Wet Cement: A Mix of Concrete Poems

by Bob Raczka

Overview

Who says words need to be concrete? This collection shapes poems in surprising and delightful ways.

Concrete poetry is a perennially popular poetic form because they are fun to look at. But by using the arrangement of the words on the page to convey the meaning of the poem, concrete or shape poems are also easy to write! From the author of the incredibly inventive Lemonade: And Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word comes another clever collection that shows kids how to look at words and poetry in a whole new way.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626722361
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	03/08/2016
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	146,069
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	580L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Bob Raczka has written many books about art and art history for children and several collections of children's poetry including Lemonade: And Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word and Presidential Misadventures: Poems that Poke Fun at the Man in Charge. He lives in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

Editorial Reviews

★ 12/21/2015
Raczka (Lemonade) returns to the subject of concrete poetry with a virtuoso gathering of 21 poems, in which he plays with the layout and form of both the poems and their titles. (Not to be left out, the table of contents is shaped into a T, and the copyright information forms a copyright symbol.) Raczka sets a high bar with the first poem, “Takeoff,” in which the airborne T in the title becomes the Wright brothers’ airplane, with the playful accompanying poem (“Wright on course, headed for heaven./ One two three four five six seven”) a small hill below. Elsewhere, mazes, dominoes, pencil erasers, and the subway (“a citified-just-slide-inside-and-take-a-ride electric mole”) provide ample fodder for Raczka’s inspired typographical experiments: in a recipe-style tribute to icicles, “Mother Nature’s freeze pops,” the spacing between letters makes some of the vertically oriented lines appear to drip. This is arguably Raczka’s best poetry work to date. Ages 8–12. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

A 2016 NCTE Notable Poetry Book

"Kids will want to wade deeply into this marvelous, winning mix-up." -Kirkus, starred review

"This is arguably Raczka's best poetry work to date." -Publishers Weekly, starred review

"This winning assortment should find a place in most libraries" -School Library Journal, starred review

"Graphic design meets riddle meets visual wordplay in this collection of sturdy and joyful perspectives on the ordinary stuff of the world."-The Horn Book, starred review

"When this title is paired with Raczka's other collection, Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word, even the poetry-resistant kids are bound to discover something to delight them. " -BCCB, starred review

"Aspiring wordsmiths should find plenty of inspiration here." -Booklist

From the Publisher

★ 02/01/2016
Gr 3–6—At the start of this collection, Raczka notes that he likes to think of poems as "word paintings," and he demonstrates this philosophy to marvelous effect. In each of his 21 concrete poems, he groups the words in a shape that complements or emphasizes the meaning or central concept. Raczka goes even further, playfully arranging the letters in the one-word titles of his poems as well. Even the table of contents is constructed to resemble a table. The result is a fun and clever collection that is sure to inspire young poets. While short, the poems are by turns amusing and thoughtful and make excellent use of figurative language devices. A selection about the Big Dipper includes a metaphor that describes the constellation as "a vessel of stars, my brim overflowing with night." Another offering depicts a thunderstorm as "a cloud tantrum." A few layouts may test some readers, such as one about a home run in which one whole line is printed backward, but most students will enjoy the challenge. VERDICT This winning assortment should find a place in most libraries.—Lauren Strohecker, McKinley Elementary School, Abington School District, PA

School Library Journal

★ 2015-12-22
Readers may never look at concrete, or shaped, poetry in the same way again. Of course the words on the pages convey the outline of objects and ideas in Raczka's stunningly inventive new collection of "word paintings," but so do letter arrangements and shapes in the poem's titles. See, for example, "DIPPER," set against a black two-page spread, with the second P in the title soaring aloft, cup-shaped, at the top of the page, while the shape of the poem itself resembles Ursa Major. The letters in the title "eracer" appear with a partially obliterated c, while the poem includes a pencil-shaped line whose eraser-tip "end" is about to wipe out a "misstake"! And so goes each delightful, child-friendly poem and creative title. Readers will enjoy turning the volume upside down and every which way to catch every word and nuance and won't miss illustrations a bit. As Raczka points out, "In the poems…I've created pictures with words." Youngsters will be inspired to put their own writing implements to paper voluntarily. Indeed, the author's final effort is entitled "poeTRY." Teachers might wish to challenge students to devise cleverly lettered titles, then exchange papers with partners who will follow through with themed poems. Kids will want to wade deeply into this marvelous, winning mix-up. (Poetry. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews