Poetry books for kids are magical to have on your bookshelves, and these are some of our very favorites. Check them out!
Poetry Books for Kids Your Family Will Love Year Round!
Poetry books are all the rage, especially during the month of April. Why? Because April happens to be one of my favorite times of the year: National Poetry Month!
Let’s be honest: I’m far from an expert on children’s poetry. I’m not super well versed in the form, and though sometimes I “get it,” other times, I simply don’t.
That being said, I do find magic in poetry, even the poems that don’t resonate as much as others. And that’s actually the beauty of poetry. It’s free, it’s personal, and it allows each and every one of us to take something different from a given verse.
Poetry Books for Kids are a Fabulous Alternative to Traditional Stories
Just like traditional stories, poetry books for kids are important tools to help boost language development, creativity, and self-expression. Because poetry is free from restrictions and conventions, it ignites the imagination, thus allowing children to set soar on wondrous journeys. There is so much room for unique personal interpretation!
Poetry makes children think.
It makes them wonder.
It makes them feel.
Whether a verse leaves you laughing, crying, or marveling at how someone else’s words capture the very essence of your being, poetry is an art form all its own.
It has a unique ability to help a child’s imagination take flight.
Here are some of our very favorite poetry books for kids. These books make us giggle until our tummies hurt, delight us with their beautiful imagery, and make us ponder the essence and meaning of life. Happy reading!
Happily Ever Elephants participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no right or wrong answer here! Any type of poetry you read to kids can be enchanting! While many children learning to write poetry begin with haikus, there are no right or wrong answers when it comes to reading. Many children love funny poems or rhyming poems as it makes poetry more accessible to young kids, but others love whimsical, thought-provoking or free verse poetry. You can’t go wrong!
It is never too early to start reading to kids, and poetry is no exception! You can begin reading poetry books to kids immediately. They will love listening to the rhythm of the words and hearing your voice.
This is such a hard answer as there are so many different types of poetry! For younger kids, I love Daniel Finds a Poem and Take Off Your Brave. Both of these books truly make poetry accessible to young readers. For bigger kids, think third grade and up, I love Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice for bigger kids to get them thinking about society at large. All of these books are featured below!
Our Favorite Poetry Books for Kids
This has become the book I use to introduce National Poetry Month to my early elementary students, and every time I use it for a read-aloud, it never fails to get a round of applause by each of my classes. This is a beautiful story for any child who asks you that all-important question “what is poetry?” Take your little ones on a walk through nature with Daniel and some animals, and delight in each animal’s description of what poetry is to him. A forever fave!
BUY THIS BOOK FROM:
Oh my GOODNESS, how I love this book! If you want to make poetry super accessible to children – even your youngest ones – you’ve got to check out this darling poetry book written by Nadim, his sister, and his preschool classmates. It will help unleash the inner poet in your children, and it gives adults incredible insight into how our children see the world. A sweet, sweet treasure of a book.
BUY THIS BOOK FROM:
This gorgeous book of poetry is one that all families will adore. It is an ode to girls of all shapes, sizes, colors, and backgrounds, celebrating girls with big voices and small voices, imaginative girls and go-get-em girls, and girls who defy societal and gender norms. It is a true beauty, filled with poems that will speak to all children — yes, girls and boys alike — and I can’t recommend it highly enough!
BUY THIS BOOK FROM:
I am totally in love with the dynamic team that created this book, and this collection is one of my very favorite poetry books for kids. Beautiful poems spotlighting random days throughout the year convey the awe of each season. Both starting and ending on March 20th, this is a perfect read to celebrate the wonder of each new season, while also helping kids learn about the seasons’ unique characteristics, too.
BUY THIS BOOK FROM:
This classic is a must for all bookshelves. It’s highly imaginative and loads of fun, and the quirky poems will be ones your children will remember forever. Who else can recite all of the words to Sick? If you love Where the Sidewalk Ends, make sure to also check out A Light in the Attic and Runny Babbit.
