Genre 3: Poetry - Post 2

Bibliographic data

Grimes, Nikki. 2001. A Pocketful of Poems. Ill. by Javaka Steptoe.  New York, New York: Clarion Books.  ISBN 0395938686

Brief plot summary

This collection of free verse and haiku poetry provides a glimpse into the life of Tiana, a young African-American girl who lives in Harlem.  Tiana uses the words in her pockets to create conversational, free verse poetry.  The poetry reveals the various seasons (“Spring,” “Hot,” “Pumpkin,” and “Snow”), holidays (“Harlem,” “Angels,” and “Gift”), and everyday occurrences (“Tiana,” “Shower,” “Pigeon,” “Moon,” “Caterpillar," and “Homer”) Tiana experiences in a year’s time.  For each free verse poem, Grimes pairs a haiku that further extends the topic.  Children will enjoy locating the haikus as they seem to be part of the illustrations.

Critical analysis

Grimes combines free verse poems and haiku poems to show how two different forms of poetry can complement each other.  Most of the diction is simple, one-syllable words that reflect the city creating beautiful imagery that children will recognize and appreciate.  For example in “Moon,” Tiana tosses the word moon “into the cloudless sky” and compares the moonlight to a quilt and “slips under its silver light / and pulls it to [her] chin, like a quilt.”  The paired haiku reads “Full moon, magic in / silver, speaks to me, drowning / the sound of sirens” further extending the metaphor explaining how the moon is comforting to her despite the noisy city.  And in “Harlem,” Tiana keeps the word Harlem and slides it “into [her] hip pocket / next to AFRICA / and zip[s] it tight” because “Daddy says these / are not words to spend / but to save.”  This poem reflects Tiana's pride in her ethnicity and culture.  Grimes end the book with an author's note explaining what haiku poetry is and why she choose to use them in this text.

Steptoe uses various materials (from drinking straws to fabric) to create detailed collages that cover the entire page capturing the energy of an urban city like Harlem.  The illustrations are obviously inspired by the poetry itself.  For example, in “Snow” Grimes describes the snow as “lacy coldness” that “turns each streetlight into a star on a stick.”  Steptoe covers a cityscape in a thin white material with a circular design that mimics snowflakes.  The lamplights are sticks with stars on them thus bringing the imagery of the poem to life.

I shared this book with my now 4 year old daughter who seemed much more interested in the illustrations than the text.  As a result, she didn’t appreciate the beautiful poetry. 

Awards:

•  Various local awards; none from library associations.

Review excerpt(s)

Booklist, starred review:

“There’s so much vibrant energy and freshness in this collaboration, the book will dance into the hearts of children right away... Each page has two facing poems, both in Tiana’s voice: one is short and bracing, the other is a haiku... The first poem in a pair is set in standard type; the haiku usually floats or sways or sashays amidst the illustrations. And what illustrations they are! Steptoe is a fabulously inventive collagist. He does amazing things not only with cut and torn paper and string but also with drinking straws, aluminum plates, and stray beads."

Connections

*  This text would work nicely when studying and writing haiku poetry.

*  This text could be read a means to begin a multigenre project since Grimes uses two different types of poems.

*  This text could be read a means to study African-American poets or multicultural poets.