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CITY: Briarcliff Manor
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COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 215
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PERSONAL
Born April 13, 1938, in Scranton, PA; died from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, August 8, 2019, in Cape Coral, FL; son of Leon Hall Hopkins (a police officer) and Gertrude Thomas; married; husband’s name, Charles.
EDUCATION:Newark State Teachers College (now Kean College), B.A., 1960; Bank Street College of Education, M.Sc., 1964; Hunter College of the City University of New York, professional diploma in educational supervision and administration, 1967.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Public school teacher in Fair Lawn, NJ, 1960-66; Bank Street College of Education, New York, NY, senior consultant, 1966-68; Scholastic Magazines, Inc., New York, NY, curriculum and editorial specialist, 1968-74; full-time writer, 1976—. Lecturer on children’s literature; host and consultant to children’s television series Zebra Wings, Agency for Instructional Television, beginning 1976. Consultant to school systems and publishers. National trustee, National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, beginning 1991. Namesake and founder of Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, established in 1993, in cooperation with Pennsylvania Center for the Book, and Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award, established in 1995, in cooperation with International Reading Association; Annual Lee Bennett Hopkins Writing Institute for Children, founder.
AWARDS:Notable Books selection, American Library Association, for Don’t You Turn Back, Rainbows Are Made, Surprises, and A Song in Stone; Outstanding Alumnus in the Arts award, Kean College, 1972; Notable Book selection, National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), for Mama; Choice designation, International Youth Library exhibition (Munich, Germany), 1978, for To Look at Any Thing; Children’s Choice Award, International Reading Association (IRA)/Children’s Book Council (CBC), 1980, for Wonder Wheels; honorary doctor of laws, Kean College, 1980; Phi Delta Kappa Educational Leadership Award, 1980; IRA Broadcast Media Award for Radio, 1982; named ambassador extraordinary in the Order of the Long Leaf Pine (NC), 1982; IRA Manhattan Council Literacy Award, 1983; named National Children’s Book Week Poet, 1985; Pick-of-the-List selection, American Booksellers Association (ABA), 1988, for both Side by Side and Voyages; University of Southern Mississippi Medallion, 1989, for lasting contributions to children’s literature; Pennsylvania Author of the Year award, 1989; ABA Choice Award, 1991, for Good Books, Good Times!; Child Study Committee Children’s Books of the Year award, both 1992, for Ring out Wild Bells and Questions; Pick of the List selection, ABA, and Southern California Council of Literature and Young People Excellence in Illustration award, both 1994, both for Extra Innings; Outstanding Children’s Book designation, Westchester Library System, 1994, for The Writing Bug; New York Public Library Best Children’s Books designation, Few Good Books selection, Book Links, and Notable Children’s Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies designation, NCSS/CBC, all 1994, and ABC Choice Award, 1995, all for Hand in Hand; Best Books of the Year selection, School Library Journal, 1995, Christopher Award, and Golden Kite Honor Book designation, all for Been to Yesterdays; Pick of the List designation, ABA, 1995, for Blast Off; Best Books of the Year selection, School Library Journal, 2005, for Oh, No! Where Are My Pants?, and Other Disasters; Notable Children’s Book in Social Studies designation, NCSS/CBC, for America at War; Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, National Council of Teachers of English, 2009; Florida Lifetime Achievement Award, Southwest Florida Reading Festival, 2010; Award for Excellence in Educational Leadership, New Jersey Education Association, 2011; Regina Medal, Catholic Library Association, 2016; inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, 2017; named “the world’s most prolific anthologist of poetry for children,” Guinness Book of World Records.
WRITINGS
Also author of “Poetry Plus” column in Creative Classroom magazine, and column “A Poetry Workshop in Print,” for Teaching K-8.
SIDELIGHTS
Lee Bennett Hopkins was a prolific and respected poet and anthologist who garnered numerous honors for his work, including a Christopher award, a University of Southern Mississippi Medallion, and the Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Hopkins was best known for his work compiling thematic collections that included both classic and contemporary American poetry. Most critics considered Hopkins’ anthologies to be both unusual and inviting, and they consistently praised the selection of material in them as well as the respect for the poets that his books reflect. “Poetry is magical, mystical,” Hopkins remarked in a HarperCollins website interview. “I maintain that more can be said or felt in 8 or 10 or 12 lines than sometimes an entire novel can convey.” Before his death, he set up the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award and the Lee Bennett Hopkins/International Reading Association Promising Poetry Award to honor excellent writing for children.
Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1938, Hopkins grew up in a poor but close-knit family. When he was ten years old, his family moved in with other relatives to make ends meet, and he spent most of his youth in Newark, New Jersey. The oldest child in the family, Hopkins had to help out with the family finances, often missing school so he could work a paying job. Although the family was able to get on its feet again and rent a basement apartment, relations soon deteriorated between Hopkins’s parents, leading to a lifelong separation. The circumstances of his youth would later play a prominent part in his fiction writing for young adults.
Hopkins’ early reading encompassed everything from comic books and movie magazines to the occasional adult novel, and in spite of frequent absences, he earned passing grades in school while excelling in English classes. Providentially, a schoolteacher reached out to the boy and helped to change his life. “Mrs. McLaughlin saved me,” Hopkins wrote in Something about the Author Autobiography Series (SAAS). “She introduced me to two things that had given me direction and hope—the love of reading and theatre.”
After graduating from high school, Hopkins determined that he would like to teach, and he worked several jobs to pay his way through teacher’s training college. Working in a suburban, middle-class school district, he soon became the resource teacher, gathering and organizing materials for the other teachers. Hopkins began using poetry as an aid in teaching reading, and it quickly became apparent to him that poetry could be expanded to introduce all subject areas. In the 1960s, while working as a consultant at Bank Street College of Education, Hopkins again used poetry as a learning tool. In 1968 he became an editor at Scholastic, Inc., a post he held until 1976 when he became a full-time writer and anthologist.
During his years at Scholastic, Hopkins hit on his charmed formula for poetry anthologies, a pattern that can be seen in his early volume, the award-winning Don’t You Turn Back: Poems by Langston Hughes. In SAAS he discussed the key elements in his compilations. “Balance is important in an anthology,” he explained. “I want many voices within a book, so I rarely use more than one or two works by the same poet. I also envision each volume as a stage play or film, having a definite beginning, middle, and end. The right flow is a necessity for me. Sometimes a word at the end of a work will lead into the title of the next selection. I want my collections to read like a short story or novel—not a hodgepodge of works thrown together aimlessly.”
Since 1969, Hopkins has compiled scores of poetry anthologies, each employing this same successful formula. Anthologies centering on the works of individual poets include Crickets and Bullfrogs and Whispers of Thunder: Poems and Pictures by Harry Behn, Rainbows Are Made: Poems by Carl Sandburg, and the award-winning Voyages: Poems by Walt Whitman. Reviewing Voyages, Booklist contributor Hazel Rochman called it a “spacious, handsome edition that helps make accessible a poet of vigor and sensitivity.” In Horn Book, Nancy Vasilakis deemed the same book a “well-conceived and elegantly produced anthology.”
Hopkins often works with single themes for his anthologies, such as holidays. Valentine Hearts: Holiday Poetry collects twelve poems about the romantic holiday, forming a “delectable and accessible” selection, according to a School Library Journal contributor. “It’s easy to imagine these gems enlivening poem-a-day assignments,” commented Jennifer Mattson in Booklist. The poems in Halloween Howls: Holiday Poetry are each “presented on a distinctive spread,” noted a School Library Journal contributor, while the twelve short poems in Christmas Presents: Holiday Poems are designed so that the “poetry text [is] integrated within the illustration, giving the volume a lively flair,” according to a critic for Kirkus Reviews. Hanukkah Lights: Holiday Poetry features poetry from Jane Yolen, Maria Fleming, and Lillian Fisher and provides readers with “good, basic, and simple holiday reading,” noted a contributor to Kirkus Reviews.
Narrow subjects are presented in Weather, It’s about Time! and Blast Off!: Poems about Space. Reviewing Blast Off! in Horn Book, Maeve Visser Knoth dubbed the beginning reader a “perfect match of subject, format, and interest level” and “a sure winner.” Food poems are served up in Yummy!: Eating through a Day, a “book to be savored in many delicious bites,” according to School Library Journal Kathleen Whalin. Bugs and insects take center stage in Flit, Flutter, Fly!, a “charming assortment of 20 easy-to-read creature features,” according to Booklist critic Quraysh Ali. Musical and dance themes come into play in Song and Dance, “an inspired and free-spirited arrangement of poems with musical themes,” as a reviewer for Publishers Weekly described the collection.
Hopkins turns his editorial gaze to school days with the poetry collections School Supplies, Marvelous Math, Got Geography!, and Spectacular Science, the last two which deal with seemingly non-poetic subjects. Reviewing Marvelous Math in the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Elizabeth Bush called the anthology a “delight for independent readers” and a “boon to teachers attempting to integrate math across the curriculum.” Lee Bock Brown, writing in School Library Journal, called the same book a “delightful collection.”
In Spectacular Science Hopkins deals with topics ranging from what happens to insects in winter to magnets. “Hopkins … has rounded up a satisfying variety of works,” noted Stephanie Zvirin in a Booklist review, while School Library Journal contributor Carolyn Angus called the book a “delightful, thought-provoking anthology that is—in short—spectacular.” The anthology Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees: School Poems contains works by Alice Schertle, Jane Yolen, and J. Patrick Lewis, among others, and looks at such familiar classroom activities as storytime and caring for a class pet. Writing in Booklist, Gillian Engberg noted that “these reassuring poems will find an accepting audience among both young readers and listeners.”
U.S. history, geography, and biography are presented in other anthologies by Hopkins. Hand in Hand includes over seventy poems that offer “a singular outlook on American history as viewed by some of America’s foremost poets, past and present,” according to Nancy Vasilakis in Horn Book. As Vasilakis concluded, Hopkins’ “well-conceived anthology should be a welcome supplement to any study of American history.” Noted Americans are celebrated in Lives: Poems about Famous Americans, an anthology in which specially commissioned verses focus on fourteen Americans that include Thomas Edison, Sacagawea, and Rosa Parks. “Teachers looking for poetry to enhance social-studies units will find several good choices here,” noted Phelan in Booklist. My America is a geographical description of the country in verse form, while the poems in America at War explore the emotional impact of combat by focusing on major conflicts in U.S. history from the American Revolution to the War in Iraq. “The poems vary from elegiac to angry,” a critic stated in Kirkus Review, while Nancy Palmer wrote in School Library Journal that several “poems are infused with the exultant rhetoric of war but many are small narratives or vignettes in which families ache and grieve, soldiers long for home.”
Wonderful Words: Poems about Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening deals with the nuances of language. “Hopkins’s selection of poems about words will delight both readers and children,” a Publishers Weekly contributor wrote of the collection. Corrina Austin commented in School Library Journal that “all of the selections are excellent,” although in Booklist Rochman advised that the poems “will work best if an adult reads the poems aloud.” Collaborating with illustrator Maria Baggetta, Hopkins explores the alphabet in Alphathoughts: Alphabet Poems, called “a clever and child-friendly book of pithy poetry” by Ilene Cooper in Booklist.
Hopkins turns his attention to athletics in several volumes, including Extra Innings, Sports! Sports! Sports!, and Opening Days. In Sports!, Sports! Sports! he gathers verse about SCUBA diving, baseball, and ice skating, among other activities, in an easy reader that is “a good way to attract new readers to poetry,” according to Booklist reviewer Zvirin. Andrew Medlar, writing in School Library Journal, found the selections to be “short, entertaining, and energetic.”
Animals are the focus of both A Pet for Me and Hoofbeats, Claws, and Rippled Fins: Creature Poems. The former title describes the love between the narrators of the poems and their pets, which come in all shapes, colors, and sizes and include such creatures as tarantulas, turtles, cats, and dogs. Jane Marino, writing in School Library Journal, noted that A Pet for Me will make “a charming addition to either poetry or easy reader shelves.” The creatures addressed in Hoofbeats, Claws, and Rippled Fins are more wild and exotic than their domesticated counterparts. “Each selection centers around physical images of the animals’ distinctive movement, body, and personality,” noted Gillian Engberg in Booklist. Noting that there are other books of poetry about wild creatures, Nina Lindsay noted in School Library Journal that the collection “provides new material for the same audience.”
Home to Me: Poems across America contains fifteen commissioned verses. Each poem is accompanied by text introducing the poet and describing the unique region where the poet lives. In Booklist Diane Foote considered the title “a welcome addition to the poetry shelves.” Shawn Brommer commented in School Library Journal that “the poems celebrate simple, basic aspects of life,” giving each a universal feel, despite the different locations. “What has emerged is a rather powerful sense of Americans who not only love their country, but their particular corner of it,” wrote a Kirkus Reviews contributor. A volume of sixteen poems, Got Geography! extols the virtues of studying the planet and celebrates forests, mountains, and other natural wonders. “The gentle, often-moving verses cover a wide spectrum of ways to explore the Earth,” commented Julie Roach in her review of the book for School Library Journal.
