A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems - Hardcover

"These aren't poems to read aloud, but to look at and laugh at together, with young children and especially older readers, who will enjoy the surprise of what words look like and what can be done with them."

Raschka's restrained collages of calligraphic watercolor lines and torn paper leave most everything to the poems. He and Janeczko provide an uncluttered, meditative space for the picturesque language.
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

This book's playful vision that 'the arrangement of letters or words on the page, the typefaces chosen, and the way space is used, add meaning to the poem beyond that contained in the actual words' never wavers.
--The Horn Book (starred review)

These aren't poems to read aloud, but to look at and laugh at together, with young children and especially with older readers, who will enjoy the surprise of what words look like and what can be done with them.
--Booklist (starred review)

Every one of these poems is a winner, and each stimulates a kind of mental acrobatics that is as exhilarating as the exuberant art, and as refreshing and fun as the poems themselves. Truly a tour de force.
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

. . . kids will have little trouble figuring out what they are all about, or trying out their own. Beautiful and playful, this title should find use in storytimes, in the classroom, and just for pleasure anywhere.
--School Library Journal (starred review)

Chris Raschka is the illustrator of more than twenty highly praised books for children, including YO! YES?, a Caldecott Honor Book; CHARLIE PARKER PLAYED BE BOP; ARLENE SARDINE; and RING! YO? He says, "Concrete poetry is the yoga of words. Like feeling your breath and your bones, you begin to notice what words and sentences actually look like. It’s just like the feeling you get after a fifteen-minute handstand. And you don’t even have to put on loose-fitting clothes!" Chris Raschka lives in New York City with his wife and son.

Paul B. Janeczko is a poet and teacher and has edited more than twenty award-winning poetry anthologies for young people. He says, "I want young readers to see the spectacular possibilities of poetry. I’m hoping this ‘poke in the I’ kicks kids’ imaginations into high gear and lets them run wild writing their own concrete poems." Paul B. Janeczko lives in Maine with his wife and daughter.