GOOD SPORTS and FASTEST GAME ON TWO FEET Showcase Sports + Poetry

My last post was in advance of National Poetry Month and now that we’re midway through the month that celebrates prose, rhyme, and verse I couldn’t resist sharing two additional titles: GOOD SPORTS by Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by Chris Raschka and THE FASTEST GAME ON TWO FEET by Alice Low and illustrated by John O’Brien.

Jack Prelutsky was named our nation’s first Children’s Poet Laureate in 2006 and like many who grew up near Yankee Stadium (or any similar stadium) is a baseball fan. GOOD SPORTS is filled with delightful rhymes about running, jumping, and throwing. It includes team sports like baseball, basketball, soccer plus gymnastics, surfing, and karate. Girls are sure to identify with sports they are currently playing or would like to try. The illustrations by award-winning, Raschka are both full of motion and whimsical. While sports stories often focus on scoring the touchdown or finishing first, my favorite poems reflected the in-between moments of participation like the daydreaming swimmer who isn’t sinking to the bottom but can make it to the opposite end of the pool or the basketball player longing for the day they can dunk, “When I grow three feet taller.”

I readily admit to not knowing the history for several of the 19 sports featured in Alice Low’s THE FASTEST GAME ON TWO FEET AND OTHER POEMS ABOUT HOW SPORTS BEGAN. Like me, readers will be fascinated to learn that the origin of soccer goes back to kicking a skull around an old battlefield, or Mary, Queen of Scots, was likely the first female golfer, and the first skiers probably strapped animal bones to their shoes to move around faster! Each sport is introduced with the origin of the name and brief history followed by a poem that reflects the history. While some poems worked better than others, the combination of all plus informative endnotes makes this a must-have for any sports collection. Low is not only a writer but also a sporty girl with fond memories of learning sports at camp and at five feet three inches tall, she was the captain of her basketball team. The ink and watercolor drawings are captivating. I found myself flipping back over the pages to view all the fine details. One of my favorite illustrations was for ice skater Sonya Henie, “Girl in White.” Look for the cursive message she skates on ice. My only critique – likely due to, alas, getting older – is the small typeface on the introductions of each sport. The dark background color and small font size made some pages difficult to read.

Both of these picture books capture the joyful experiences that come with play and the illustrations compliment the text beautifully. Each author and illustrator shine a light on the world of play and word play.

Spring Training for Poetry Month: Sports Poems

“There is only one rule to follow when writing poetry: There are no rules!”

—Douglas Florian, author + artist

Springtime. Gotta love it! March 20 is the first day of the vernal equinox, otherwise known as the first day of spring. I’m pleased to report my daffodils are sprouting, already glimpsed my first robin, and ran in shorts ‘n t-shirt last week. April is around the corner and that means it’s almost Poetry Month, a 30-day celebration and opportunity to promote poetry. April is also a big month for my beloved Chicago marking opening day for the Cubs at Wrigley Field (11^th) and the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field (8^th).

When it comes to sports, poetry has been used to document events but also to inspire sports teams and encourage athletes. In other words, the art form of poetry can be used to motivate and bolster confidence. Trying to find a sports poetry book, I was feeling a little flustered when bam, outta left field I came across the picture book, POEM RUNS by Douglas Florian. An award-winning children’s book author and artist, Florian works across different mediums. Initially, what caught my eye was the baseball instead of the letter “O” in the title and the stunning primary colored illustrations, or rather, in this case, paintings.  I was immediately drawn to the read aloud, rhythm of the fifteen short poems.

Turning the first few pages I silently whispered, please let this collection include images of girls who want to see themselves catching a pop fly or lunging for a line drive. I was not disappointed. I turned to “Our Slugger” and smiled at this verse, “Our slugger can zing / Each pitch you may hurl. / And one other thing: / Our slugger’s a girl.”

The artwork includes boys and girls, plus shows diversity. Since baseball was not (ahem, is not) my best sport I chuckled and could relate to the girl in “Right Fielder” who might be lazy, “But I know how / To pick a daisy.” Toward the end, “Poem Run” about the batter who smashes a hit and races home to write a poem to capture the moment inspired me.  For April, in celebration of Poetry Month, I’ve jotted down a goal for myself: write three new sports poems.

Do you have a favorite sports poem? We'd like to hear from you, please feel free to share in the comments section below.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

National Poetry Month - www.poets.org

30 Ways to Celebrate Poetry Month - www.poets.org/national-poetry-month

For Teachers

Poetry Month Activities - www.readwritethink.org

Scholastic: Poetry Writing with Jack Prelutsky - teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetry

Favorite Poem Project - www.favoritepoem.org/teachers.html

About Douglas Florian

www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/douglas-florian

http://floriancafe.blogspot.com