Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers: A Collection of Family Poems

by Mary Ann Hoberman, Marylin Hafner (Illustrator)

What is a family?
Who is a family?
Either a lot or a few is a family;
But whether there's ten or there's two in your family,
All of your family plus you is a family!

There is something for everyone in this celebration of families - poems about families of all sizes and configurations, about brothers and sisters, adoptees and stepsiblings, parents and grandparents, even a special ode to the only child. Both poems and Hafner's warm expressive illustrations convey the sense of what makes family life at once so wonderful and so unpredictable. Told from a child's point of view, the poems are perfect for reading alone or in the classroom and for family story times as well.

Genres: Poetry, Family, Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Mary Ann Hoberman was an American author of over 30 children's books.

Reviews

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book for children to read and learn to write poetry.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Collection of Family Poems: Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers. Poems by Mary Ann Hoberman and illustrated by Marylin Hafner
Awards
Grade: Preschool-3 or Age 5-8
A Collection of Family Poems is a colorful book made up of poems about a family. The poems are about all different things that families go through, such as sick days, cleaning up, eating meals, etc.
A Collection of Family Poems is a great book so show students in the class that a family has so many people in it. This book has poems about having lots of older/younger siblings, being an only child, being adopted etc. The only thing not mentioned in any of the poems is having a single parent or homosexual parents.
This book can be used in class to talk about diversity and the various different people in our lives and how everyone’s families are unique and special. It can also be read as a precursor to an activity where the student has to talk about his or her own family.

[Gillian Getlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beginning with "What is a family?" this book is filled with wonderful poems about families. From multiple generations, to relatives, to only children, to whole-half-step siblings, to huge families, this book has it all. With so many different families and and themes, these poems can be shared with any age of children.

These poems are wonderful, with different styles, rhythms, and themes in each one. The illustrations and stanza's share the space differently on each page, which is fun and inviting. This collection is lovely, with poems that are unique and exciting.

I would connect this book to Peach Boy by William H. Hooks. In Peach Boy, their family is very strange and very different, but they still love each other and help each other anyways.

This book would be a wonderful mentor text for writing poetry. As it is filled with different styles and themes within the grand theme of family, this book can be used to think about different poetic styles and purposes.

[Samantha Cucchiarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book of a collection of poems about family. Each poem relates to a different family but at the end all the families come together to become one big family. Every poem is different as they’re all different topics but related to family.

This is a great book as the poems are interesting and kid-friendly which makes it easy to introduce poetry. Also, the poems are diverse which is great so more students can relate to the poems.

One great quote from this book of poems is, “When my big brothers have a fight, each one thinks that he is right. (The only time that they agree is when they both gang up on me!)”

One book that would be great to pair with this is “And Tango Makes Three” by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. The book of poems embraces that all families are different so this book would be perfect with it.

[Alex Ronnenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: poetry-collection of poetry
Awards: none
Audience: grades 2-5
A. This book is composed of lyric poems because they focus on sound and rhythm. Each poem varies in the number of stanzas but they all flow and rhyme. The ending words on each line rhymes with the another ending word in the same stanza.
B. The author uses rhyme throughout the book. Each poem rhymes and is enjoyable to read aloud. Each ending word in a line, rhyme with another ending word in the same stanza on a different rhyme. In one of the poems the two rhyming words are walk and talk.
C. How would you write your own four line stanza about a member in your family using a rhyming pattern?
-My mom is my favorite person of all
She is strong and always busy at home
She makes herself free when her world is going to fall
My favorite memory with her is in Rome

[Anthony Minieri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry
Awards: Children's Poet Laureate award
Appropriate Grade Levels: k-5
Summary: A new poem on every page, this book will explore basically every possible type of family member that one can have. Family members are described in the form of poem of course, and is done so in a way that will be interesting to children.
Review: This poem book is a great addition to any classroom, as it uses comedy and interesting illustrations to convey information. Students will also be able to relate to many of the poems within this book, as they can think of their own family members.
In-Class Uses:
-Read one to the class every day during morning cirlce
-Writers workshop; read a poem and have students create their own about a family member

[Alexis Lattin · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. No awards
2. PreK-3rd Grade
3. This books contains a huge collection of poems about diverse families and the life that is lived by them. Everyone is represented such as siblings, grandparents, uncles, cousins, and more.
4. This collection of poems was very touching because it really brings out the range of different families, whether it’s a large family or a small family. I also like how different ethnicities are represented. This is truly a book of diversity.
5. This book can be used for a lesson on different types of families, maybe the students can do some sort of family tree for themselves. This could also be used for the students to write about their families and help their classmates get to know them a little more, this might be best in the beginning of the year.

