"In The Wild" Children's Poetry Book Review and #Giveaway

April is almost here... did you know that April is National Poetry Month?  It's been celebrated every year in the month of April since 1996.

"National Poetry Month is a month-long, national celebration of poetry established by the Academy of American Poets. The concept is to widen the attention of individuals and the media—to the art of poetry, to living poets, to our complex poetic heritage, and to poetry books and journals of wide aesthetic range and concern. We hope to increase the visibility and availability of poetry in popular culture while acknowledging and celebrating poetry’s ability to sustain itself in the many places where it is practiced and appreciated."

What better way to join in the celebration for National Poetry Month than with a poetry book giveaway!  I was sent two children's poetry books from Candlewick Press and they've generously offered to also give one copy away to one of my readers.

In The Wild    
Author: David Elliot
Illustrator: Holly Meade
age range: 4- 7 years
32 pages

Short poems all about animals- from the jungle to the arctic and in between.  Your child will love hearing about all their favorite animals and looking at the fun pictures.

>>My girls really liked this book.  We don't have a lot of poem books so I wasn't sure how they'd take the writing style, but the verses are short and flow nicely.  Plus it's fun to act out the animal sounds and movements.  Great to read during the daytime and allow kids to move around and get some of their boundless energy out.

Switching on the Moon
A Very First Book of Bedtime Poems
Collected By: Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters
Illustrator: G. Brian Karas
age range: birth to 5 years
96 pages

A collection of 60 poems all about bedtime and nighttime.  From traditional lullabies to contemporary poems- this book is sure to be one that'll stay in the family.

>>I love this collection of poems... so cute!!  It's perfect for reading before bedtime to encourage your child to sleep peacefully and have a night of sweet dreams.  The illustrations are beautiful and you'll definitely enjoy reading it to your little one while you snuggle before bed.

Both of these books are so cute and amazing, and perfect for introducing poetry to your child.  Below are some pictures of my girls acting out some of the animals from the book In The Wild... which is the book you'll have a chance to win!!


                                         The Lion

                                                                      Rooaarrr like a Lion!!                            

                                     Kangaroo 

                                                                 Jump like a Kangaroo... boing, boing, boing!!

GIVEAWAY:  1 lucky reader is going to win a copy of In The Wild to celebrate National Poetry Month with their child (and all year long)

Ways to Enter (leave a separate comment on this post for each entry):

•  Follow Candlewick Press on Twitter
•  Like Candlewick Press on Facebook
•  Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect +2 Entries
•  Subscribe via Email
•  Like my Facebook page
•  Follow me on Twitter
•  Enter any of my other giveaways +1 for each
•  Vote for my blog in the MomCentral Grant Contest +2 Entries (may be done daily)
•  Post about this giveaway (blog, Facebook, Cafemom, etc.) +5 Entries, leave link
•  Tweet about this giveaway (may be done daily, leave link) may copy and paste the following:

Enter to #Win a copy of In The Wild kid's poetry book @SusieBHomemaker http://bit.ly/ehtU7o #Giveaway ends on 4/12

U.S. & CAN ONLY

This contest ends on 4/12/11 at 11:59 pm EST.  Open to U.S. & Canadian Residents ONLY.  The winner(s) will be drawn via random.org and has 48 hours to respond to winning notification email before another winner is drawn.  Please make sure your email address is visible on your profile or leave with your comment(s).

Disclosure:  I received a product for the purpose of the this review.  No other compensation was received.  All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.