Excruciating embarrassment and other difficult emotions are the subject of the fourteen poems in Oh No! Where Are My Pants?, and Other Disasters. The poetry in this collection deals with a host of familiar situations, including bad haircuts, fumbling a catch during a baseball game, stage fright, and the death of a pet. Martha V. Parravano noted in Horn Book that the first-person narration in each poem makes it easy for readers “to identify with the situations and emotions.” In Booklist Rochman noted that “the scenarios in words and pictures show young children that books are about them.” Lauralyn Persson in School Library Journal wrote that the poems in Oh No! Where Are My Pants?, and Other Disasters “all depict little moments of being human,” while a Kirkus Reviews critic observed that while some of the topics covered in the collection are serious, most of “the contributors keep the mood light.”
The anthology Behind the Museum Door: Poems to Celebrate the Wonders of Museums captures the excitement of a child’s visit to a world of ancient artifacts, artistic masterpieces, and archeological treasures. For example, verses by Lilian Moore and Myra Cohn Livingston describe a patron’s reaction to viewing such items as a dinosaur skeleton, a suit of armor, and a wondrous tapestry. Writing in Booklist, Engberg applauded Behind the Museum Door as a “bright, energetic poetry collection.”
Carl Sandburg, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, and David McCord are among the contributors to Sky Magic, an anthology of fourteen poems that describes the majesty of celestial objects. “Each poem conveys the sense of wonder and awe people often feel when considering the cosmos,” wrote according to Susan Dove Lempke in Horn Book, and Donna Cardon stated in School Library Journal that “almost all of the selections are short, wistful, free verse, and well crafted.” The origins of such everyday items as popsicles, blue jeans, Velcro, jigsaw puzzles, and roller coasters are described in verse in Incredible Inventions Hopkins’ collection of sixteen verses. Engberg observed that “the selections represent a wide range of styles, from reflective haikus to high-energy concrete poems,” and School Library Journal reviewer Carolyn Janssen asserted that Incredible Inventions “does an excellent job of uniting the creativity of words, art, and innovation.”
The multi-talented Hopkins has also penned his own works, including autobiographies, classroom materials, poetry, picture books, and novels for young adults. Two of his novels, Mama and Mama and Her Boys, tell about a resourceful single mother and her two sons. In Mama the reader is confronted with a chatty, shoplifting, and slightly obnoxious single mother who, while annoying to live with, is a loving and caring person nevertheless. Narrated by the woman’s older son, the story finds the woman going from job to job while the family barely keeps its head above water. Reviewing Mama, a contributor to Publishers Weekly called the work a “not-to-be-missed first novel.” “You’ll remember Mama,” wrote Zena Sutherland in a Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books review, noting that the mother is “tough, cheerfully vulgar in her tastes,” but “passionately dedicated to see that her two sons whose father has decamped have everything they need.” Mama takes a curtain call in Mama and Her Boys, in which the boys are now worried that their mother might marry her boss, Mr. Jacobs; a better match, as far as they are concerned, is the school custodian, Mr. Carlisle. Reviewing the sequel, another contributor for Publishers Weekly concluded that Hopkins “packs the ensuing incidents with merriment and an understated lesson about different kinds of love and companionship.”
Hopkins’s original poetry has won high praise. Good Rhymes, Good Times! is a “joyous collection of 21 original poems,” according to a reviewer for Publishers Weekly, the critic also noting that “Hopkins brings freshness and immediacy to his subjects” and “deftly depicts a sense of delight and wonder in everyday experience.” In Been to Yesterdays: Poems of Life Hopkins gathers poems that recall his thoughts and outlook at age thirteen, when his parents separated. “This autobiographical cycle of poems is a rare gift, a careful exploration of one life that illumines the lives of all who read it,” wrote Kathleen Whalin in a School Library Journal review of Been to Yesterdays. In City I Love he presents a tribute to the glories of urban life. The eighteen poems explore the marvels of Paris, Cairo, London, New Orleans, and other celebrated metropolitan areas and “express deep affection for city life, sights, buildings, noises, subways, entertainments and seasons,” as a critic in Kirkus Reviews observed. “This book is really special, a global tour de force,” Teresa Pfeifer remarked in her School Library Journal review of City I Love.
With well over one hundred works to his credit, Hopkins shows no signs of slowing down. In The Writing Bug, a short autobiographical sketch, Hopkins confessed the secret of his amazing productivity: “There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not reading poetry or working on a poem of my own.” Asked if he could change one thing about the publishing industry, Hopkins told Cynsations online interviewer Cynthia Leitich Smith: “It would be to have more editors who know the craft of poetry … who would be willing to take chances with new poets, to get away from the hang-up that exists that every book should be thematic. A book of poetry should be a book of poetry … about many different topics … about what the poet must say … feel … hear inside one’s self.”
(open new)In Full Moon and Star, Kyle writes a play on his own, leaving Katie wanting to do the same thing. When they work together, their efforts are even more impressive. A Kirkus Reviews contributor claimed that “this book in three acts would make an excellent springboard for classroom explorations of drama.”
Nasty Bugs is comprised of sixteen poems about different insects. From giant water bugs to stink bugs, each one has the ick factor. A Kirkus Reviews contributor suggested that it would make for “a delightful introduction for audiences not quite ready for Douglas Florian’s Insectlopedia (1998) or Joyce Sidman’s Song of the Water Boatman [2005].”
With Mary’s Song, Hopkins presents a free-verse poem in Mary’s voice on Christmas Eve. She relates the experience of all who came to see her son’s birth. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called it “a lyrical, unusual viewpoint for the Nativity story, seamlessly matched with gorgeous illustrations.”
In All the World’s a Stage, Hopkins presents three poems per age in connection with Shakespeare’s speech, “Seven Ages of Man.” Poets compiled include Walt Whitman, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, and Lewis Carroll. A Kirkus Reviews contributor mentioned that “Hopkins’ ‘Curtain,’ probably written for this collection, closes the set with theatrical imagery.”
Manger is an anthology of fifteen poems that imagine what animals were present at the manger where Jesus was born. Poets include Jane Yolen, Prince Redcloud, X.J. Kennedy, and Alma Flor Ada. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called it “a lovely collection for those who wish to emphasize the Christian nature of the holiday, worth savoring slowly during the Christmas season.”
With Jumping Off Library Shelves, fifteen poems discuss the significance of libraries. Poets include J. Patrick Lewis, Jane Yolen, and Alice Schertle. A Kirkus Reviews contributor reasoned that “the overall effect is an endearing accolade for fellow book and library mavens.”
In Amazing Places, Hopkins considers notable landmarks across the United States. Poets cover landmarks that range from San Francisco’s Chinatown and the State Fair of Texas to the Grand Canyon. A Kirkus Reviews contributor opined that readers from the United States “will come away both proud of what the country has to offer and eager to visit the sites in person.”
Lullaby and Kisses Sweet: Poems to Love with Your Baby is an anthology of thirty poems geared toward toddlers. Poems cover the topics of family, food, firsts, play, and bedtime. A Kirkus Reviews contributor observed that “Hopkins has chosen poems written from the child’s viewpoint, so even with multiple authors there is a unity of concept.”
With School People, Hopkins reveals the various staff of schools through numerous poems. Michele Krueger’s poem describes the art teacher, while Matt Forrest Esenwine’s poem looks at the school bus driver. A Kirkus Reviews contributor suggested that the poetry collection is “useful, if not vital, for a back-to-school collection and good for reading aloud.”
In Traveling the Blue Road: Poems of the Sea, Hopkins compiles poetry about ocean faring across human history. The Atlantic slave trade, Irish Potato Famine migration, refugees from the Holocaust, the Mariel boatlift, and Christopher Columbus’s voyage to the New World are covered. A Kirkus Reviews contributor claimed that “care and research are evident throughout this poignant book, which is much more than its subtitle.”
With World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Hopkins compiles poems about art featured at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Julie Fogliano writes about Japanese print, while Marilyn Singer writes about the narrative of a painting. Booklist contributor Ada Wolin insisted that “there is something for every young reader in this delightful collection.”
A Bunch of Punctuation uses poetry to teach about punctuation. Readers will learn about quotation marks, commas, dashes, apostrophes, ellipses, colons, and even the exclamation point. A Kirkus Reviews contributor found it to be “both playful and enlightening, period.”
In I Am Someone Else: Poems about Pretending, Hopkins divides the poems into the categories: “Wish!,” “Support!,” and “Invent!.” Poems cover a range of themes, including career inspiration, imagination, and self acceptance. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called it “a good collection, for real.”
With I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage, Hopkins uses poetry to evoke childhood memories. G. Neri writes about a culturally diverse upbringing, while Juliet Menendez, Janine Macbeth, Nick Bruel, and Janet S. Wong write about growing up as mixed-race kids. Writing in Horn Book, Julie Hakim Azzam stated: “Chock-full of information, this multifaceted collection invites repeated perusal.”
Construction People offers fourteen poems on the stages of a skyscraper’s constructions. Poems discusses phases of constructions, as well as different job types. A Kirkus Reviews contributor labeled it “a lovely foundation for forays into poetry and for building a love of buildings.”
In Night Wishes, Hopkins organizes fourteen short poems into bedtime tales. Each poem is told from the perspective of something in a child’s room. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called it “a gentle, comforting ticket to beddy-bye–and good dreams.”
With Bless Our Pets, poets discuss the sentimental aspects of caring for a pet. Poets include Ann Whitford Paul, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, and Prince Redcloud. A Kirkus Reviews contributor found it to be “short and sweet.”(close new)
BIOCRIT
BOOKS
Children’s Books and Their Creators, edited by Anita Silvey, Houghton (Boston, MA), 1995.
Children’s Literature Review, Volume 44, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1997.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett, The Writing Bug, Richard C. Owen (Katonah, NY), 1993.
Something about the Author Autobiography Series, Volume 4, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1987.
Strong, Amy, Lee Bennett Hopkins: A Children’s Poet, Franklin Watts (New York, NY), 2004.
PERIODICALS
Booklist, November 15, 1988, Hazel Rochman, review of Voyages: Poems by Walt Whitman, p. 565; December 15, 1992, Quraysh Ali, review of Flit, Flutter, Fly! p. 739; March 15, 1999, Carolyn Phelan, review of Lives: Poems about Famous Americans, pp. 1340, 1343; April 1, 1999, Stephanie Zvirin, review of Sports! Sports! Sports!, pp. 1418-1419; July, 1999, Stephanie Zvirin, review of Spectacular Science, pp. 1948-1949; May 1, 2002, Gillian Engberg, review of Hoofbeats, Claws, and Rippled Fins: Creature Poems, p. 1520; October 15, 2002, Diane Foote, review of Home to Me: Poems across America, p. 403; June 1, 2003, Ilene Cooper, review of A Pet for Me, p. 899; April 1, 2003, Ilene Cooper, review of Alphathoughts: Alphabet Poems, p. 1408; February 1, 2004, Hazel Rochman, review of Wonderful Words: Poems about Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening, p. 973; January 1, 2005, Jennifer Mattson, review of Valentine Hearts: Holiday Poetry, p. 867; February 15, 2005, Hazel Rochman, review of Oh, No! Where Are My Pants?, and Other Disasters, p. 1082; April 1, 2007, Gillian Engberg, review of Behind the Museum Door: Poems to Celebrate the Wonders of Museums, p. 50; June 1, 2008, Gillian Engberg, review of Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees: School Poems, p. 83; December 1, 2008, Gillian Engberg, review of Incredible Inventions, p. 64; April 15, 2018, Ada Wolin, review of World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, p. 43.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, July 1, 1977, Zena Sutherland, review of Mama, p. 175; September 1, 1997, Elizabeth Bush, review of Marvelous Math, pp. 13-14.
Children’s Literature Association Quarterly, June 22, 1985, Anthony L. Manna, “In Pursuit of the Crystal Image: Lee Bennett Hopkins’s Poetry Anthologies,” pp. 80-82.
Christian Science Monitor, June 29, 1983, Steven Ratiner, review of The Sky Is Full of Song.
Horn Book, January 1, 1989, Nancy Vasilakis, review of Voyages, pp. 86-87; September 1, 1993, Nancy Vasilakis, review of The Writing Bug, p. 616; July 1, 1994, Nancy Vasilakis, review of April Bubbles Chocolate: An ABC of Poetry, p. 467; March 1, 1995, Nancy Vasilakis, review of Hand in Hand, p. 209; July-August 1, 1995, Maeve Visser Knoth, review of Blast Off!: Poems about Space, pp. 472-73; January 1, 1999, Roger Sutton, review of Sports! Sports! Sports!: A Poetry Collection, p. 77; March 1, 2002, Susan P. Bloom, review of Hoofbeats, Claws, and Rippled Fins, p. 222; November 1, 2004, review of Christmas Presents: Holiday Poetry and Hanukkah Lights: Holiday Poetry, p. 661; May 1, 2005, Martha V. Parravano, review of Oh No! Where Are My Pants?, and Other Disasters, p. 337; July 1, 2009, Susan Dove Lempke, review of Sky Magic, p. 437; January 1, 2020, Julie Hakim Azzam, review of I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage, p. 101.
