteen year olds and some younger children.
