Perhaps that is because the author doesn't present a strong enough vision in the first two poems of where the rest of the book (and the rest of the poems) will take us. I want to mention that the illustrations within this book were incredible. I have never really been a fan of poetry but I did kind of enjoy Yolen's book because it had pictures to accompany the text. Teachers can use this collection of poems to introduce different science topics. Another way I could see myself using this in my future classroom is as an individual reading book or a book to be read during Daily 5 because students could read it independently or with a group, and this would expose them to poetry through a really interesting book/story. I also liked the overall idea that all the poems were related to (what lives and is happening underground). For a children's book, the theme of "underground" and the connections between the various. While I see some good STEM connections, not her best work. Two friends, a black girl and white boy, appear in most of the scenes, and the illustrations work well to clarify the diverse concepts. What parents, teachers and child care providers need to know. This poetry book has both captivating verse and pictures that kept the whole family's attention. Author Jane Yolen uses verse to interest children in what lies under the ground. In striving to enrich the lives of all readers, TeachingBooks supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read. Recommended for 2nd and 3rd grade. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. This could be used to learn about poetry and how they are structured as well as some facts about different things underground. Twenty-one short poems of one or two stanzas provide insight and perhaps even “…knowledge / touched by grace” regarding what exists beneath our everyday world. Who would imagine a poem called "Pirate Treasure" in a collection of geology poetry? This thought-provoking collection will evoke a sense of wonder and awe in readers, as they discover the mysterious world underneath us. Jane Yolen presented ideas accessible to elementary aged children intrigued by the descriptions of what happens in various underground locations. This text is about what all lives under us, or "underground". 21 delightful poems about the underground. Real questions from parents and educators, answered by experts. The poems are clever too. This dot, this spot, this period at the end of winter's sentence writes its way up through the full slate of soil into the paragraph of spring. At the same time, in Josée Masse’s rich art, a girl and boy, accompanied by several animals, go on a fantastic underground journey. Jane Yolen did - "I Kidd you not.". There is a great deal underground, exposed here in short, often humorous, sometimes sophisticated poems, and deeply colored illustrations. The illustrations will help students to gain a better understanding of the science content. There are explanations in the back, but it doesn't exactly work for a child to flip back and forth from poem to explanation to understand what he/she is reading. Book Finder This book of poetry focuses on the happenings underground: insects, roots, seeds, subways, rivers, etc. How many things do you think about that are underground? It would be a great way to engage the students in the material at hand and introduce them to multiple forms of poetry at the beginning of the lesson. One major error is with the subway pages, which feel like they were just plunked down in the middle of the book, right between poems about moles and tree roots, with nothing to tie them into the progress or progression of the poems. Including ant, earthworms, and mole life; roots of trees and flowers. This book contains science, poetry, and an adventure story all rolled into one.