[Nicole Schofield · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book includes great poems that kids will love. The poems are all about family and what families do in their day. There are poems about eating, doing chores, and even a poem about what family is. I think that this collection of poems is perfect for pre-school children up until third grade. I really liked that these poems were so creative and unique. For elementary students I would have them write their own poems about family. The poems would be all unique and I know the families would love receiving a poem from their child about family.

[Kenneth Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of poetry pertaining to family. The book makes connections to make real family experiences from having siblings,cleaning up, having sick days and so forth. The illustrator Marylin Hafner does a good job with making each poem have illustrations that accurately depict the theme of the poem in a fun and color manner. The illustrator also does well with depicting various races in the book as well. This would be a good book for younger children to use to do buddy reading due to it being poetry and they can take turns reading each poem.

[Donna Hoang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Poetry - Collection of Poetry
Awards: None
Audience: 1st grade - 5th grade
A. This type of poetry is narrative because each poem tells a story.
B. The author uses rhyme in "Eat It - It's Good For You!" when using the words: mad & bad, lie & try, taste & waste, and fine & mine.
C. Create another ending to the poem "Vacation" to explain where the family will be going next. Swimming at the beach is my pick.

[Addystin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a series of different poems about different members of families. I loved the different ways they expressed the characteristics of the characters, and the author made different family types. I also loved the pictures of the books and how they expressed the words and the unsaid words perfectly.
I would use this to discuss family dynamics if needed. And I would keep it in my classroom library.

[Kevin Denizard · Rating 3 out of 5]

1) no awards
2 Pre-K- 3rd grade
3) This poem book includes a wide range of family poem that touches on topics like having a baby brother and your family generations
4) The illustrations in the book are great and very heartwarming
5) A family tree lesson and you can read a single poem every morning

[Elly Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Poetry Grade:2-5
Within this book it talks about different kinds of family’s that their are. It is neat to understand other people and their family’s. How some of are friends have other siblings, some may have younger siblings and some may be the only child. Also, being able to understand that some friends may have both of their parents or parents who have had a divorce.

[Samarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry
2nd- 3rd grade

This is such a sweet book of poems about family members. I love how this poetry book has added in all of the different types of family members. I feel like this is very important for a classroom of learners. I also love how this author's family could literally be anything. It could be two people or even twelve. it does not matter. I also love how some poems were sillier than others. I feel as though this really adds to the tone of the poem and makes them stand out. Along with all of this I think the thing I love most about this collection is the imagery that is used within. It really paints a picture. All in all this was such a great collection of poems about families.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book includes twenty-six poems about families. They are shirt and celebrate families of all sizes, no matter how they are composed.

The poems would be fun to read aloud with children, especially the ones they can relate to. And the illustrations are wonderful, depicting many diverse families.

[Josh Bader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved the first poem in this book called, "What is Family". This poem begins to define a family. It describes a Father, Mother, and baby. This is the family that was described in the Bible how life was ment to be. I love the fact this book rides off that. Amen.

[Tessa Zimmerly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: poetry
Grade: PK-5th

Such a cute book of poems. The poems are all about families and so many children can relate. Poems about new babies, big sisters, and even grandparents. It is creative and I had a fun time reading it.

[Jean Doolittle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhyming poems about a variety of families. Comforting stuff, cute illustrations

[Good · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pictures are good. “Poems” are poorly written just to make them rhyme (where was the editor????).

[Abigail Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book includes a collection of 26 different poems each with a different topic but all relating to family and growing up. The poems range from 4 lines to several stanzas and all including rhyming. The back includes a table of contents for easy access.

No Awards
Ages 5-6 years

[Lydia Erakare · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. This book has not received any awards.

2. This book is appropriate for PreK-3rd grade.

3. Everyone can identify with a poem in this collection of poems about family. There is a broad mix of poems covering families of all different sizes and configurations. Siblings, adoptees, step-relatives, grandparents, parents, and even only children are represented in at least one poem in this collection.

4. I found this book to be incredible and have already added it to my amazon cart for future purchasing. I want this book in my own library. It was so nice to see many different aspects of a family represented along with different cultures and skin tones. The best aspect of the book is that the poems are told from a child's point of view making it very easy for young readers to relate.

5. A) Usually at the beginning of the year is when a lot of getting to know you activities are done. Part of this process usually includes describing your family. These poems could be used to spark conversation and gives students an opportunity to share about their own families.

