J. Patrick Lewis

Each lively rhyme or riddle about everyday things actually asks a math question; some easy, some more difficult, all playfully involving addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Humorous spins on recognizable situations are enhanced by comical illustrations.

Blackbeard’s story is “a tale to billow a pirate’s sail!” Told here in a series of poems, including brief bits of factual information and dramatic images, this is a book that will capture the imagination of any pirate enthusiast. An author’s note provides additional information, a timeline and sources for what we know about this fierce pirate.

Well-known poems are recast as puzzlers that can only be solved by using math. From easy to difficult, math and poems are sure to delight both mathematicians and poetry lovers.

Beginning at the Face Bug Museum, readers are invited to "Climb through windows, walls, or basement…" to meet "…Show Bugs…" Line drawings and up-close (and personal) photographs of bugs combine with poetry and fact to present an array of often creepy critters.

Some heroes and "she-roes" are famous; others are little known. Brave people who gave of themselves are introduced in a range of poems and handsome, realistic illustrations.

The watermelon seed that skitters across the page becomes a concrete poem and  is just one of the funny poetic forms in this collection. The humor in each short poem (from riddles to haiku) is heightened by comic black/white illustrations.

Enter into a cemetery for animals, read their epitaphs, learn their fates. Though not for the faint-hearted, the sometimes gory tales are always darkly humorous and enhanced by appropriately gloomy illustrations.

Stunning color photographs and poems combine to pay homage to some of the “world’s enduring man-made constructions” while introducing a range of poetic forms. The result is a memorable collection of visual art, information and literary art sure to stand up to multiple readings.

Animals from around the world are introduced by poets from different backgrounds and different times in this carefully crafted collection. Handsome photographs and thoughtful organization make this a book to share widely.

Celebrate letters, words, libraries and reading in engaging, often slyly humorous poems. Varied forms are inspired by other beloved poets, but are original with equally fresh illustrations.