Instructor, March 1, 1982, interview with Hopkins.
Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2002, review of Home to Me, p. 1132; February 13, 2003, review of A Pet for Me, p. 307; April 1, 2003, review of Alphathoughts, p. 535; January 15, 2004, review of Wonderful Words, p. 84; November 1, 2004, reviews of Hanukkah Lights and Christmas Presents, p. 1050; January 15, 2005, review of Oh No! Where Are My Pants?, and Other Disasters, p. 121; February 15, 2006, review of Got Geography!, p. 183; February 1, 2008, review of America at War; May 15, 2008, review of Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees; March 1, 2009, review of City I Love; July 1, 2011, review of Full Moon and Star; December 1, 2011, review of Nasty Bugs; September 1, 2012, review of Mary’s Song; October 1, 2013, review of All the World’s a Stage; September 1, 2014, review of Manger; July 15, 2015, review of Jumping Off the Library Shelves; September 1, 2015, review of Amazing Places; July 1, 2015, review of Lullaby and Kisses Sweet; December 1, 2017, review of School People; December 1, 2017, review of Traveling the Blue Road; June 15, 2018, review of A Bunch of Punctuation; May 1, 2019, review of I Am Someone Else: Poems about Pretending; August 15, 2019, review of I Remember; March 1, 2020, review of Construction People; August 1, 2020, review of Night Wishes; February 15, 2024, review of Bless Our Pets.
Language Arts, September 1, 2009, Janet Wong and and Rebecca Kai Dotlich, “Mining with a Jeweler’s Eye: The Work of Lee Bennett Hopkins,” pp. 62-65.
Publishers Weekly, February 21, 1977, review of Mama, p. 79; December 11, 1981, review of Mama and Her Boys, p. 62; August 31, 1992, review of Ring out, Wild Bells: Poems about Holidays and Seasons, p. 80; July 3, 1995, review of Good Rhymes, Good Times!, pp. 60-61; August 12, 1996, review of School Supplies, p. 84; March 31, 1997, review of Song and Dance, p. 77; July 28, 1997, review of Marvelous Math, p. 76; June 21, 1999, review of Lives, p. 70; July 31, 2000, review of Yummy!: Eating through a Day, p. 95; March 17, 2003, review of Alphathoughts, p. 76; March 8, 2004, review of Wonderful Words, p. 74; March 17, 2008, review of America at War, p. 71; March 16, 2009, review of City I Love, p. 60; April 24, 2018, Sally Lodge, “Lee Bennett Hopkins Celebrates Eight Decades and Two New Anthologies.”
School Library Journal, September 1, 1995, Kathleen Whalin, review of Been to Yesterdays: Poems of a Life, p. 209; September 1, 1997, Meg Stackpole, review of Ragged Shadows, p. 224; October 1, 1997, Lee Bock Brown, review of Marvelous Math, p. 118; September 1, 1999, Carolyn Angus, review of Spectacular Science, p. 213; August 1, 2000, Kathleen Whalin, review of Yummy!, p. 170; September 1, 2000, Barbara Chatton, review of My America, p. 248; April 1, 2002, Nina Lindsay, review of Hoofbeats, Claws, and Rippled Fins, p. 132; October 1, 2002, Shawn Brommer, review of Home to Me, p. 146; March 1, 2003, Jane Marino, review of A Pet for Me, p. 219; March 1, 2004, Andrew Medlar, review of Sports! Sports! Sports! p. 68, and Corrina Austin, review of Wonderful Words, p. 196; July 1, 2004, Lisa G. Kropp, review of School Supplies, p. 45; January 1, 2005, Lynda Ritterman, review of Days to Celebrate: A Full Year of Poetry, People, Holidays, History, Fascinating Facts, and More, p. 110; February 1, 2005, Lauralyn Persson, review of Oh, No! Where Are My Pants?, and Other Disasters, p. 122; April 1, 2005, Nina Lindsay, review of Lives, p. 56; October 1, 2005, reviews of Days to Celebrate and Oh, No! Where Are My Pants?, and Other Disasters, p. 38, review of Valentine Hearts, p. 40, and Laura Scott, review of Halloween Howls: Holiday Poetry, p. 140; May 1, 2006, Julie Roach, review of Got Geography!, p. 112; June 1, 2007, Susan Scheps, review of Behind the Museum Door, p. 134; March 1, 2008, Nancy Palmer, review of America at War, p. 220; February 1, 2009, Carolyn Janssen, review of Incredible Inventions, p. 92; March 1, 2009, Teresa Pfeifer, review of City I Love, p. 134; June 1, 2009, Donna Cardon, review of Sky Magic, p. 108.
ONLINE
Astra Publishing House website, https://astrapublishinghouse.com/ (March 10, 2023), “Honoring the Legacy of Poet Lee Bennett Hopkins.”
Cynsations, http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/ (February 23, 2009), Cynthia Leitich Smith, interview with Hopkins.
HarperCollins website, http://www.harpercollins.com/ (March 1, 2010), “Q&A with Lee Bennett Hopkins.”
Reading Rockets, https://www.readingrockets.org/ (March 31, 2015), “Let’s Talk about Poetry with Lee Bennett Hopkins.”
OBITUARIES
Poetry Foundation website, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/ (July 25, 2024), “Lee Bennett Hopkins.”
Publishers Weekly, August 13, 2019, Shannon Maughan, “Obituary: Lee Bennett Hopkins.”
In honor of National Poetry Month (opens in a new window) I contacted one of the most prolific and versatile poets and anthologist whose books I’ve long used and admired.
Lee Bennett HopkinsLee Bennett Hopkins writes original verse and finds other poems about myriad topics and for a broad range of children. You can sample these on a booklist of poetry collections written or compiled by Lee. (A few books he mentions below are also included.)
You are both an anthologist and a poet with more than 100 books to your credit. How did you come to embrace these two roles?
My debut as an anthologist began in 1969 with the publication of two books. I Think I Saw A Snail: Young Poems for City Seasons, illustrated by Harold James (Crown) became one of the first picture books of city poems dealing with diversity. Don’t You Turn Back: Poems by Langston Hughes (Knopf), truly a breakthrough book for me, was the first book of Hughes’ work for young readers since his The Dream Keeper and Other Poems (Knopf) appeared in l932; the book was illustrated by Ann Grifalconi in two-color woodcuts, had an Introduction by the famed Arna Bontemps, and became an ALA Notable Book.
In 1994, I had the honor of writing the Introduction for the 75th Anniversary Edition, illustrated by Brian Pinkney, with an Afterword by the legendary Augusta Baker.
I suspect from reading a bevy of wondrous works I began thinking about writing poetry. After having many poems appearing in magazines, my first book of poems, Charlie’s World (Bobbs-Merrill) was published in 1972.
A concept about coming-of-age sparked Been to Yesterdays: Poems of a Life (Wordsong/Boyds Mill Press, l995) reflecting my own life experiences as a pre-teen. The book won a bevy of awards including the Christopher Medal. This year marks its twentieth year in print.
Your poetry titles span a wide range of topics – from the natural world to American history and even your memoir in verse. How do you choose the subjects about which you write?
So many of my ideas for anthologies come from years of teaching elementary school. I was always interested in combining poetry with all subject matters. If, for example, it was teaching math, I couldn’t resist sharing the wondrous “Arithmetic” by Carl Sandburg with students. I searched for poems about everything – from books to baseball!
Do you have a specific reader in mind while you’re writing your poetry?
No. The specific reader is the specific writer in me.
Young children enjoy the sound and rhythm of words almost innately. Tell us about your new (and handsome) collection, Lullaby and Kisses Sweet (Abrams) which is geared toward babies and toddlers.
I worked on this compilation for a long time. I feel it is of the utmost importance that babies are exposed to oral language, hearing words, knowing books, as early as being in the womb! The sooner we get our children to read, to appreciate words, the faster they will become lifelong readers.
And what could be more important than instilling children with the music of poetry.
Hearing rhymes and verse opens children to experience the world around them. I chose topics for Lullaby and Kisses Sweet … that are both universal as well as an integral part of growing up … Family, Food, Firsts, Play and Bedtime.
What could be more enjoyable than reading a poem about something that is a new childhood experience – taking a first step, playing in a sandbox, the joy of getting a new puppy, or having a teddy bear tucked near one’s head at bedtime? Experiences to cherish, to share, via verse.
How has poetry for children changed over time?
Like everything else in our society poetry has changed, is changing, will forever change. New voices, new movements, new ideology comes forth, all reflected in poet’s work. We can find poetry written about daffodils as well as divorce, blue skies as well as bullying, flowers as well as interracial families, et. al. It is an exciting time for poets and poetry, a divertissement that continues to nurture and grow.
What does poetry accomplish that prose can’t?
I feel at times more can be said and felt in 8 or l0 or l2 lines of poetry than an entire novel can convey. A poem – one poem – can change lives. The poet Janet Wong cites one poem by the late-great Myra Cohn Livingston – “There Was a Place” – as a work that changed the course of her entire life. The poem appears in There Was a Place and Other Poems by Mrya Cohn Livingston (Margaret K. McElderry Books, l988). [Note: This book is out of print, but should be available at some school or public libraries.)
Tell us about the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award.
In the early l990’s, a very exciting group had formed, The Children’s Literature Council of Pennsylvania. In l992, I wrote to Steven Herb, then president of the association, asking if the Council might sponsor The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award to further promote the genre in a different way since the NCTE Award is given to a poet for their aggregate body of work and then given only every three years. The award I would establish would be for a book of poetry, given annually and come with a cash prize. Steven immediately replied, “YES!”
I wanted the award to be part of Pennsylvania history in that I was born in Scranton. The award seal is a replica of The Jessie Willcox Smith Mother Goose, depicting Mother Goose embracing two children. Smith was also born in Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) in 1863.
The first award, presented to Ashley Bryan for Sing to the Sun (HarperCollins) was held at the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg – a grand ceremony. This was Ashley’s first book of poetry. A few weeks after the event, a large package reached my home: It was the original jacket art from one of Ashley’s books of Black American Spirituals.
The award, now named The Lee Bennett Hopkins/Penn State University Poetry Award, remains the only award of its kind in the United States.
To further promote poetry, I founded the Lee Bennett Hopkins/International Literacy Association Promising Poet Award, and the Lee Bennett Hopkins SCBWI Poetry Award. Each award is different. Each comes with an honorarium.
My beloved maternal grandmother, Lena Thomas, always told us to “give something back.” In memory of her wise words I am “giving back” something to a genre that I cherish and to honor the place where I was born.
Is there anything that I haven’t asked specifically that you’d like to address or add?
When bringing poetry and children together – PLEASE – just bring them together. They do not need to answer endless senseless questions or stomp verse into the ground surrounded by a bevy of activities. Do children really have to be asked how they know Miss Muffett wasn’t married? That a lovely verse about a city has to be followed up doing research on population? That a poem about math has to be followed by a discussion on the law of relativity? NO! Read the poem – and quite simply, shut up!
__
Visit the Lee Bennett Hopkins website (opens in a new window) to learn more about the poet and his many, many books.
And Lee wanted to let us know about his newest book, coming this fall: Jumping off Library Shelves, illustrated by Jane Manning (Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press), a tribute to the greatest places on earth – LIBRARIES – and to the greatest people on earth – LIBRARIANS.
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About the Author
Reading Rockets’ children’s literature expert, Maria Salvadore, brings you into her world as she explores the best ways to use kids’ books both inside — and outside — of the classroom.
Publication Date
March 31, 2015
Lee Bennett Hopkins Celebrates Eight Decades and Two New Anthologies
By Sally Lodge | Apr 24, 2018
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April is National Poetry Month, a fitting birth month for Lee Bennett Hopkins, whose 100-plus books of poetry for children encompass his own work and that of other poets. This has been a busy season for Hopkins, who marked a memorable milestone—his 80th birthday—on April 13, and added two anthologies to his oeuvre, School People (Boyds Mills/WordSong, Feb.) and World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from the Metropolitan Museum (Abrams, Mar.).
Charles J. Egita
Lee Bennett Hopkins.
Hopkins’s extensive body of work has earned the poet numerous national and state awards, as well as recognition in the Guinness Book of World Records as “the world’s most prolific anthologist of poetry for children.” He first discovered poetry’s value to children almost six decades ago, when he began teaching sixth grade in Fair Lawn, N.J. “I used verse with all students, but found that slower readers were excited over poems,” he recalled. “Vocabulary was often within their reach, works were short, and we learned that more could sometimes be said and felt in eight or l0 or l2 lines than sometimes an entire novel could convey.”