B) Older students could use these poems during a family tree presentation. For example, an only child might read the ode to an only child during their family tree presentation.

[Karly Gnoinsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains a collection of poems regarding different dynamics of varying families. It includes poems on step siblings, mixed families, and much more. It also includes poems on extended and intermediate family members.I really enjoyed this book, and I think most children would too. The poems were unique, but I bet most children could find at least one poem that related to themselves, which would be comforting when reading. The illustrations provide a good insight into other family lives and I think the book was a really good one by being very diverse, and including fun and simple family poems. This book was great in the sense that it could relate to all children and show them how people are diverse and to accept that at a young age. A teacher could use this in the classroom setting to have children read through it and find their favorite poem and what they like about it, to have children create a poem about their own unique family, and for children to talk about families and what family means to them.

[Lisa]

Summary: This book includes a number of easily approachable poems about families: family members, different kinds of families, families near and far. This sometimes humorous book features great illustrations and simple text to keep kids reading.

Review: This is a book from my childhood that I have shared with my students. I loved it, and so do they. The poems are easy to read, even memorize, and include something for everyone. Miss your grandparents? There's a poem for that. Have a rotten older sister? There's a poem for that, too.

Connections: "Take me out of the bathtub" also features easy, humorous poems with great illustrations. Also great for demonstrating how kids can write about their own lives.

Quotes: "All kinds of people can make up a family. All kinds of mixtures can make up a family."

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers, by Mary Ann Hoberman, is a wonderful book of poetry for children. This book would serve many wonders in my classroom. Not only would it introduce my students to a wide variety of poetry, rhyming words, and metaphors. It would also teach them of the many different elements of family. This book features families with two parents of either sex, single parent families, only child families, families with many children, and families lead by grandparents. There are also poems in the book about, blended families, adoptive families and divorced families.

Mary Ann Hoberman is an award winning poet laureate. Her title is apparent in her writing style. She writes wonderful poems.

[JD Waggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

You want diversity? You got diversity. Hoberman's collection of family oriented poems is no contender for the Nobel Literature prize, but they're a good way to show kids that families can be steps, halves, wholes, different colors, only children, lots of children, one parent, grandparents, etc. Hafner's illustrations are lovely and seamlessly showcase Hoberman's efforts at drawing in a lot of different types of people. My favorites: "Pick Up Your Room," "Sometimes," "My Father," "Shy," and "When I Grow Up." A very good book to have around for smallish kids beginning to understand that the mom/dad/2.5 kids model was never really the case.

[Janice Redding · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shares a variety of poems about people who are included in a family, such as: moms, dads, sisters, brothers, grandparents, etc. Also, this book provides information about other relatives that are part of the family. I like this book not only because of the information it provides, but because it also shares different ways that families support each other. I can use this book as a teachable moment to the classroom about the persons that are involved in a family, as well as share different activities that a family can do together, in which my family has done some of the same activities. Also, we can role play one of the poems in the book about family.

[Alyssa Rosanelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awards the Book Has Received: N/A

Appropriate Grade Level(s): 3-5


Original Summary: This book has a lot of different poems in it and as the title suggests, they are all family based. There are poems about immediate families, extended families, being an only child, adoption, brothers, sisters, cousins, and so much more.


Original Review: Poems are really fun for children to read because of the flow of the text. There are so many different pieces that children are bound to find something that they relate to which is a beautiful thing-this will help them enjoy reading more!


Possible In-Class Uses: Teaching diversity

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theme: Family, relationships, Emotions of home

The first thing I noticed was that the book had the Reading Rainbow stamp on the front cover, so I knew it must be an oldie but a goodie and this book did not disappoint! It has poetry dealing with different family members but it also has poems about situations that arise in family life, such as: cleaning your room, desiring to be by yourself, etc.

Classroom Connection: Great book to use with my family unit. It would also be a great springboard for my students to use when they are coming up with ideas during our poetry unit.

[Jenna]

This book is a collection of poems just about average things in life, ex: sick days, new clothes, relatives, Neighbors etc. These poems are short and fun and the great thing about this book is that it’s long and full of poems so you could really read like one poem or two a day and the book would last like the whole time frame you might be teaching poetry concepts. I would recommend this book for 1st grade and up, it would also be good for them to practice reading with rhythm.

[Hye Eun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book containing children poems about families. I would use this book when teaching a poetry unit. I like how there are different kinds of poem. Some of the rhymes, and some of them doesn't. The students will get a chance to be exposed to variety of poems. Also, the big theme is the family, so they can learn that there are a lot of different ways to express one topic in different ways. Grade 1-3