Touch the Poem

by Arnold Adoff, Lisa Desimini (Illustrator)

Genres: Poetry, Childrens, Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2000

Reviews

[Lynda Breithaupt-Muenzer]

Adoff, Arnold. Touch the Poem. (2000). Target Audience: 4-9 years old. This children's poetry anthology draws readers in with it's unique presentation of poems. All the poems reflect the book's title as each one is about senses, more specifically, touch. Some poems describe touch of fingers and toes, others the sensation of feeling the stubble of a daddy's cheek and the pull of his rough beard or the fuzz of a peach on one's upper lip. A reader's own back might begin to itch as he reads about rubbing a back on the corner of a hallway wall or rolling on the family room carpet. Children can certainly identify with these touching scenarios, but may get confused by some of the free verse and manipulation of words by the spacing between letters and placement of words. From a child's perspective, the meaning of the words could get lost in the jumbled appearance. All but two of the vibrant illustrations are actually photographs that have been enhanced, digitally edited or altered. They successfully exemplify what the poem is trying to portray. Many of the photos require turning the book to the right 90 degrees which adds being interactive and a sense of exploration. While the creativity of these modern day poems may be the first attraction to the book; it might also leave one feeling that it is a bit overdone.

[Michelle and Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a collection of poems related to the senses especially the sense of touch. The authors use both photographs and drawings to illustrate the poems. The use of shaped speech throughout most of the poems gives it a unique appearance. Each poem seems to elicit a memory of what it feels like to touch, taste, hear, see or smell the object or place in the poem. Young children will enjoy the varied shape of the text as well as the bright photographs. It is a beautiful collection of poems for children to look through as they are thinking about how they might want to write an original poem. “As I look at the open book on my table each poem a gentle touch.” This is the end of the first poem in the book and an excellent description of what is to come.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good sensory imagery that I think could be used as exemplars for students.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of Adoff’s poetry, published in 2000, is intended for a younger elementary audience, probably ages 4-9. The book begins with a poem on the dedication page, which needs to be turned 90 degrees in order to be read. Several poems throughout this collection are printed in this direction, which forces the reader to take more time with both the poems and the illustrations. The vocabulary is appropriate for that age group and both the poems and the illustrations evoke images and actions familiar to children. Although the poems seem simplistic, Adoff still incorporates literary elements such as alliteration, rhyme and rhythm in a way that young children could comprehend. Although Adoff does use his familiar “shaped speech” style, stretching out some words, condensing others, the effect does not seem as meaningful in these poems as it does in other poems written for older readers. Each poem is accompanied by an illustration by Desimini. The illustrations are manipulated photos – objects are added and/or resized digitally to emphasize the subject of the poem. Each photo features the same subject, a young blonde girl about six or seven years old, which is about the target audience of the book. The illustrations also provide a base to teach children about poetry – the manipulation of the photos to create illustrations correlate with the manipulation of words to create the poems.

[Xin Luan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author incorporates literary elements such as alliteration, rhyme and rhythm in a way that young children could comprehend. The language of this book is easy to understand, so it is suitable for a younger elementary audience, who just begin to touch the poem. And children will like the topics of this book, and funny pictures help readers understand those poems. Using this book in classroom, students can learn what is poem and how to read poems. Let students read aloud every poem, and find rhyme and rhythm. reading poem in small group, and discussing about what they know from those poems, students can get different understanding from each others.

[Theodora · Rating 4 out of 5]

"One statement that Mr. Adoff made was he believes in opening a child's imagination and developing their appetite for poetry and make them aware that it is a part of everyday life. He is 78 years old today and still making a difference. I think his book is heartfelt."

I would use in the drama center and reading center in my classroom. The book will help build their vocabulary in language and literacy.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a creative book with poetic language, but I felt it was strange overall. The pictures were strange to me (for example, there was a picture of a kid in a bathtub covered with bubbles except for his face and it was just kind of weird to me). There was random spacing and I could not figure out what shape the poems were supposed to be in.

[Rachel]

I read "Touch the Poem" in this book by Arnold Adoff. It has real photographs for pictures. It is free verse.

[Sandee Mariner · Rating 5 out of 5]

These were really cute, and I especially loved the great spreads of large pictures. Marvelous!

[RaeLene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Touch the poem: a poem describing what a person looks like as they are reading a pome. Accompanied by awesome photography.

[Shianne Cokely · Rating 2 out of 5]

I cannot say I really enjoyed this book. I thought that the messages were kind of confusing and kids wouldn't understand. I liked the pictures but I think they could've done a better job writing it.

[Mileigh Rabun]

This book offers poems about the seasons that let the students use their senses to understand the poetry. This is great for all ages, but I can see kindergarteners enjoying the senses!