A love of reading and teaching poetry fueled Hopkins’s interest in trying his hand at writing poems. A self-described “city child all my life,” he chose a familiar urban image as the subject of his very first poem for children, “Hydrants,” which got a thumbs-up from a master of the genre. “I read the poem to May Swenson, one of America’s most renowned poets, who told me she liked it,” he said. And so a writing career was launched. “I was hooked,” he said. “My life has been, and is, blessed with poetry.”
The poet initially donned his anthologist cap after teaching for six years and earning his master’s degree at Bank Street College in New York. He was working at Bank Street’s Resource Center in Harlem when one of the area’s literary legends, Langston Hughes, died in 1967. “I was introducing language arts curricula into classroom programs, with an emphasis on poetry, and I realized when Hughes died that I could not share with students his only book for children, The Dream Keeper and Other Poems, published in 1932, due to the art’s stereotypical depiction of blacks.”
That realization inspired Hopkins to compile Don’t You Turn Back: Poems by Langston Hughes, which Knopf published in 1969 with woodcut engravings by Ann Grifalconi. “After that, I began to do many anthologies with the aim of bringing a bevy of poets’ work to children,” he explained, adding a rewarding postscript to the story of his publishing history with Hughes’s work: “In 1994, when the 75th anniversary edition of The Dream Keeper was published with wood engravings by Brian Pinkney, Janet Schulman, an icon in our industry, invited me to write the introduction to the book.”
Contentedly Juggling Tasks
After decades of balancing his own writing with compiling collections of others’ poems, Hopkins acknowledges that the two endeavors involve singular trials—which he willingly contends with. “The creation of an anthology always poses a new challenge,” he observed. “What to select, how to give the volume an arc, how to keep up with a topic so it doesn’t get dull, trying one’s best to get the reader to turn the page for a new adventure with wondrous words. It also involves working and reworking with poets.”
When it comes to creating his own poetry, Hopkins unequivocally stated, “It’s struggle time. A struggle with each syllable, word, line. Draft after draft after draft, and I’m ready to go shopping! Is a poem ever finished? Ah, eventually it tells you it is. ‘Leave me alone,’ says the poem. ‘You have given me life! You may now go shopping!’ ”
A birthday greeting from Tomie de Paola.
Noting that he is pleased to have welcomed two new anthologies in a single publishing season, Hopkins explained his inspiration for each. School People, he reflected, “had to be in the back of my head since the day I started teaching in 1960. I wanted to show the empathy of the many grownups whose jobs relate to a school—from the principal to the custodian to the lunch lady. I wanted to make them real.” Illustrated by Ellen Shi, School People includes poems by 15 contemporary writers, including Jane Yolen, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, and J. Patrick Lewis.
His intent in compiling World Make Way, Hopkins explained, was to enable young readers “to get inside the heads and hearts of artists, to let them view wondrous works, and to think what artists might have thought while producing a painting or sculpture.” Pairing poetry with works of art, the volume features writing by acclaimed children’s poets, among them Marilyn Singer, Alma Flor Ada, and Carole Boston Weatherford.
“It is impossible to overestimate the impact Lee has had on children’s poetry,” noted Rebecca Davis, senior editor of Boyds Mills Press and WordSong, who has edited Hopkins’s books at various publishing houses over a quarter-century span. “Lee is not only a great poet, but as an anthologist and teacher, he has brought so many new poets into their careers. He is exacting and honest and has very high standards, but he is also extremely encouraging when he sees talent in a poet.”
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And, Davis added, she knows from personal experience that Hopkins also educates his editors. “I did not realize I liked poetry until I began working with Lee,” she said. “Given the way poetry was taught to me in school, I thought it was a hard mental challenge and a test. I discovered from Lee that poetry is not that at all—it is joyful and accessible, and connects readers to the wonders of the world around them. Lee teaches children, poets, and editors.”
As he enters a new decade, considering the wide swath of subjects he has explored in his own poetry and in anthologies, is there new thematic turf Hopkins hopes to mine? “Oh, yes! Life goes on,” he said. “Ideas, ideologies change. Who knows what tomorrow’s trend will bring? The key is to be there. Seize the moment. Grab on. Give it your all so you can give it back to our young readers—through that magical, mystical stuff called poetry.”
School People, selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illus. by Ellen Shi. Boyds Mills Press/WordSong, $17.95 Feb. ISBN 978-1-62979-703-8
World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from the Metropolitan Museum, edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Abrams, $14.99 Mar. ISBN 978-1-4197-2845-7
FRIDAY, 10 MARCH 2023
Honoring the Legacy of Poet Lee Bennett Hopkins
This remembrance of the prolific and inspiring poet Lee Bennett Hopkins, who passed away in 2019, has been adapted from a letter Rebecca Davis, Editorial Director of Wordsong, wrote in support of Lee’s induction into the Florida Artists’ Hall of Fame in 2016.
Lee Bennett Hopkins
Lee Bennett Hopkins was, truly, the Pied Piper of Poetry. It would be hard to overestimate the impact he had on poetry for children. Throughout his career, he not only wrote brilliant poems, but his love for poetry, his enthusiasm, his high standards, his generosity, and his honesty sent ripples spreading ever outward to influence all corners of the field. His voice was a clarion call for more poetry, better poetry, poetry every day for children.
As a poet, Lee, of course, was a major talent. His finely tuned ear for sounds (“…a deluge / pounding down / sounding /…crouches…” from “Seattle Morning”) and for finding just the right word showed in his poetry. In 2016, he received the Regina Medal, which is “awarded annually to a living exemplar of the words of the English poet, Walter de la Mare ‘only the rarest kind of best in anything can be good enough for the young,’ for continued, distinguished contribution to children’s literature without regard to the nature of the contribution.” Other awards Lee won as a poet included the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children and both the Christopher Award and a Golden Kite Honor Award for his autobiographical picture book written in verse, BEEN TO YESTERDAYS. He was also the author of three young adult novels and many important professional books, and he won the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion for “lasting contributions to children’s literature.”
Lee Bennett Hopkins + Editor Rebecca DavisLee Bennett Hopkins + Editor Rebecca Davis
Lee Bennett Hopkins with librarians Cynthia Alaniz, Allyson Beecher, Sylvia Tag, Nancy JohnsonLee Bennett Hopkins with librarians Cynthia Alaniz, Allyson Beecher, Sylvia Tag, Nancy Johnson
Lee Bennett Hopkins + author/illustrator Fred KoehlerLee Bennett Hopkins + author/illustrator Fred Koehler
Lee Bennett Hopkins
From A Bunch of Punctuation
Lee was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s most prolific anthologist of poetry for children; he had 113 anthologies published as of 2011. He compiled his anthologies carefully, blending new voices with classic ones that speak to children today as truly and beautifully as they did when the classics were first written. He arranged the poems so that the anthologies feel as if they have a beginning, middle, and end; this makes them especially engaging and satisfying. He selected poems that will speak directly to children at the same time capturing the wonder in our world. He said in an interview on the Poetry at Play website, “When I read a work and utter ‘oooohhh,’ I know in my soul it is a great poem. I’ve always gone on the ‘oooohhh’ factor when selecting work for a collection” Because of Lee’s impeccable taste, a poem that made him exclaim oooohhh, will have an “oooohhh factor” for readers, too.
Lee also put together numerous anthologies that are invaluable to teachers and librarians, giving them poems so that they can integrate poetry across the curriculum and truly make it a part of children’s everyday lives. To this end, he compiled anthologies on such subjects as math, science, American history, geography, inventors, famous Americans, etc. He also compiled the first I-Can-Read poetry anthologies.
Storyteller by Lee Bennett Hopkins
From Jumping Off Library Shelves
Further, his anthologies introduced many new poets to the field. It’s challenging to get published as a children’s poet. Because Lee was so generous as a mentor, he cultivated new talent and gave many poets their first opportunity to be published. By editing their work, by encouraging and challenging them, and including them in anthologies, he nurtured and taught a number of authors who themselves have gone on to make significant contributions to the world of children’s books—including Kristine O’Connell George and Rebecca Kai Dotlich, among others. One such poet once told me that there was no one as enthusiastic as Lee was when she nailed a poem, and no one as blunt as he was when she misfired. Lee’s high standards had an impact throughout the field of children’s poetry.
Lee also influenced the field by establishing three awards for children’s poets. In 1993, he joined forces with the Pennsylvania State University Libraries, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, and the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association to create the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, which is presented annually to an American poet or anthologist for the most outstanding new book of children’s poetry published in the previous year. Then, in 1995, once again focusing on fostering new talent, the Lee Bennett Hopkins/IRA Promising Poet Award was given for the first time. This award is presented every three years to a promising new talent in children’s poetry.
As Janet Wong and Rebecca Kai Dotlich said in their profile of Lee for his NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, “No one has worked harder to recognize and promote children’s poetry in America. There are only four major American Awards for Children’s Poets, and two of them bear his name.” The latest award he created will be presented every three years to a deserving poet for an original collection or anthology of poetry for children or young adults published in English by a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, a major international organization dedicated to the creators of young people’s literature.
In addition, Lee created the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award for Young People, which will provide cash prizes for winners of the annual Florida State Poets Association contest for students in grades 6-12.
As a poet, an anthologist, and a mentor to poets and editors, Lee contributed to the field of children’s poetry immeasurably. He offered a world of information and wonder in the books he has written and in his anthologies.
Lee was a gift to us all.
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Obituary: Lee Bennett Hopkins
By Shannon Maughan | Aug 13, 2019
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Lee Bennett Hopkins (r.) with author-illustrator Fred Koehler.
Lee Bennett Hopkins, passionate educator and prolific children’s poet and anthologist, died on August 8 in Cape Coral, Fla., following a hospitalization for COPD. He was 81.
Hopkins was born April 13, 1938 in Scranton, Pa., to Leon Hall Hopkins, a police officer, and Gertrude Thomas Hawkins, a homemaker, and was the oldest of three children. In an autobiographical essay for Contemporary Authors Online, Hopkins wrote that he spent the first 10 years of his life surrounded by lots of relatives in what he described as a “very close-knit” family.
In 1948, tough economic times in Scranton spurred the Hopkins family to move to Newark, N.J. It was there that Hopkins said his childhood took a dramatic turn. By the time he was 14, Hopkins’s parents had separated and he often stayed home from school to babysit his younger sister while their mother did housekeeping work. Though this was a dark period for him, Hopkins does recall a bright spot in a favorite teacher who became one of his biggest influences. She introduced him to “the love of reading and the theatre,” he wrote, and later, wanting to emulate her example, Hopkins struck out on his own path to become a teacher.
Hopkins graduated from Newark’s South Side High School—where, he admits, he was a poor student—in 1956. He enrolled at Newark State Teachers College (now Kean University) and after floundering academically, found his footing as an education major, all while working outside of class time to pay his tuition. Upon earning his B.A. in 1960, Hopkins was hired to teach sixth graders at Westmoreland School in Fair Lawn, N.J. During his time there, Westmoreland was selected to be part of a pilot study comparing inner-city and suburban schools conducted by the Bank Street College of Education in New York City.
Hopkins’s principal at Westmoreland was so impressed by his work during that study that she called in a favor and made arrangements to secure a scholarship for him to pursue his master’s degree in education at Bank Street. He took graduate courses while working in a new position as a resource teacher in his Fair Lawn district, where he championed establishing a school library and found new ways to use children’s literature, including children’s poetry, in the classroom. After six years in Fair Lawn, Hopkins became a consultant for Bank Street’s new Learning Resource Center, located in New York’s Harlem neighborhood.
The first of his writings that Hopkins saw published was an article about using the cinquain verse form with children, featured in a 1966 issue of Grade Teacher magazine. At that point, he wrote in his autobiographical essay, “The writing bug had stung.” He wrote numerous articles for educational journals, and was encouraged to collect his teaching ideas into a book, which led to the popular Let Them Be Themselves: Language Arts Enrichment for Disadvantaged Children in Elementary Schools (Citation Press, 1969) among others titles in the late 1960s.
Though his professional writing was successful, it was the death of poet Langston Hughes in 1967 that proved to be a spark for Hopkins’s career of anthologizing poetry for children. When Hopkins searched for works by Hughes to share with students, he was only able to find one collection of Hughes’s work for children, published by Knopf, and containing disrespectful, out-of-touch illustrations from the 1930s. Hopkins contacted Virginie Fowler, then the children’s book editor at Knopf, to express his shock about the situation, and was amazed when she invited him to lunch. The result of that meeting was Don’t You Turn Back: Poems by Langston Hughes, illustrated by Ann Grifalconi (Knopf, 1969) and the first of Hopkins’s more than 120 poetry anthologies for children.
Just as his children’s book career began to blossom, Hopkins accepted a position at Scholastic as a curriculum and editorial specialist in 1968, a job he held for nearly eight years until he left to become a full-time writer and anthologist. His oeuvre includes picture books, original poetry, and a few YA novels in addition to his compilation work. The span of subject matter for his poetry collections is vast, including holidays, the seasons, history, animals, love, and friendship. In 2011, he was honored by the Guinness Book of World Records as “the world’s most prolific anthologist of poetry for children.”
