What is a poem? Oh, so many things…

A Poem is a Firefly, by Charles Ghigna/Illustrated by Michelle Hazelwood Hyde, (April 2021, Schiffer Kids), $16.99, ISBN: 9780764361081

Ages 5-8

A lovely answer to the oft-asked question, “What is a poem?”, A Poem is a Firefly is also a love letter to the art of poetry. I’ve been asked many times about poetry, when my own kids and my library kids have worked on a unit at school. “Does it have to rhyme?” “What’s the difference between a poem and a story, if it doesn’t rhyme?” “How do I read this, anyway?” The answer? I don’t really have them, because poetry tends to confound me, too. I love Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky, and their silly verse, but the true meaning of poetry has escaped me while I have friends who simply adore it (and have earned my envy). A Poem is a Firefly is a lovely guide to unlocking the poetry kids have inside them. A group of animal friends wonder and wax thoughtfully on what a poem is: it can be a whisper or a shout; it can be a “thought… turned inside out”; it can be an “echo… slowly passing by”, or a “moment… a memory caught in time”. There are beautiful things that a poem can be, including a firefly, on the summer wind. Beautifully phrased, the rhyming verse encourages readers to observe the poetry in nature, around them, and inside them. It’s a great storytime book and a great way to introduce a poetry unit in school. Cartoon animals invite readers in, and they hang around on the endpapers, welcoming readers and seeing them out. A lovely way to introduce poetry this National Poetry Month.

Fun thing to watch for: the title and the firefly on the cover are glow-in-the-dark!

Charles Ghigna is also known as “Father Goose”. His author webpage has links to plenty of resources, including help on writing a poem.