Poetry: Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets

 

Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets, written by Kwame Alexander with Chris Colderley, and Marjory Wentworth, illustrated by Ekua Holmes. Candlewick, March 2017. 56 pages, $16.99, 9780763680947.

    Out of Wonder is written by Kwane Alexander with Chris Colderley and Marjory Wentworth. In the preface, Kwame Alexander explains his love for books and poetry. Alexander, Colderley, and Wentworth want to introduce and celebrate twenty poets who inspired them with their words and lives. Essentially, this trio of authors will offer tribute and gratitude to twenty poets by adopting the poet’s style and expanding on their ideas. There were only two requirements for choosing a poet: “First, they had to be interesting people, and second, we had to be passionately in love with their poetry.” The trio also hopes that their poetry can connect to readers and inspire others to write their poetry, as well. 
    The Table of Contents lists a preface, three topical groupings called “Got Style?, In Your Shoes, and Thank You,” and a back matter with brief biographies of the twenty poets that inspired them and the period they lived in. Within the topical groupings, Alexander includes an introduction, why they choose to emulate the poets, and how they plan to celebrate the authors and their poems. Alexander, Colderley, and Wentworth wrote twenty poems. Each of their poems includes the name of the poets they choose to honor and celebrate. Examples include Robert Frost, Nikki Giovanni, Walter Dean Myers, Emily Dickinson, and Maya Angelou. The trio utilizes a variety of poetry, including haiku and free verse. The trio use repetition, rhythm, rhyming couplets, and quatrains.
    The illustrations are beautiful, joyful, and vivid. Ekua Holmes uses mixed media and collage on paper. She uses art to depict the mood and subject of the poems. For example, in “Music of the Earth” celebrating Pablo Neruda, she creates a stunning landscape combining the Chilean forest and the waves from Isla Negra. In the “Thank You” section, Holmes uses art to highlight the individuals who inspire the poems.  I included her illustration of “Majestic,” which celebrates Maya Angelou. Like the trio, she uses her illustrations to celebrate the featured poets throughout the book.

This book is primarily for late elementary students learning about different poets. They can be writing their poems, as well. This book can expose students to poets throughout history and various forms of poetry. Students can also learn that it is alright to take inspiration from others when enjoying and creating their poems. They do not have to start from a blank slate. Overall, Out of Wonder is a great book to look for inspiration. Each poem works well as a read-aloud and can be read independently.