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Every April, as spring breathes new life into the world, National Poetry Month invites us to pause and listen—to the rhythm of language and the quiet power of a well-chosen word. Poetry, in all its forms, reminds us that even the smallest fragments of language can hold entire worlds. 

 

KIDS

 

My Head has a Bellyache by Chris Harris

This collection of poems is full of surprising twists of wit and wordplay that will have readers rolling on the floor laughing! There are mind-bending verbal and visual riddles and plenty of hilarious hijinks hiding around every corner. In between it all, cartoonist Andrea Tsurumi’s diverse range of exuberant people, creatures, and anthropomorphic objects ripple through the pages with playful energy.

 

Remember by Joy Harjo

US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo’s iconic poem, Remember, has been adapted into a picture book. In simple and direct language, Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation, urges readers to pay close attention to who they are, the world they were born into, and how all inhabitants on earth are connected. Michaela Goade, drawing from her Tlingit culture, created vivid illustrations that make the words come alive in an engaging and accessible way.

 

TEENS

 

Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renee Watson

Poet Renee Watson looks back at her childhood and urges readers to look forward at their futures with love, understanding, and celebration in this fully illustrated poetry collection.

 

Abuela, Don’t Forget Me by Rex Ogle

The author weaves humor, heartbreak, and hope into life-affirming poems that honor his grandmother’s legacy. He captures and celebrates the powerful presence of a woman he could always count on–to give him warm hugs, to teach him words in Spanish, to bring him to the library where he could take out as many books as he wanted, and to offer safety when darkness closed in. 

 

ADULTS

 

Paper Boat by Margaret Atwood

An extraordinary career-spanning collection from one of the most revered poets and storytellers of our age. Tracing the legacy of Atwood, Paper Boat assembles her most vital poems in one essential volume. In pieces that are at once brilliant, beautiful, and hyper-imagined, she gives voice to remarkably drawn characters — mythological figures, animals, and everyday people — all of whom have something to say about what it means to live in a world as strange as our own. 

 

In a Time of Distance by Alexander McCall Smith

In these delightful poems, the author writes about his travels, from Africa to Greece, London to Dubai, and back home to Scotland. He shares his gentle observations on life, love, and beauty, reminding us how deeply satisfying it can be to take in the world around us with all our senses, and with all our mind and heart.

 

Jen Pace Dickenson is the Youth Services Librarian for Polk County Public Libraries. For information about the library’s resources, programs, and other services, visit polklibrary.org or call (828) 894-8721.