Many of Hopkins’s books have been celebrated over the years with distinctions and awards from the American Library Association, the International Reading Association, and the National Council of Teachers of English, among others. Hopkins has lived in Cape Coral, Fla. since 2004 with his husband, Charles Egita, and in 2017 became the first Cape Coral resident to be inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. His most recently completed work, I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage, features poems from award-winning, diverse authors paired with artwork from illustrators of similar backgrounds, providing portraits of growing up in America. It will be published by Lee & Low in October.
Tributes from Hopkins’s fellow authors, editors and friends have appeared steadily on social media since his death. Several colleagues who knew him well contributed some of their memories of him here.
Elizabeth Harding, v-p at Curtis Brown, Ltd., and Hopkins’s literary agent, offered this appreciation: “We are going to miss Lee terribly. He was an admired member of the Curtis Brown family for decades. He was first represented by Marilyn Marlow until her death in 2003, and since then I have been lucky enough to work with him. I will miss many things about Lee, but especially his laugh. He had a wonderful, impish sense of humor and his laugh was such a distinct one. My conversations with Lee would, of course, cover business. But we’d always veer towards his determination to grow and support children’s poetry in classrooms and libraries, his excitement over discovering a new poet, news about the latest recipient of one of the funded poetry awards he generously supported, or his many ideas for inspiring new anthologies. And then I would be lucky enough to hear one of Lee’s many stories. It always seemed to me that Lee knew almost everyone in children’s publishing for the past few decades, and he was a great storyteller.”
Author Lois Lowry shared this reflection about her friend: “Everyone who was close to Lee, as I was, will never hear the phase ‘Dear One’ again without thinking of him. It’s how he began every email, no matter what the content was: a juicy piece of gossip, a request for a poem for an anthology, a lament about the state of publishing. It’s what I find myself thinking as he is laid to rest. Dear One.”
One of Hopkins’s longtime editors, Rebecca Davis, senior editor at Boyds Mills and Kane, and poetry imprint WordSong Press, offered words of remembrance: “Lee was a teacher, mentor, and friend to countless poets, and to editors too. I began working with him early in my career, I think in 1993. At the time, I didn’t even know I liked poetry! I thought I liked certain poets and certain poems, but poetry had been ruined for me by school, as happens for so many. Lee showed me what poetry is, what it should be, and helped me to realize that I liked it more than any other form of writing. He made me the editor that I am, an editor who would eventually head the only imprint in the country dedicated to publishing poetry for children. When I was offered my job at WordSong, my first phone call was to Lee. I felt that I couldn’t do the job or the imprint justice without him at my side. In his generous and encouraging way, he told me that of course I could do this all on my own, but that of course he’d be there for me.
Over the past few days, I’ve seen a number of people say that they somehow thought Lee would be around forever. I did too. I knew he was sick, but he was so full of life, so full of joy, it was hard to believe he would ever leave us. He had this laugh. Everyone who ever met him will remember his infectious ‘kheee-khee-khee’ of a chuckle that led up to his full, wide laugh. I keep thinking he was joy poured into human form. I will miss him and his joy for the rest of my days.”
Rebecca Kai Dotlich visiting Hopkins at his Florida home last year.
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Rebecca Kai Dotlich, fellow poet and author, is among those with humorous recollections of her time spent with Hopkins. “He loved regaling tales of people that he had met, nurtured, known, loved, lost, and adored, usually beginning with, ‘Did I tell you...?’ He often teased me about my horrendous sense of direction. After eating dinner in New York, we were outside debating how to get where we were going. I told him the way I thought we should walk, and he blurted that bubbling laugh of his with, ‘Are you kidding me? You think I’d listen to you? We’ll end up in New Jersey!’
He expected a lot of others both professionally and personally, but he had the tender and fierce heart of a child, and always said what he thought. He was honest and true, and I respected and loved him for this. He truly believed that poetry worked magic on children, and his life’s work was getting good poetry into their hands.
He was a character. Full of joy and wit and dedication. To truly know him was to love him.”
And author and friend Jane Yolen recalled a series of anecdotes about Hopkins.
“Lee and I first meet in the 1960s or 1970s at a conference, having both been pushed into it by our mutual agent Marilyn E. Marlow, or MEM for short. We both resisted, she insisted, and because neither of us could say no to her, Lee and I became instant friends. I remember us sitting on a sofa in the middle of streaming conference-goers, some who knew one or both of us. But we were so intent on our conversation we didn’t notice or respond to anyone else. That conversation never flagged—and up until last night—I guess I believed it never would. I thought he was forever. Well, in a sense, he is.
He was at the table at a Miami ALA when my daughter Heidi introduced us all—including me, her dad (my husband), MEM, and some others I don’t remember—to the man who would later become her husband.
Lee and I were at MEM’s funeral where, as usual, we gossiped, told stories about the field, recommended certain books to one another, and—in that instance—cried buckets on one another’s shoulders. Something we have been doing a lot of recently. The trees in the forest are falling fast around us, but we assured one another we were doing fine. We, the Eucalyptus and the Redwood, still standing tall.
Lee simply held—easily, crankily, wisely—the reins of children’s poetry in his hands. He gave out awards, started poets in their careers, pushed older poets (like me) to get better. But he was more than a famous face to me. He was my teasing, loving, smartass friend. I can hardly imagine children’s literature without him. Hell, I can hardly imagine the world without him.
I am going into a small corner of my heart now, where Lee—in all his outrageousness—is still alive and helping children, teachers, librarians, poets, new writers, old writers—and friends everywhere to be better people and better readers. Consider this a prose poem to you, Lee. And no! Unlike the poems I sent you for various anthologies, you aren’t allowed to edit it this time.”
Lee Bennett Hopkins
?–2019
http://www.leebennetthopkins.com/
Children’s writer and educator Lee Bennett Hopkins was a devoted promoter of poetry for children. He was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and lived with his mother and siblings in a low-income housing project in Newark, New Jersey, after his parents divorced. He attended Newark State Teacher’s College (now Kean University) and earned an MS from Bank Street College of Education. His interest in poetry as an educational tool in the classroom led to his work as a classroom resource coordinator; he also worked as an editor at Scholastic before becoming a full-time writer and editor of anthologies. He compiled more than 100 anthologies of poetry for children.
Hopkins’s own poetry collections for children include the autobiographical Been to Yesterdays: Poems of a Life (1995), which won the Christopher Medal and a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Golden Kite Honor Award; Alphathoughts: Alphabet Poems (2003); and City I Love (2009). He received a National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, a Florida Libraries’ Lifetime Achievement Award, and the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion for contributions to children’s literature.
Hopkins established the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award and the Lee Bennett Hopkins/International Reading Association Promising Poetry Award to recognize outstanding writing for children.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lee Bennett Hopkins
Born April 13, 1938
Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died August 8, 2019 (aged 81)
Cape Coral, Florida, U.S.
Nationality American
Education Newark State College
Bank Street College of Education
Hunter College
Occupations
Educatorpoetauthoreditor
Spouse Charles Egita (m. 2014)
Lee Bennett Hopkins (April 13, 1938 – August 8, 2019) was an American educator, poet, author, and anthologist. He was the author or editor of over 100 books for children, as well as a number of books and articles for adults.
Early life and education
Hopkins was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. When he was 13 his parents divorced and he moved with his mother and siblings to a low-income housing project in Newark, New Jersey. After high school he enrolled in Newark State Teachers College (now Kean University) in Union, New Jersey, where he majored in education. After graduating in 1960 he taught sixth grade at Westmoreland Elementary in Fair Lawn, New Jersey and pursued a master's degree at Bank Street College of Education in New York City. In 1967 he earned a degree in Administration from Hunter College of the City University of New York.[1]
Career
From 1966 to 1968 he served as a senior consultant to Bank Street College's Learning Resource Center in Harlem, New York, and from 1968 and 1976 he worked as a curriculum specialist for Scholastic Magazines, Inc. (now Scholastic Inc.). During those years he published a number of books including works for teachers, children's books, and anthologies of poetry, as well as articles that appeared in publications such as Horn Book and Language Arts (the professional journal of the National Council of Teachers of English).[2]
In 1976 Hopkins left Scholastic to become a full-time writer and education advocate. He believes that poetry has an important place in education,[3] and much of his professional writing is devoted to advancing the thesis and suggesting ways to integrate poetry into the curriculum. His 1972 book Pass the Poetry, Please (revised in 1987 and 1998) outlines his views on teaching poetry and includes biographies of several poets whose work he feels will appeal to children, and is consistently popular with teachers.[4] His desire to match children to poems that will speak to them is also behind his prolific production of anthologies; he has been recognized as "the world’s most prolific anthologist of poetry for children" by Guinness World Records.[5]
Awards and honors
Hopkins received many awards and honors over his career. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Kean University in 1980[6] and in 1989 was awarded the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion for "lasting contributions to children's literature."[7] His autobiographical poetry collection Been To Yesterdays was honored with the Christopher Award in 1995 and was Golden Kite Award honor book in 1996.[8] In 2009 Hopkins was awarded the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children for his lifetime body of work.[9] In 2010, he was awarded a Florida Lifetime Achievement Award by the Southwest Florida Reading Festival, and in 2011 he received the Award for Excellence in Educational Leadership from the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA). In 2016, Hopkins received the prestigious Regina Medal award sponsored by the Catholic Library Association.[10] In 2017, Hopkins was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.[11]
Personal life
Hopkins lived in Cape Coral, Florida. His husband Charles announced his death on August 8, 2019.
Legacy
Namesake and founder, Lee Bennett Hopkins Award for Poetry. Established 1993 in cooperation with Pennsylvania Center for the Book.[12]
Namesake and founder, ILA Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award. Established 1995 in cooperation with the International Reading Association.[13]
Namesake and founder, Lee Bennett Hopkins SCBWI Poetry Award. Established 2015 in cooperation with the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.[14]
Founder, Annual Lee Bennett Hopkins Writing Institute for Children. In cooperation with Florida Southwestern State College, Ft. Myers, FL.[15]
Works
Professional books
2015 SKPU Students
Creative Activities for Gifted Children. With Annette Frank Shaprio. Fearon, 1968.
Books Are by People. Citation Press, 1969.
Let Them Be Themselves: Language Arts Enrichment for Disadvantaged Children in Elementary Schools. Citation Press, 1969. Second edition (published as Let Them Be Themselves: Language Arts for Children in Elementary Schools), 1974. Third edition, Harper, 1992.
Partners in Learning: A Child-Centered Approach to Teaching the Social Studies. With Misha Arenstein. Citation Press, 1971.
Pass the Poetry, Please!: Bringing Poetry into the Minds and Hearts of Children. Citation Press, 1972. Third revised edition, HarperCollins, 1998.
More Books by More People. Citation Press, 1974.
Do You Know What Day Tomorrow Is?: A Teacher's Almanac. With Misha Arenstein. Citation Press, 1975.
The Best of Book Bonanza. Holt, 1980
Pauses: Autobiographical Reflections on 101 Creators of Children's Books. HarperCollins, 1995.
Young-adult novels
Mama. Alfred A.Knopf. Dell Paperback. 1977. Reprinted by Boyds Mills Press, 2000.
Wonder Wheels. Alfred A. Knopf. Dell Paperback, 1980.
Mama and Her Boys. Harper, 1981. Reprinted by Boyds Mills Press, 2000.
Children's books
Important Dates in Afro-American History. F. Watts, 1969.
This Street's for Me (poetry), Illustrated by Ann Grifalconi. Crown, 1970.
Charlie's World: A Book of Poems. Illustrated by Charles Robinson. Bobbs-Merrill, 1972.
Kim's Place and Other Poems. Illustrated by Lawrence DiFiori. Holt, 1974.
I Loved Rose Ann. Illustrated by Ingrid Fetz. Knopf, 1976.
The Writing Bug: An Autobiography. Richard C. Owen, 1994.
Been to Yesterdays: Poems of a Life. Boyds Mills Press, 1995.
Good Rhymes, Good Times!. Illustrated by Frané Lessac. HarperCollins, 1995.
Alphathoughts: Alphabet Poems. Illustrated by Marla Baggetta. Boyds Mills Press/Wordsong, 2003.
City I Love. Illustrated by Marcellus Hall. Abrams, 2010.
Full Moon and Star. Illustrated by Marcellus Hall. Abrams, 2011.
Mary's Song. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. Eerdmans, 2012.
Anthologies
I Think I Saw a Snail: Young Poems for City Seasons. Illustrated by Harold James. Crown, 1969.
Don't You Turn Back: Poems by Langston Hughes. Illustrated by Ann Grifalconi, foreword by Arna Bontemps. Knopf, 1969.
City Talk. Illustrated by Roy Arnella. Knopf, 1970.
Faces and Places: Poems for You. With Misha Arenstein, illustrated by Lisl Weil. Scholastic, 1970.
The City Spreads Its Wings. Illustrated by Moneta Barnett. Franklin Watts, 1970.
