The Proper Way To Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To Poems
A great deal of thought has gone into the production of this gorgeous anthology. The poems, illustrations, cover, colour palette, contents list, helpful acknowledgements page, and the sequencing of the poems combine to make this book even more than the sum of its already excellent parts.
The layout is exemplary – the words don’t compete with the illustrations, as is often the case, but each are given room to breathe and to be appreciated. Background colours are soft and easy on the eye. Text is laid out in Dolly, a traditional-style font with serifs – titles are in bold and the poets’ names in capitals; this feels like the optimum way to read poetry. Almost all of the poems are by prominent contemporary American poets: Kwame Alexander, Calef Brown, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Margarita Engle, Ralph Fletcher, Douglas Florian, Helen Frost, Charles Ghigna, Nikki Grimes, Anna E. Jordan, Irene Latham, J. Patrick Lewis, Marjorie Maddox, Elaine Magliaro, Pat Mora, Marilyn Singer, April Halprin Wayland, Charles Waters, Steven Withrow and Allan Wolf. The earliest poem is from Christina Rossetti, with others from midtwentieth-century poets Martin Gardner, Karla Kuskin and Monica Shannon. Wise, funny and exquisitely illustrated, this book is a delight for all ages. The editor, Paul B. Janeczko, died just prior to publication; this is a fitting celebration of his life and achievements.
