Poetry for Children 5903-23
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Module 5 Poetry Book Review

Poetry Book Review: A book of poetry for children/YA by a poet of color published since 1995.

hoop.jpg
Available from www.amazon.com Accessed July 25, 20

Smith, Charles R. Jr. 2004.Hoop Kings.

     Cambridge: Candlewick Press.

     ISBN 0-769-36-1423-8.

 

      

 

 

   In this companion book to Hoop Queens, Charles Smith has compiled 12 poems about some of the greatest professional basketball players in the NBA. Each poem is accompanied by a full page action shot. One of his most amazing pictures and one that is sure to grab the attention of a hopeful want-to-be basketball star is the double-page spread of Shaquille O’ Neal’s tennis shoe, with his name spelled in acrostic along side it. This gigantic shoe print will allow kids to compare their shoe size with that of the famous basketball player. The spectacular real action photographs paired against the dark color backdrop makes an interesting combination in the book, at times though it makes the words a little hard to read. The use of rap-like structure conveys a feeling of passion and excitement for the game of basketball and is evident in many of the poems, such as the poem about Steve Francis, other wise know as, “Ill at will”

 

“ Ill skills

cause shakes

shivers

and chills

from crossover thrills

with the pill

when the Franchise Flu

Strikes…”

 

Smith incorporates many examples of poetic elements like alliteration in his three verse poems done in Haiku style about Chris Webber, “Strong smooth skills / score from swift –shaking shoulders / showcasing spectacular spins.” Another case of a poetic element is onomatopoeia in the poem about Kevin Garnett, “air balls/bricks/clinks/clanks/and clunks/are cleaned up/ as KG puts back and the junk.”

 Kids will enjoy reading the many poems in this collection about their favorite basketball player. The nicknames that Charles Smith has given to each player in his book are sure to attract the attention of young adults. For the non basketball players, Charles Smith provides the readers at the end of the book with a short biography on the players he has selected for his poem.

 

Reviews

School library journal writes

 “this book will have enormous appeal for all ages: basketball fans will love it, but so will others who respond to color, lively language, and energy. Readers will experience a wild ride!”

Available from http://www.charlesrsmithjr.com/mybooks-reviews.htm .

Accessed July 25. 2005

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