Me!: A Book of Poems. Illustrated by Talavaldis Stubis. Seabury, 1970.
Zoo!: A Book of Poems. Illustrated by Robert Frankenberg. Crown, 1971.
Girls Can Too!: A Book of Poems. Illustrated by Emily McCully. Franklin Watts, 1972.
Happy Birthday to Me!. Scholastic, 1972.
When I Am All Alone: A Book of Poems. Scholastic, 1972.
Time to Shout: Poems for You. With Misha Arenstein, illustrated by Lisl Weil. Scholastic, 1973.
I Really Want to Feel Good about Myself: Poems by Former Addicts. With Sunna Rasch. Thomas Nelson, 1974.
On Our Way: Poems of Pride and Love. Illustrated by David Parks. Knopf, 1974.
Hey-How for Halloween. Illustrated by Janet McCaffery. Harcourt, 1974.
Take Hold!: An Anthology of Pulitzer Prize-Winning Poems. Thomas Nelson, 1974.
Poetry on Wheels. Illustrated by Frank Aloise. Garrard, 1974.
Sing Hey for Christmas Day. Illustrated by Laura Jean Allen. Harcourt, 1975.
A Haunting We Will Go: Ghostly Stories and Poems. Illustrated by Vera Rosenberry. Albert Whitman, 1976.
Witching Time: Mischievous Stories and Poems. Illustrated by Vera Rosenberry. Albert Whitman, 1976.
Good Morning to You, Valentine. Illustrated by Tomie dePaola. Harcourt, 1976.
Merrily Comes Our Harvest In. Illustrated by Ben Shecter. Harcourt, 1976.
Thread One to a Star. With Misha Arenstein. Four Winds, 1976.
Potato Chips and a Slice of Moon: Poems You'll Like. With Misha Arenstein, illustrated by Wayne Blickenstaff. Scholastic, 1976.
Beat the Drum! Independence Day Has Come. Illustrated by Tomie de Paola. Harcourt, 1977.
Monsters, Ghoulies, and Creepy Creatures: Fantastic Stories and Poems. Illustrated by Vera Rosenberry. Albert Whitman. 1977.
To Look at Any Thing. Illustrated by John Earl. Harcourt, 1978.
Pups, Dogs, Foxes, and Wolves: Stories, Poems, and Verse. Illustrated by Vera Rosenberry. Albert Whitman, 1979.
Kits, Cats, Lions, and Tigers: Stories, Poems, and Verse. Illustrated by Vera Rosenberry. Albert Whitman, 1979.
Go to Bed: A Book of Bedtime Poems. Illustrated by Rosekrans Hoffman. Knopf, 1979.
Easter Buds Are Springing: Poems for Easter. Illustrated by Tomie de Paola. Harcourt, 1979.
Merely Players: An Anthology of Life Poems. Thomas Nelson, 1979.
My Mane Catches the Wind: Poems about Horses. Illustrated by Sam Savitt. Harcourt, 1979.
By Myself. Illustrated by Glo Coalson. Crowell, 1980.
Elves, Fairies, and Gnomes. Illustrated by Rosekrans Hoffman. Knopf, 1980.
Moments: Poems about the Seasons. Illustrated by Michael Hague. Harcourt, 1980.
Morning, Noon, and Nighttime, Too!. Illustrated by Nancy Hannans. Harper, 1980.
I Am the Cat. Illustrated by Linda Rochester Richards. Harcourt, 1981.
And God Bless Me: Prayers, Lullabies and Dream-Poems. Illustrated by Patricia Henderson Lincoln. Knopf, 1982.
Circus! Circus!. Illustrated by John O'Brien. Knopf, 1982.
Rainbows Are Made: Poems by Carl Sandburg. Illustrated by Fritz Eichenberg. Harcourt, 1982.
A Dog's Life. Illustrated by Linda Rochester Richards. Harcourt, 1983.
How Do You Make an Elephant Float?, and Other Delicious Food Riddles. Illustrated by Rosekrans Hoffman. Albert Whitman, 1983.
Animals from Mother Goose. Illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt. Harcourt, 1983.
People from Mother Goose. Illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt. Harcourt, 1983.
The Sky Is Full of Song. Illustrated by Dirk Zimmer. Harper, 1983.
A Song in Stone: City Poems. Illustrated by Anna Held Audette. Crowell, 1983.
Crickets and Bullfrogs and Whispers of Thunder: Poems and Pictures by Harry Behn. Harcourt, 1984.
Love and Kisses. Illustrated by Kris Boyd. Houghton, 1984.
Surprises: An I-Can-Read Book of Poems. Illustrated by Meagan Lloyd. Harper, 1984.
Creatures. Illustrated by Stella Ormai. Harcourt, 1985.
Munching: Poems about Eating. Illustrated by Nelle Davis. Little, Brown, and Co., 1985.
Best Friends. Illustrated by James Watts. Harper, 1986.
The Sea Is Calling Me. Illustrated by Walter Gaffney-Kessel. Harcourt, 1986.
Click, Rumble, Roar: Poems about Machines. Illustrated by Anna Held Audette. Crowell, 1987.
Dinosaurs. Illustrated by Murray Tinkelman. Harcourt, 1987.
More Surprises: An I-Can-Read Book. Illustrated by Meagan Lloyd. Harper, 1987.
Voyages: Poems by Walt Whitman. Illustrated by Charles Mikolaycak. Harcourt, 1988.
Side by Side: Poems to Read Together. Illustrated by Hilary Knight. Simon & Schuster, 1988.
Still as a Star: Nighttime Poems. Illustrated by Karen Malone. Little, Brown, and Co., 1988.
Good Books, Good Times!. Illustrated by Harvey Stevenson. Harper, 1990.
On the Farm. Illustrated by Laurel Molk. Little, Brown, and Co., 1991.
Happy Birthday. IIus. by Hilary Knight. Simon & Schuster, 1991.
Questions: An I-Can-Read Book. Illustrated by Carolyn Croll. HarperCollins, 1992.
Through Our Eyes: Poems and Pictures about Growing Up. Illustrated by Jeffrey Dunn. Little, Brown, and Co., 1992.
To the Zoo: Animal Poems. Illustrated by John Wallner. Little, Brown, and Co., 1992.
Ring out, Wild Bells: Poems of Holidays and Seasons. Illustrated by Karen Baumann. Harcourt, 1992.
Pterodactyls and Pizza: A Trumpet Club Book of Poetry. Illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott. Trumpet Club, 1992.
Flit, Flutter, Fly!: Poems about Bugs and Other Crawly Creatures. Illustrated by Peter Palagonia. Doubleday, 1992.
Ragged Shadows: Poems of Halloween Night. Illustrated by Giles Laroche. Little, Brown, and Co., 1993.
Extra Innings: Baseball Poems. Illustrated by Scott Medlock. Harcourt, 1993.
It's about Time. Illustrated by Matt Novak. Simon & Schuster, 1993.
Hand in Hand: An American History through Poetry. Illustrated by Peter Fiore. Simon & Schuster, 1994.
April, Bubbles, Chocolate: An ABC of Poetry. Illustrated by Barry Root. Simon & Schuster, 1994.
Weather: An I-Can-Read Book. Illustrated by Melanie Hill. HarperCollins, 1994.
Blast Off: Poems about Space: An I-Can-Read Book. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. HarperCollins, 1995.
Small Talk: A Book of Short Poems. Illustrated by Susan Gaber. Harcourt, 1995.
School Supplies. Illustrated by Renee Flower. Simon & Schuster, 1996.
Opening Days: Sports Poems. Illustrated by Scott Medlock. Harcourt, 1996.
Marvelous Math: A Book of Poems. Illustrated by Karen Barbour. Simon & Schuster, 1997.
Song and Dance. Illustrated by Cheryl Munro Taylor. Simon & Schuster, 1997.
All God's Children: A Book of Prayers. Illustrated by Amanda Schaffer. Harcourt Brace, 1998.
Climb into My Lap: First Poems to Read Together. Illustrated by Kathryn Brown. Simon & Schuster, 1998.
Dino-Roars. Illustrated by Cynthia Fisher. Golden Books, 1999.
Lives: Poems about Famous Americans. Illustrated by Leslie Staub. HarperCollins, 1999.
Spectacular Science: A Book of Poems. Illustrated by Virginia Halstead. Simon & Schuster, 1999.
Sports! Sports! Sports!: An I-Can-Read Book. Illustrated by Brian Floca. HarperCollins, 1999.
My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. Simon & Schuster, 2000.
Yummy!: Eating through a Day. Illustrated by Renee Flower. Simon & Schuster, 2000.
Hoofbeats, Claws & Rippled Fins: Creature Poems. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. HarperCollins, 2002.
Home to Me: Poems across America. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. Orchard, 2002.
A Pet for Me: An I-Can-Read-Book. Illustrated by Jane Manning. HarperCollins, 2003.
Wonderful Words: Poems about Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. Illustrated by Karen Barbour. Simon & Schuster, 2004.
Hanukkah Lights: Holiday Poetry. Illustrated by Melanie Hall. HarperCollins, 2004.
Christmas Presents: Holiday Poetry. Illustrated by Melanie Hall. HarperCollins, 2004.
Days to Celebrate: A Full Year of Poetry, People, Holidays, History, Fascinating Facts, and More. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. Greenwillow, 2005.
Valentine Hearts: Holiday Poetry. Illustrated by JoAnn Adinolfi. HarperCollins, 2005.
Oh, No! Where Are My Pants?, and Other Disasters: Poems. Illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch. HarperCollins, 2005.
Halloween Howls: Holiday Poetry. Illustrated by Stacey Schuett. HarperCollins, 2005.
Got Geography!. Illustrated by Philip Stanton. Greenwillow, 2006.
Behind the Museum Door: Poems to Celebrate the Wonders of Museums. Illustrated by Stacey Dressen-McQueen. Abrams, 2007.
Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees: School Poems. Illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa. HarperCollins, 2008.
America at War. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. McElderry, 2008.
Sky Magic. Illustrated by Mariusz Stawaski. Dutton, 2009.
Incredible Inventions. Illustrated by Julia Sarcone Roach. Greenwillow, 2009.
Sharing The Seasons. Illustrated by David Diaz. McElderry, 2010.
Amazing Faces. Illustrated by Chris Soentpiet. Lee & Low, 2010.
Give Me Wings. Illustrated by Ponder Goembel. Holiday House, 2010.
Hear My Prayer. Illustrated by Gretchen "Gigi" Moore. Zonderkidz, 2011.
I Am the Book. Illustrated by Yayo. Holiday House, 2011.
Dizzy Dinosaurs. Illustrated by Barr Gott. HarperCollins, 2011.
Nasty Bugs. Illustrated by Will Terry. Dial, 2012.
All The World's A Stage. Illustrated by Guy Billout. Creative Editions, 2013.
Manger. Illustrated by Helen Cann. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2014.
Lullaby and Kisses Sweet: Poems to Love with Your Baby. Illustrated by Alyssa Nassner. Harry N. Abrams, 2015.
Jumping Off Library Shelves. Illustrated by Jane Manning. Wordsong, 2015.
Amazing Places. Illustrated by Chris Soentpiet and Christy Hale. Lee & Low Books, 2015.
Traveling the Blue Road: Poems of the Sea. Illustrated by Bob and Jovan Hansman. Seagrass Press, 2017.
School People. Illustrated by Ellen Shi. Wordsong, 2018.
A Bunch of Punctuation. Illustrated by Serge Bloch. Wordsong, 2018.
World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from The Metropolitan Museum. Harry N. Abrams, 2018.
I Am Someone Else: Poems About Pretending. Illustrated by Chris Hsu. Charlesbridge, 2019.
I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage. Various illustrators. Lee & Low, 2019.
Construction People. Illustrated by Ellen Shi. Wordsong, 2020.
Night Wishes. Illustrated by Jen Corace. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2020.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett FULL MOON AND STAR Abrams (Adult Picture Books) $16.95 8, 1 ISBN: 978-1-4197-0013-2
Two young friends separately discover playwriting and then realize the benefits of cooperation.
The poet-and-illustrator team that created City I Love (2009) introduces the very young to another form of writing in this sweet and simple read-aloud: drama. Kyle and Katie, with their moonpie faces, serve as modern preschool versions of the archetypical comic-strip characters Nancy and Sluggo. Katie has black hair and the trademark red dress. Kyle has freckles and overalls. And although they are best friends, Kyle has written a play all by himself. Katie, seeing a good idea, follows up with her own play. The story switches between their backyard fun and stage performances complete with curtain calls, spotlights and audiences. When they decide to combine forces, the new play is elevated to parallel the love and loyalty shown between the two friends. This winsome tale is just another preschool story of cooperation. Yet the focus on playwriting and performance, complete with script formatting and special punctuation, sets a new stage for this common tale.
