National Poetry Month was established by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996. In order to celebrate National Poetry Month, I would like to highlight the diverse poetry collections available on Libby and Hoopla for kids with a three-part series showcasing six great titles. What are Libby and Hoopla? Libby and Hoopla are both easy-to-use apps that allow you to borrow eBooks and audiobooks with your library card for free. Both apps have thousands of adult, teen, and children’s titles that you can borrow using your iPad, tablet, or phone by downloading the apps from your app store. Hoopla also has digital film and music materials available for free for library card holders.

In part III of this series, I would also like to add a link to poetry events or programming that would be of interest to kids and their parents as I have done in the past two articles. Today’s project is Reading Rockets’ Poets on Poetry. Reading Rockets, a national multimedia project designed to help children learn how to read, invites kids to listen to acclaimed children’s authors talk about reading poetry aloud and writing poetry here.

Here are the final two titles in this three-part series – enjoy!

I am Loved
By Nikki Giovanni & Ashley Bryan
eBook on OverDrive Libby
Award-winning illustrator, Ashley Bryan, and national book award winner and poet, Nikki Giovanni, team up in this beautifully illustrated and written collection of poetry – I Am Loved. This gorgeously detailed collection displays in a flurry of color, shapes, movement, and visual layering the theme of just how important love is to a child. The most important message to anyone, in any family, whether young or old, is that you are loved, which both Bryan and Giovanni work to masterfully convey in this collection. This collection works well with younger and older elementary-school aged kids.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

By Shel Silverstein
eBook on OverDrive Libby and Hoopla
In this, one of his many collections of children’s poetry, Shel Silverstein invites readers into a world of magic, wonder, and silliness. Poems of diamond gardens, pet unicorns, flying shoes, crocodiles with toothaches, and of course, sidewalks that come to an end await. Enhanced with his unique illustrations, a journey of magic and mysticism can be found inside, so as Shel Silverstein’s opening poem suggests, “Come in! Come in!” This is a great collection for elementary-school aged children.