Daniel Find a Poem (Micha Archer)

Title:  Daniel Finds a Poem

Author/Illustrator:  Micha Archer

Target Ages:  4-8

First Lines:

Daniel knows all the rocks,
trees, and animals in the park.
On Monday morning,

Daniel sees something new

on the park gate.  A sign reads,

POETRY IN THE PARK

SUNDAY AT 6 O’CLOCK.

Summary:  After seeing a sign about a poetry reading, Daniels wonders, “What is poetry?”  Each day of the week, he asks the question to a different creature—a spider, a squirrel, a chipmunk, a turtle, a cricket, and an owl.  The animals reply with a poetic response from their perspective.  The story cumulates with a poem that Daniel has written using those reflections.

Morning dew glistens,

Crisp leaves crunch,

There’s a home with many windows

in the old stone wall.

Cool pools to dive in,

Sun-warmed sand to lie in,

Singing at twilight when

the day is done.

Bright stars in the branches,

Moonlight on the grass,

And silent wings to take me

Wherever I go.

Evaluation:

Daniel Finds a Poem is a simple, lyrical poetry introduction for young children.  Using a familiar pattern of the days of the week and the same question throughout, the story has a structure and familiarity. 

The scenes--a park, a neighborhood, a pond, a tree in the yard--are part of the every day experiences of most children.  In each one, Daniel is depicted observing, exploring, and questioning. The stunning oil painting and collage illustrations are brilliant in color with textured details, displaying the wonders of nature and the innocent inquiry of childhood.

Daniel is excited when Sunday finally arrives.  Even though he is young and small, he is bold enough to stand in front of a crowd of adults and children to share his poem. 

The story ends perfectly with a scene vibrant in color and introspective on life,

“One the way home, Daniel stops to watch

the sunset sky reflection in the pond. 

‘That looks like poetry to me.’

‘To me too,’ says Dragonfly.”

Daniel Finds a Poem will encourage children to begin to see that in places they experience everyday, something poetic and beautiful can be found.

Poetic Extension Activity:
Take your children or class outside for a walk somewhere like a park, a forest, or, even, a zoo.  Make observations together using all 5 senses.  Have someone write them down, such as an older child or a parent volunteer.  Then, take those observations and write them into poetic lines into a specific format or free verse.  Incorporate rhyme, alliteration, metaphor, similes, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, and more.  Complete as a group, in pairs, or independently depending on the age and ability of the children involved.  All the lines can become one poetic experience or chose a cluster of related ones to focus on.

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