BUY THIS BOOK FROM:
I simply adore this fun collection of rhymes that help children learn to spell! Not only is it educational, though, with each poem teaching an important lesson, but its also witty and oh-so-clever. Each poem uses rhythm and wordplay to promote important concepts including phonemic awareness, silent letters, and even homonyms. But most importantly, it is such a fun book to spark imagination and get children to enjoy (and even fall in love with!) our crazy and mysterious English language.
BUY THIS BOOK FROM:
Poetry isn’t always easy for kids to grasp. But when done well, it opens up entire worlds to children. This collection is timely and powerful — but what I love most about it is the way it speaks to all kids. It’s accessible. It’s authentic. And it’s just so ridiculously good. I have no doubt that there is a poem in this incredible collection that will speak not only to each and every one of your kids, but to you, too.
BUY THIS BOOK FROM:
This stunning collection shares a new animal poem for every day of the year – a whopping 365 poems (plus one)! Beyond William Blake’s Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright!, you’ll find a great variety of poets throughout these pages, from Lewis Carroll and Emily Dickinson to many new voices. This impressive book is filled with all types of poems from haiku to free verse, and its beautiful verses perfectly matched to the exquisite illustrations. With its massive size and weight, this is not only an exciting collection to read with your own kids but a perfect book to gift a young animal lover.
BUY THIS BOOK FROM:
This exquisite work of poetry takes readers on a journey through the Black experience in America. Through gorgeous prose and glorious illustrations, it speaks to the bitterness of slavery, the fervor of the civil rights movement, and the perseverance and spirit of the country’s most important leaders and heroes. This remarkable work is a moving look at the manner in which Black Americans have overcome trauma to create lasting and indelible achievements in the United States. Gripping, powerful, and achingly triumphant, this book is a masterpiece that will be revered for years and years to come, by children and adults of all ages, colors, and backgrounds. Absolutely gorgeous.
BUY THIS BOOK FROM:
Concrete, or shape poetry, is always a joy to introduce to my students. They ooh and ahh over the pictures, marveling at the way the words are arranged to take the form of familiar objects. This is one of the most sought-after poetry books for kids in my school, and we always use it as an introduction before drafting our own concrete poetry!
BUY THIS BOOK FROM:
This poetry book is a total slam dunk! I am so in love with this collection of poems about twelve pro basketball players, including Lebron James, Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. These bold poems and striking photographs combine to create a book of poetry that celebrates and honors some of the most powerful athletes of our time. It is an ode to basketball, athleticism, and grace, with fantastic wordplay that will enthrall even the most poetry-averse child. I’ve had a ball (pun intended!) using this book to introduce poetry to my own basketball-loving boys, and it will be a perfect addition to share with my students during national poetry month. A stunner!
BUY THIS BOOK FROM:
My students are absolutely enamored with these reverso poems, which can be read in the traditional manner (from beginning to end) and then in reverse. The poems work both ways, and some of them take on deliciously new meanings when read from bottom to top. Kids will pore over the magic in each poem, and they especially love how this particular book tackles fairy tales head-on.
BUY THIS BOOK FROM:
Another gem of a poetry book that is so beautiful in its ability to make every day feel infused with wonder. Using imagery and metaphor, each poem in this delightful collection encourages children to look around and discover the treasures right outside our doors. Even the simplest sights and objects can ignite our imaginations, and this book truly makes mundane moments feel nothing short of magical.
BUY THIS BOOK FROM:
If you like Shel Silverstein, this new poetry collection is an absolute must. We couldn’t get through some of these poems without totally cracking up, and I was blown away by the wit, creativity, wordplay, oxymoron, and amazing interplay between the words and the illustrations. A uniquely genius collection that is equal parts novel and nonsense.
BUY THIS BOOK FROM:
This striking collection features both stunning illustrations and biographical poems about 18 famous Latinos, from baseball players to botanists to musicians. The poems celebrate their renowned historical contributions, as well as the impacts they continue to have on their vibrant and evolving community today.
BUY THIS BOOK FROM:
Leave a Reply