Poetry Friday: Me I Am!

Me I Am!, by Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by Christine Davenier, celebrates the individuality in every child.

Based on a single poem by Prelutsky, Me I Am! follows the exuberant personality of several children as they show their stuff--baseball stances, roller skating, bike riding, insect-studying, ballet dancing, and dressing up. The kids are gleeful as they pursue their passions in a chaotic, kinetic kid-like style.

Today's Poetry Friday is the first 8 lines of Prelutsky's poem, "Me I Am!"

I am the only ME I AM
who qualifies as me;
no ME I AM has been before,
and none will ever be.

No other ME I AM can feel
the feelings I've within;
no other ME I AM can fit
precisely in my skin.

Me I Am! is the perfect choice for a child who is feeling a little out of place. Best suited for children ages three to seven, Me I Am! encourages children to find the special within themselves. Christine Davenier's illustrations are simply wonderful--colorful, busy and full-of-life. Children will search for kindred spirits in these pictures. Davenier includes not only active, busy kids, but also the detritus of their lives. Books, frogs, flowers, items of clothing, and art supplies litter the pages, just as they do the lives of young children. Enjoy!
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Here's the early roundup.

Liz Garton Scanlon celebrates a big birthday in verse over at Liz in Ink. Happy Birthday, Liz!

HipWriterMama contributes her own "A Salute to Shel Silverstein" (in verse, of course).

This is Elaine's month! She's in full poetry activity with an original poem dedicated to Susan of Chicken Spaghetti, "Mainly Speaking" at Wild Rose Reader. Also at Wild Rose Reader, Elaine reviews Here's a Little Poem, by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters (ill. by Polly Dunbar). At Blue Rose Girls, Elaine contributes a Poetry Friday potpourri. Not to be missed!

Speaking of Susan at Chicken Spaghetti, Susan calls attention to Randall Jarrell's "Bat-Poet" this week.

Wendy at Blog from the Windowsill contributes a song from the musical The Frog Prince.

lectitans shares a selection from "The Mermaid," by Alfred Lloyd Tennyson.

Tricia contributes "From the Shore," by Carl Sandburg, over at The Miss Rumphius Effect."

Mary Lee celebrates Diane Siebert and Stephen T. Johnson's Tour America over at A Year of Reading.

MsMac enjoys spring break, beautiful weather, and Jean Little's "Today" at Check It Out.

Mrs. K shares "Homeless Bird," by Tagore, at Readathon. (This poem was the inspiration for Gloria Whelan's Homeless Bird.)

Charlotte contributes ee cummings' wonderful "maggie and milly and molly and may" over at Charlotte's Library.

Little Willow finds comfort with Emily Bronte's lovely "Love and Friendship" at Slayground.

Michele thinks about Time with the help of Horace, Milton, and Frost at Scholar's Blog.

Kelly Fineman prepares for a school visit with plum poetry. Wow! Plum looks like an awesome book--must find it.

Betsy continues to post the Collected Works of Susan Ramsey at A Fuse #8 Production. Thanks, Betsy and Susan!

Susan Taylor Brown shares Edna St. Vincent Millay's classic "My candle burns at both ends..." at Susan Writes.

Laura Salas reviews Tracy Vaughn Zimmer's Reaching for Sun at Wordy Girls.

Wordy Girls also share a collection of 15-words-or-less original poems. Check 'em out!

Barbara Johansen Newman is a cowboy fan and has just discovered cowboy poetry. She shares a ton of great resources on cowboy poetry and the poem "Hands," by Linda M. Hasselstrom. Thanks, Barbara.

And there's more:

Nancy relies on an old favorite, Robert Frost, at Journey Woman.

Emily shares "When I Grow Up," by William Wise (maybe the best name ever for a children's poet) at Whimsy Books.

Lisa at Passionately Curious talks about using poetry in the classroom and posts some recent favorites.

Sherry at Semicolon contributes some George Herbert on the occasion of Easter.

Twice Bloomed Wisteria thinks about Daylight Savings Time with a little help from Robert Louis Stevenson. We know where you're coming from, Wisteria, and welcome to Poetry Fridays!

Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast is in. This week Eisha is "grooving on her new nephew" with "Only Child," by D. Nurske.

Adrienne shares Karla Kuskin's "Green as a Bean" over at What Adrienne Thinks About That.

Snow contributes "Wild Nights! Wild Nights!," by Emily Dickinson, at Kiddie Lit. Snow is also, like Gregory K. and Elaine, posting a poem a month for National Poetry Month!

Speaking of Gregory K., today's poem at GottaBook is "A Single Wish."

Jennie from Biblio File shares "The River Merchant's Wife: A Letter," by Li Bo, as translated and adapted by Ezra Pound.

Becky at Farm School drops in with a little Edna St. Vincent Millay--"Song of a Second April."

More entries:

Miss Erin shares "Evening Star," by Edgar Allan Poe.

Monica Edinger has big plans for her lucky students involving "Jaberwocky" and a literary salon. Check it out at Educating Alice.

It's cloudscome's birthday too! Happy Birthday. She celebrates with Ogden Nash's "Always Marry an April Girl" at A Wrung Sponge. Great choice.

Bri is in with some William Shakespeare (April was his month, in more ways than one) at Bri Meets Books.