Where I Live: Poems About My Home, My Street, and My Town
by
Paul B. Janeczko
illustrated by
Hyewon Yum
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Candlewick
Imprint
Candlewick
ISBN
9781536200942
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
None
What is home? Revel in the ineffable sense of belonging in anthologist Paul B. Janeczko’s diverse selection of poems with sure appeal for children.
Home is shoes tucked under the bed while you sleep, or fancy-dancying at the neighborhood block party. It’s buttermilk biscuits and gospel music at the church picnic. It’s traffic lights and parked cars; rooftop views as far as you can see; ice cream trucks and yellow boots; sharing breakfast cereal and boiled eggs with your brothers; or running through sprinklers with water on your lips, dripping from eyelashes like fat raindrops. Whether we hang our hats in a walk-up apartment in the city, a farmhouse in the country, or any place in between, the poems in this collection celebrate the places where we live: our homes, our streets, our towns. Gathered by eminent poet and anthologist Paul B. Janeczko, these thirty-four inviting verses are paired with light-filled illustrations by Hyewon Yum evoking the warm details of daily life.
Full-color illustrations were done in colored pencil and watercolor.
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
None
Details
Format
Page Count
48
Trim Size
10 3/4" x 9 3/4"
Dewey
811
AR
0: points 0
Genre
Nonfic
Scholastic Reading Counts
0
JLG Release
Apr 2023
Book Genres
Picture Book, Poetry
Topics
House and home. Lifestyles. City and town life. Neighbors and neighborhoods. Poetry anthologies.
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Cover Art
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Praise & Reviews
Praise & Reviews
School Library Journal
School Library Journal
Library Journal
Gr 1–3—This posthumous compilation selected by distinguished anthologist Janeczko beautifully captures the essence of home; Yum's art enhances this, centering each poem firmly into diverse communities. Thirty-four poems are divided into three sections: Home, Street, and Town. The section titles seem arbitrary at first, although the delightful variance in styles and rhythms is exciting. For example, "Crickets," a concrete poem by Myra Cohn Livingston, appears in Home, as the crickets' hypnotic chirps through the night interrupt or sing one to sleep. "Ode to My Shoes" by Francisco X. Alarcón has shoes "fall asleep/ and dream/ of walking," in Street, relaxing so they're fresh for the new day. Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni, Linda Sue Park, Gary Soto, and Naomi Shihab Nye are a few of the authors included, each of their poems dazzling with literary devices, figurative language, and exquisite word choices. Yum's trademark colored pencil and watercolor illustrations are full spread. Graphic placement is well done, allowing Yum's art to cradle each piece. People and places are diverse in artistic expression, allowing readers to recognize themselves in different poems and increasing understanding for different situations. Janeczko selected poems about nature, safe spaces, siblings, shopping, pets, ice cream, transportation, and being the new kid: all the mundane, yet essential, things that remind people of what home is. VERDICT A first purchase for all libraries serving young children, this is an outstanding poetry compilation about the meaning of home.—Rachel Zuffa
Grades 2-6
City Elementary
For Grades 2-6
Urban situations and plot lines featuring ethnically and culturally diverse characters give these books a unique city flavor and feel. Young urban readers will find familiar images, and readers who are not from the city will enjoy exploring life from a new perspective. The 12 books you'll receive in this category will ensure that urban adventures are available all year long.
12 books per Year
$254.88 per Year
Interests
Diversity,Fiction,Positive Messages
Grades 2-6
City Elementary
12 books per Year
$254.88 per Year
