A Kick in the Head

Janeczko, Paul. A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms. Illus. by Chris Raschka. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2005.

I just got a new job and a lovely co-worker just surprised me with this beautiful book as a going away (though not very far – I’ll just be at a different branch) kind of present. Wow. It’s simply stunning. The book covers 29 different forms of poetry, with examples and brief explanations. But the clean spare presentation speaks more to a showcase than a textbook. Each poem is given its own page, with a brief note at the bottom indicating the name and basic structure of the form. Further explanations (about a paragraph each) can be found for each form in a section at the end of the book. And the illustrations (a combination of paint and collage) are both stunning and appropriate, with plenty of white space to give the design a sophisticated feel. This is no surprise, given Chris Raschka’s previous success with children’s book such as YO! YES? and Charlie Parker Played Be Bop. But even the smallest details, like the small blue painted icons created to represent each form, are brilliant: Perfect whimsical little symbols that somehow perfectly echo something essential about the nature of the form (a syllable count, the number of lines, a theme), without being strictly representative.

I love poetry, and I love great children’s books. What a gorgeous present. Any teachers exploring poetry will find this book to be a powerful ally – both as a source of information and inspiration. And since the book is simple, accessible, and yet entirely devoid of condescension, it will work with a wide range of ages. I know I’ll be consulting it the next time I need to remember exactly how a pantoum works, or simply when I’m scouting for ideas.