Read! Read! Read!

K-Gr 3--VanDerwater and O'Rourke have created a compendium of poetry that focuses on the sheer joy of reading. Twenty-three selections of varying rhyme schemes convey a world rich with emotions and experiences. Each verse is connected to relatable reading milestones, such as laughing over the Sunday comics or staying up late to read under the covers. Conversational in style, these poems provide illustrative cues that invite children to explore imagery. In "Maps," a boy holds "a whole city crinkling" in his hands while skyscrapers burst from the top of his map. Fantastical at times, O'Rourke's vivid artwork blends seamlessly with VanDerwater's text, fluctuating between bright and dark colors to suggest tone. Swaths of dark purples and blues highlight the somber nature of "Stories," where a father holds his daughter close to him on her bed. Readers learn how Charlotte's Web prepared the child for her grandma's death the next year, and small details such as a plush pig and a spider in her cobwebbed corner provide context. VanDerwater and O'Rourke also play with gender expectations; for example, in "Sports Page" it's a young girl in a football helmet and jersey who eagerly scans for the sports scores instead of the brother sitting next to her. Like most volumes of poetry for this age group, this is best suited for sharing aloud, but strong readers will enjoy perusing the book on their own. VERDICT A pleasing addition for poetry collections serving young children.--Rachel Zuffa, Racine Public Library, WI