Perfect for budding thespians, this book in three acts would make an excellent springboard for classroom explorations of drama. (Picture book. 3-7)
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"Hopkins, Lee Bennett: FULL MOON AND STAR." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2011. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A259983167/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=de28e505. Accessed 4 May 2024.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett NASTY BUGS Dial (Children's Picture Books) $17.99 3, 15 ISBN: 978-0-8037-3716-7
In poems written especially for this humorously illustrated collection, 16 versatile poets describe 16 different, mostly familiar and certainly unwelcome insects. "Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! / Uck! Uck! Uck!" From stink bugs to giant water bugs, with nods to agricultural pests, creatures that bite or sting and those that prefer our waste, Hopkins and his fellow poets celebrate the pests among us. Contributors include many whose names will be familiar to readers of children's poetry. From free verse to tight rhyme and rhythm, the forms are as diverse as the insects described. As in any collection, the poems vary in strength, but for read-aloud or choral presentation, many will have both audience and performer appeal. Terry's smooth, vividly colored paintings, mostly double-page spreads underlying the poems, add to the fun. These bright illustrations exaggerate his anthropomorphized subjects' bug-eyes, sharp teeth and pincers. But there's some genuine information as well, both in the poetry and in the backmatter, which includes each creature's scientific name or order, a thumbnail and a few words from the poem and an additional factual paragraph (which strains, sometimes, to include the titular "nasty"). As the bedbug says, "absolutely / deeee licious"; a delightful introduction for audiences not quite ready for Douglas Florian's Insectlopedia (1998) or Joyce Sidman's Song of the Water Boatman, illustrated by Beckie Prange (2005). (Picture book/poetry. 6-9)
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"Hopkins, Lee Bennett: NASTY BUGS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2011. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A273543739/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=597e2993. Accessed 4 May 2024.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett MARY'S SONG Eerdmans (Children's Picture Books) $17.00 9, 1 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5397-4
Hopkins, the noted poet and anthologizer of children's poetry, offers an original free-verse poem, a Christmas Eve musing about her newborn son in Mary's first-person voice. Mary looks back at the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel told her of her forthcoming child, and at her journey on the donkey into Bethlehem. The noise and hubbub from visitors began with the shepherds and continued with the animals in the stable, leaving Mary longing for quiet time with her baby. She rocks the child, hums a special song and wonders what will become of him. Striking illustrations in mixed media on ivory backgrounds show the lines of oil pastels and pencils, with watercolor shading. The overall effect is muted, ethereal and filled with golden light that suggests the mysterious power of the event. The book's huge trim size and use of double-page spreads allow the art to shine, and the generous size will ensure that even larger groups will be able to see. Though both the text and illustrations are notable, the mother's perspective may be of more interest to older children and adults than to the traditional picture-book audience. A lyrical, unusual viewpoint for the Nativity story, seamlessly matched with gorgeous illustrations that are unlike other interpretations of the Christ Child's birth. (Picture book/religion. 5 & up)
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"Hopkins, Lee Bennett: MARY'S SONG." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2012. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A301262560/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5a8b221a. Accessed 4 May 2024.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE Creative Editions/Creative Company (Children's Picture Books) $19.99 10, 1 ISBN: 978-1-56846-218-9
Like the old man's hose, Shakespeare's "Seven Ages of Man" speech is "a world too wide" to be well-served by this paltry selection of 21 poems, three per "age." Hopkins tries to inject some color into the mix with Walt Whitman's "When I heard the learn'd astronomer," Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "How do I love thee?" and Lewis Carroll's "You are old, father William." Unfortunately, these, combined with passages from the speech itself, only make his other choices look anemic. To the "infant, / Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms," for instance, Rebecca Kai Dotlich offers a bland "Amazing, your face. / Amazing"; on the facing page, a "traditional Nigerian lullaby" is stripped of music: "Sleep my baby near to me. / Lu lu lu lu lu lu." Along with Joan Bransfield Graham's "A Soldier's Letter to a Newborn Daughter," which ends with a condescending "I'm coming home / to my girls- / With All My Love, / DAD," most of the rest are cast in prosaic free verse. Hopkins' "Curtain," probably written for this collection, closes the set with theatrical imagery. Billout supplies pale, distant views of small figures and some surreal elements in largely empty settings--appropriate, considering the poetry, but they lack either appeal for young audiences or any evocation of the Shakespearean lines' vigorous language and snarky tone. A poor performance, "[s]ans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything." (introduction, indexes) (Poetry. 8-11, adult)
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"Hopkins, Lee Bennett: ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Oct. 2013. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A344130614/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c4d9c8a8. Accessed 4 May 2024.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett MANGER Eerdmans (Children's Picture Books) $16.00 9, 1 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5419-3
The eminent anthologist of children's poetry has gathered together 15 poems from many sources, all centered around the theme of animals that might have been present on the night of the birth of Jesus. An introductory poem by Hopkins sets the scene, with a striking illustration on the facing page depicting the animals looking up at a comet streaking through the night sky. Next is the rooster (also shown on the eye-catching cover illustration) who announces the birth to the world. Other animals include typical barnyard residents such as the sheep, horse, cow and goat, as well as less-expected creatures, like fish and a llama. Poets represented include X.J. Kennedy, Jane Yolen, Prince Redcloud and Alma Flor Ada. The final poem is a verse from the traditional carol "The Friendly Beasts," describing "the donkey, / shaggy and brown" that carried Mary "safely / to Bethlehem town." Intriguing collage illustrations using watercolor and mixed-media elements provide an elegant accompaniment to the short, quiet poems. Unusual perspectives show a cat from behind, a cow arching her neck and an owl in midflight seemingly ready to swoop off the page. All the animals gather around the manger in the final illustration, with the comet again shooting across the sky. The baby is in the manger but just barely showing, and Mary reaches out to pet the head of the shaggy, brown donkey to reward him for his faithful service. A lovely collection for those who wish to emphasize the Christian nature of the holiday, worth savoring slowly during the Christmas season. (Poetry/religion. 6-8)
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"Hopkins, Lee Bennett: MANGER." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2014. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A380746400/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d8fc27ac. Accessed 4 May 2024.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett JUMPING OFF LIBRARY SHELVES Wordsong/Boyds Mills (Children's Picture Books) $16.95 9, 8 ISBN: 978-1-59078-924-7
The title of this book of 15 poems will immediately grab the attention of teachers and librarians. All together, the listing of titles in the table of contents forges a lyrical look at what libraries mean to individuals. Many of the poets are well-known in children's literature, and the poems are personal and heartfelt. "Enchantment," by Jane Yolen, revels in the power of a library card; "Internet Explorer," by J. Patrick Lewis, makes a metaphorical nod at the integration of computers into library services; "The Poetry Section" by Alice Schertle, celebrates "that poetry sound"; "I'd Like a Story," by X.J. Kennedy, consists of the energetic plea of an eager reader to a helpful librarian. The page composition and text placement add playfulness, while the gouache-and-pencil illustrations are buoyant and imaginative. Wispy backgrounds and splotches of color add ebullience. Hopkins, a master anthologist, has compiled an excellent collection and includes one of his own poems, a tribute to distinguished librarian and storyteller Augusta Baker (whom he knew personally). The overall effect is an endearing accolade for fellow book and library mavens. The final stanza of Cynthia S. Cotten's "My Card" says it all: "My library card / unlocks the world / and more / with a single / scan." Amen. (Picture book/poetry 5-12)
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"Hopkins, Lee Bennett: JUMPING OFF LIBRARY SHELVES." Kirkus Reviews, 15 July 2015. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A421459710/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d30c43bd. Accessed 4 May 2024.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett AMAZING PLACES Lee & Low (Children's Picture Books) $18.95 10, 1 ISBN: 978-1-60060-653-3
This companion to Amazing Faces (2015) is a tribute to United States landmarks and adds illustrator Hale as a collaborator. Eleven states are highlighted, ranging from Alaska to Kansas to Massachusetts. San Francisco's Chinatown, the Grand Canyon, the State Fair of Texas, and the Oneida Nation Museum are among the American treasures featured alongside poetry penned by an eclectic representation of treasured Americans of many ethnicities. The selections' wide appeal invites intergenerational sharing, particularly in the classroom or at family gatherings. For example, in addition to the reader-engaging, playful visual formatting of Prince Redcloud's "Niagara," this poem also lends itself to multivoice readings: "falls / and / falls / forever-ever / flowing / falling / falling / cascading / crashing / dipping / dropping / plunging / tumbling / stop...." Soentpiet and Hale's exceptional pencil-and-digital illustrations reinforce the word pictures evoked by the poetry. Light and shadow, skillfully rendered with the look of watercolor paint, play across the scenes. A historical glossary is appended, and the map of the United States indicating each landmark's location is included on the endpapers. Amazing, indeed: American readers will come away both proud of what the country has to offer and eager to visit the sites in person. (Poetry. 6-11)
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"Hopkins, Lee Bennett: AMAZING PLACES." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2015. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A427027155/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=21c3d6b8. Accessed 4 May 2024.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett LULLABY AND KISSES SWEET abramsappleseed (Children's Picture Books) $15.95 3, 3 ISBN: 978-1-4197-1037-7
In his first collection for toddlers, master anthologist Hopkins has organized 30 poems by over 20 poets in five sections: "Family," "Food," "Firsts," "Play," and "Bedtime." Despite the saccharine title taken from Rebecca Kai Dotlich's "Sandman" poem, these verses are not doggerel, making it a refreshing departure from the unfortunate board-book norm. The longest poem is only eight lines long, while most have four to six. The vocabulary is simple, and the rhymes work, as readers will expect from such well-known poets as X.J. Kennedy, Jane Yolen, Eileen Spinelli, Marilyn Singer, Alice Schertle, and J. Patrick Lewis. Parents and grandparents--arguably the primary audience for this collection--may discover some new favorites among the other contributors: Prince Redcloud, Joan Bransfield Graham, Laura Purdie Salas, Christine O'Connell George, and several more. Hopkins has chosen poems written from the child's viewpoint, so even with multiple authors there is a unity of concept. Nassner's pastel-hued illustrations match the tone of each poem, and her anthropomorphic-animal cast sidesteps the challenge of representing ethnic diversity that photos or more realistic illustrations would present. Young board-book listeners will be happy when their caregivers take Hopkins' advice: "Read to me--then-- / read to me / read to me / again and again." (Board book. 1-3)
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"Hopkins, Lee Bennett: LULLABY AND KISSES SWEET." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2015. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A419698290/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5293c67c. Accessed 4 May 2024.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett SCHOOL PEOPLE Wordsong/Boyds Mills (Children's Poetry) $17.95 2, 13 ISBN: 978-1-62979-703-8
Poems about school staff aim to reassure anxious young students.
Prolific anthologist Hopkins encourages his audience with a series of poems describing school personnel, from the bus driver and crossing guard to the librarian and sympathetic nurse. He opens with the building's welcome--"I am waiting--come on in!"--from Rebecca Kai Dotlich. Most adults are described from a child's point of view. Matt Forrest Esenwine's bus driver has a "good-morning smile." In Michele Krueger's art teacher's room, "my imagination soars." Irene Latham's music teacher makes us "walk in music like morning rain." Shi's digital illustrations show students of varying ethnicities and a staff diverse in age and gender though not so much in race. They add significant details. The white custodian smilingly feeds a guinea pig; the brown-skinned, male librarian wears groovy shades. A small dog follows the children who walk to school and is waiting for its owner, a little brown-skinned child, at the end of the day. This surprisingly even collection includes short poems by 14 different authors including the compiler. These are mostly free verse, with two exceptions. The rhyming couplets Darren Sardelli uses to describe the custodian come as a pleasing change of pace. Alma Flor Ada takes advantage of the rhyming sounds of Spanish to celebrate learning that will "spice up / a world / twice as flavorful."
Useful, if not vital, for a back-to-school collection and good for reading aloud. (Picture book/poetry. 4-7)
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"Hopkins, Lee Bennett: SCHOOL PEOPLE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A516024568/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ba653001. Accessed 4 May 2024.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett TRAVELING THE BLUE ROAD Seagrass/Quarto (Children's Poetry) $17.95 12, 17 ISBN: 978-1-63322-276-2
A collection of illustrated poems explores human travel across oceans through history.
Poems by 12 different poets explore, from the 15th century up to the present, human travels on the "blue road"--the oceans. Spanning Columbus' voyage to "a new world" and the refugee crisis of the 21st century, and including the middle passage slave trade, Jewish Holocaust refugees, the Titanic, the Mariel boatlift, and the Irish Potato Famine migration, along with many others, the poems tell stories that are beautiful, sad, thought-provoking, and necessary. The full-bleed illustrations--drawings based on archival images and finished with some digital manipulation--aim to be the "visual equivalent" rather than "literal illustration" of the poems, but some are more successful than others--in particular the stark, vulnerable image that accompanies Jane Yolen's twinned poems about the Jewish refugee ship St. Louis. Many illustrations offer the same full-bleed dark blue palette, which, through repetition, becomes numbing rather than evocative. Historical notes, such as a statement on the devastating effect of Columbus' legacy of exploitation of the native inhabitants of the Caribbean, are relayed in the book's backmatter, which also includes short bios on the poets and, interestingly, the typefaces used.
