Read! Read! Read! [Hardcover]

Twenty-three poems capture the joys of reading.

From that thrilling moment when a child first learns to decipher words, to the excitement that follows in reading everything from road signs to field guides to internet articles to stories, these poems celebrate reading. They also explore what reading does -- how it opens minds, can make you kind, and allows you to explore the whole world. Ryan O’Rourke’s rich artwork beautifully captures the imagination and playfulness in these poems by noted author Amy Ludwig VanDerwater.

VanDerwater and O'Rourke have created a compendium of poetry that focuses on the sheer joy of reading. Twenty-three selections of varying rhyme schemes convey a world rich with emotions and experiences. Each verse is connected to relatable reading milestones, such as laughing over the Sunday comics or staying up late to read under the covers. Conversational in style, these poems provide illustrative cues that invite children to explore imagery... (f)antastical at times, O'Rourke's vivid artwork blends seamlessly with VanDerwater's text, fluctuating between bright and dark colors to suggest tone. A pleasing addition for poetry collections serving young children.   -School Library Journal

Learning to read, wanting to read, daring to read—nearly every state of mastering the word is explored in VanDerwater's collection of 23 poems. Bookless? No worries. Cereal boxes, road signs, or even wildly decorated notebook paper can fill the bill for the greedy page gobbler. But if you happen to have a book...ahhhh, the sublime delight of reading under the covers way past dark (just like mom did) is unsurpassed. 'She taught me how / a story leaps / like magic / from each page. / I'm sure my mom / read past her bedtime / under blankets / at my age. '-Kirkus Reviews

Lifelong readers can relate to similar milestones: that incredible surge of excitement when letters suddenly bel³’