Nancy Larrick (1910–2004)

Piper Pipe that Song Again Poems for Boys and Girls selected by Nancy Larrick illustrated by Kelly Oechsli

Summary
This collection of poems contains a variety of poems about nature, animals, weather, seasons, times of day and people. Some contain interactions while others are solitary. Many of the poems contain rhyme. The poems in this collection give readers an appreciation into the diversity of poem types, lengths, composition, and structure. This collection features known and unknown poets. Through this collection one has a sense of poetry and what makes it an important piece of literature.

Reaction
This collection of poetry gives readers a variety of poetry. It allows readers to feel a variety of emotions including: happiness, humor, terror, awe, and glee. It gives readers a sense of variety in poetry. It gives readers a greater sense of respect for poetry. It is perfect for children to understand what are some different types of poetry. It also gives children poetry that they can relate too. The illustrations although black and white complement the subject matter of the poem.

Extension
1. Have children write two poems one about an animal and one about a season. In addition, provide an illustration of each
2. I would have children pick two poems from the book analyze their literary elements.
3. I would have children look up their favorite poem’s author to see other poems he or she wrote and present one of them to the class.
4. I would have children look up the history of poetry and write five facts they learned about poetry.
5. I would have children each write a poem for a classroom book of poetry that children title and illustrate themselves.… (mere)

Still trying to find poems by Larrick, not just anthologies she edited.
This is a particular disappointment, because despite the fact that she says, in the intro, that, ... poems about bringing in the cows or hiding in a butterbean tent evoke only a slight response in either city children or their country cousins," these poems are mostly pastoral, and mostly almost twee. ?á Maybe in 1968 they seemed more modern to some?

I do like Eve Merriam. ?áLeavetaking includes the verse: "For I'm packing only/ Necessities:/ A month of sunsets/ And two apple trees."

And the untitled Haiku (?) by Soseki should be in lots of anthologies: ?á"Over the wintry/ forest, winds howl in a rage/ with no leaves to blow."

The art by Ellen Raskin is wonderful, though. ?áI'm thinking of photocopying some just so I can color them for fun.


"… (mere)