Care and research are evident throughout this poignant book, which is much more than its subtitle, "Poems of the Sea"; in essence and in sum, it is a history of inhumanity. (Picture book/poetry. 8-14)
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"Hopkins, Lee Bennett: TRAVELING THE BLUE ROAD." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A516024526/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=3b4ce53f. Accessed 4 May 2024.
World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Ed. by Lee Bennett Hopkins.
2018. 48p. illus. Abrams, $16.99 (9781419728457). 811. Gr. 4-8.
This stylish collaboration between editor Hopkins and the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a thoughtful collection of poems about works of art. The book's true spotlight is on diversity--in the background of the poets, the style of the artworks, and the method of interpretation chosen by each poet. Not every poem reinvents the wheel; some take the more traditional approach of illustrating the artworks content. Others imagine the narrative operating behind the artwork, like Marilyn Singer's "Paint Me," which brilliantly embodies a painting's defiant young subject with the book's titular phrase: "World, make way." "Cat Watching a Spider," by Julie Fogliano, treads farther off the beaten path by pairing a minimal Japanese print with equally sparse verse, mirroring not just the content of the artwork but the form. The poems emphasize that in art and poetry there is no right answer; rather, there are myriad different interpretations. Accordingly, there is something for every young reader in this delightful collection.--Ada Wolin
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
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Wolin, Ada. "World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from The Metropolitan Museum of Art." Booklist, vol. 114, no. 16, 15 Apr. 2018, pp. 43+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A537268139/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=90cc73cb. Accessed 4 May 2024.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett A BUNCH OF PUNCTUATION Wordsong/Boyds Mills (Children's Poetry) $17.95 8, 7 ISBN: 978-1-59078-994-0
A collection of peppy poems and clever pictures explains different forms of punctuation.
Rebecca Kai Dotlich's "A Punctuation Tale" kicks off the proceedings with a punny description of a day full of punctuation; goodnight is "cuddled / in quotation marks." Ensuing poems discuss the comma, the apostrophe, the dash ("A subdued dude / in tweet and text / he signals what / is coming next"), the colon, the exclamation point, and ellipses. Allan Wolf's poem about this last is called "..." and begins, "The silent ellipsis... / replaces...words missed." Prince Redcloud's "Question Marks" is particularly delightful, with the question "Why?" dancing diagonally down in stair steps. The emphatic answer is a repeated "Because!" Other poems pay tribute to quotation marks, the hyphen, and the period. Michele Kruger explains "The Purpose of Parentheses": "inside a pair / ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) / of slender curves / we'll hold your few / inserted words." The final poem is editor Hopkins' own, "Lines Written for You to Think About" (inspired by Carl Sandburg), urging young readers to write their own verses employing (what else?) punctuation. The 12 poets included work with a variety of devices and styles for an always-fresh feel. Bloch's illustrations are delightfully surprising, both illustrating each poem's key points and playfully riffing on the punctuation itself.
Both playful and enlightening, period. (Picture book/poetry. 5-8)
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"Hopkins, Lee Bennett: A BUNCH OF PUNCTUATION." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2018. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A543008966/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=573f23ef. Accessed 4 May 2024.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett I AM SOMEONE ELSE Charlesbridge (Children's Poetry) $16.99 7, 2 ISBN: 978-1-58089-832-4
"Imagine! Wish! Support! Invent!"
Hopkins organizes this brief, thematic anthology into three sections under the larger umbrella of imagining: "Wish! Be a Storybook Character"; "Support! Be a Person Who Helps"; and "Invent! Be a Person Who's a Maker." Each of the collected poems is written in the first-person, and Hsu's energetic, cartoon-style digital illustrations depict the diverse children as the individual speakers. Words and pictures alike often upend stereotypes and gender norms. For example, a poem about pretending to be a mermaid by Janet Clare Fagal depicts a brown-skinned child with tight, close-cropped curls wearing a green, striped T-shirt as the voice of the poem, allowing children of varying gender identifications to see themselves. Hopkins' introductory statement affirms that "There is nothing better than being yourself," which doesn't undermine the title in the least since he goes on to affirm the fun in pretend play. Sometimes such play is aspirational, and the poems included in the categories "Support!" and "Invent" by authors such as Douglas Florian, Prince Redcloud, and Joan Bransfield Graham (with the standout offering "Nurse: Healing Hand") give voice to career ambitions. Others, such as the aforementioned "A Mermaid's Tale" and Lois Lowry's "Big Problems" (about the challenges of being a giant's wife), offer up more fanciful imaginings.
A good collection, for real. (Picture book/poetry. 4-8)
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"Hopkins, Lee Bennett: I AM SOMEONE ELSE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 May 2019. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A583840538/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9c7fba4b. Accessed 4 May 2024.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett I REMEMBER Lee & Low (Children's Poetry) $19.95 9, 10 ISBN: 978-1-62014-311-7
Curated by poet Hopkins, a collection of poems and illustrations sourced from a diverse pool of creators.
Each double-page spread or multipage sequence captures a childhood memory, an artist paired with a poet welcoming readers into an expansive space of youth and memory. Storyteller G. Neri describes his "Creole, Filipino, and Mexican" heritage as a "great example of globalization," and other contributors celebrate their mixed cultural heritages: Juliet Menendez (Guatemalan/Irish), Janet S. Wong (Korean/Chinese), Janine Macbeth (Asian/black/white/Native), and Nick Bruel (Chinese/Belgian). Insoo Kim doubles down as a poet and illustrator in "Speak Up," in which a young boy challenged to "say something Korean" confronts his dual identity as a U.S.-born Korean American. Poets and artists are generally paired loosely by identity, with Naomi Shihab Nye's Palestinian heritage and Sawsan Chalabi's Lebanese background contributing to their collaboration, for instance, and Abenaki author Joseph Bruchac's poem "Rez Road" juxtaposed with Mohawk artist David Kanietakeron Fatdden's symbolic painting. Brief statements by each creator accompany their contributions, and select vocabulary is defined discreetly in tiny type at the ends of poems. The compilation ends with a wonderful section that includes child and adult photos and bios of all of the book's contributors, a nice touch that inspires, as it puts names to faces for youth to see that people of all cultures are accomplished artists.
A perfect addition to the bookshelves of culture, poetry, and art. (Picture book/poetry. 8-12)
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"Hopkins, Lee Bennett: I REMEMBER." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2019. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A596269837/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=88938c9c. Accessed 4 May 2024.
I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage
compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins; illus. by various artists
Intermediate Lee & Low 60 pp. g 9/19 978-1-62014-31 1-7 $19.95
Fourteen writers contribute poems that speak to their ethnic heritage. A full-page illustration by a different artist accompanies each piece, with much variety to ensure wide appeal. The poems, too, range in type, from more traditional rhyme schemes ("My Quinceanera" by Guadalupe Garcia McCall) to conversational pieces ("Amazing Auntie Anne" by Cynthia Leitich Smith) to stream of consciousness ("Here's What I Remember" by Kwame Alexander). Certain oft-seen themes crop up, such as the importance of extended family, whose "hidden roots still give you strength" ("Rez Road" by Joseph Bruchac). Margarita Engle writes, in "La visita," that during visits with her abuelita, she would not only learn to embroider but would "begin to feel like a wise old cubana / while she becomes young and American." While many writers celebrate their differences, others note difficulties: Nick Bruel describes the challenge of having to check just one ethnicity box on a form, while Janet Wong describes a classmate's taunts to "say something Korean." The placement of page-turns amidst multipage poems, and with interspersed full-page illustrations, may occasionally cause confusion. But the art itself--by sixteen illustrators including Simone Shin, Sean Qualls, and Michele Wood (and with artist statements accompanying each one)--is compelling enough that viewers will enjoy seeing what those page-turns bring. Chock-full of information, this multifaceted collection invites repeated perusal. Appended with brief contributor bios featuring current and childhood photos. JULIE HAKIM AZZAM
g indicates that the book was read in galley or page proof. The publisher's price is the suggested retail price and does not indicate a possible discount to libraries. Grade levels are only suggestions; the individual child is the real criterion.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Azzam, Julie Hakim. "I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage." The Horn Book Magazine, vol. 96, no. 1, Jan.-Feb. 2020, pp. 101+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A616788656/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=1e802c1d. Accessed 4 May 2024.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett CONSTRUCTION PEOPLE Wordsong/Boyds Mills (Children's Poetry) $17.99 3, 17 ISBN: 978-1-68437-361-1
Fourteen poems capture a skyscraper’s construction, from beginning to completion, in vivid detail.
In the first verse, by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, the nascent high-rise, narrating from an empty lot, excitedly contemplates its future: the workers and materials its construction will entail and how it will eventually ascend to lofty heights; in the last, also by Dotlich, the finished structure proudly announces its presence on the “spectacular skyline.” The remaining robust poems, each by a different contributor and presented on double-page spreads, describe the various skilled jobs and professionals involved in a skyscraper’s planning and building and also—take note, vehicle mavens—the trucks required at a construction site. Apart from enjoying jaunty rhymes that scan well and include numerous delightful turns of phrase, readers gain insight into the many workers who collaborate on a new building’s successful, safe skyward climb. Additionally, children will build their vocabularies with nifty words like “glaziers” and “welders.” Onomatopoeia is used to good, dramatic effect where applicable. Lively, appealing artwork grounds this collection: Many of its action-filled illustrations also highlight verticals and horizontals. Women are well represented throughout as skilled, busy professionals in various nonstereotypical or supervisory positions. Workers are depicted with varied skin tones, hairstyles, and racial presentations, including the female Asian architect and her daughter, recurring characters. Endpapers are rich ocher, the color of soil.
A lovely foundation for forays into poetry and for building a love of buildings. (Picture book/poetry. 4-8)
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"Hopkins, Lee Bennett: CONSTRUCTION PEOPLE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2020. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A616094049/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8459d461. Accessed 4 May 2024.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett NIGHT WISHES Eerdmans (Children's None) $18.99 9, 15 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5496-4
Thirteen poets contribute to a collection that buoys sleepy readers into dreamland.
Hopkins organizes the thematic anthology of 14 short poems (Rebecca Kai Dotlich contributes two), each told from the perspective of something in a child’s room. Accompanying double-page spreads expand each poem. The illustrations start with imaginative scenes starring a child of color and gently shift back to reality as day breaks and the child wakes up. The first two poems, “Bed” and “Pillow,” urge action, with phrases like “Climb in, child. / Climb in” and “Eyes closed, set sail!” Next “Blanket” wraps the child in love as they drift off. “Cat” and “Dog” each elicit a sense of wonder as the titular animals pose curious questions. Remaining poems such as “Rocking Horse” and “Stars” convey the push (“Hurry up, sun! / Hurry up, dawn!”) and pull (“No need to hurry— / we listen all night”) of the wait until morning. “Bed Again,” the final poem, encourages the child to “Step out and into day. / Get dressed, be on your way.” The consistent tone combining first-person narration with direct address unifies the disparate voices. Though each poem’s subject and title connect to something specific, Corace’s stylized illustrations include recurring characters and other thoughtful details for readers to discover. The jewel tones offer a soothing, subdued nighttime backdrop, as does the flat perspective. Diamond-patterned endpapers repeat the cover’s visual motif of dandelion seeds turned to stars.
A gentle, comforting ticket to beddy-bye—and good dreams. (Picture book/poetry. 4-8)
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"Hopkins, Lee Bennett: NIGHT WISHES." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2020, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A630892321/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=13a95d12. Accessed 4 May 2024.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett BLESS OUR PETS Eerdmans (Children's None) $18.99 4, 16 ISBN: 9780802855466
Fourteen poets express (mostly) affection for their beloved pets.
With the sole exception of Charles Ghigna ("I pray some day I'll learn to love / a friendly snake or two. / But heaven knows I'm grateful that-- / this one belongs to you!"), the contributors offer misty-eyed sentiments sure to warm the cockles of any pet owner's heart. Between opening odes by Ann Whitford Paul and Rebecca Kai Dotlich to (respectively) a kitten and a puppy and closing tributes to aging companions of the same furry sorts by Prince Redcloud and the late Hopkins, each entry pours warm feelings on a different type of animal, from goldfish to guinea pig to galloping steed. Judge's lyrical but realistic watercolor and colored pencil scenes enhance the overall mood with portraits of cute, button-eyed creatures, usually in intimate pairings with children of racially diverse presentation or at least glimpses of hands offering tasty treats or bare feet being warmed on a fuzzy tummy. The title for this work is appropriate, with several of the poems framed as prayers. Along with being short enough to read at one bedtime go, the book artfully transitions from poems about dancing and galloping to those about rest and sleepy coziness.
Short and sweet. (Picture book/poetry. 5-8)
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"Hopkins, Lee Bennett: BLESS OUR PETS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Feb. 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A782202542/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=492b504f. Accessed 4 May 2024.