Poetry for Kids

While this list is updated each year in April for National Poetry Month, poetry can be enjoyed and celebrated all year long! To explore more poetry titles, check out our Novel in Verse recommendations, search the LINCC catalog, or browse the books at 811 on the nonfiction shelves!

Updated November 20, 2025
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Before the ships : the birth of Black excellence
Oso, Maisha
Paper Book
Before the Ships is a powerful and poetic celebration of the early roots of Black history. The great achievements and accomplishments across Africa prior to the Transatlantic slave trade are told through melodious text and evocative illustrations, that culminate into the strength and...
Black diamond kings
Smith, Charles R., Jr.
Paper Book
"Each spread is a celebration of the skill and power displayed on the field...but the book takes care to balance that joy with an acknowledgement of the larger societal context in which the men played and the discrimination they faced." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books...
Dog & Cat : concrete poems & conversations
Grandits, John
Paper Book
CRISIS! Dog and Cat find out the family is moving. Dog freaks out. He does NOT want to move. He goes through all the classic stages: denial, anger, bargaining, and depression. Cat tries to get him to acceptance. But Cat is fine--really she is--or is she?...
For a girl becoming
Harjo, Joy
Paper Book
A baby girl is welcomed to the breathing world by generations of her family and set on the magnificent journey of becoming. As she grows, she is reminded of her connections to the natural world; to her family, her ancestors, her neighbors; to the source of all magic and sorrow--and of her...
A forest song
Hall, Kirsten
Paper Book
Beautifully illustrated by an award-winning artist, this cento poem about experiencing a forest with all of your senses will make the perfect read-aloud for nature lovers and curious explorers of all ages. Into the forest, dark and deep, With miles to go before I...
Girls on the rise
Gorman, Amanda
Paper Book
An electrifying picture book by #1 New York Times bestselling author and presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman Who are we? We are a billion voices, bright and brave; we are light, standing together in the fight. Girls are strong and powerful alone,...

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Simler, Isabelle
Paper Book
ALSC Notable Children's Books List - Middle Readers (2025) A 2025 Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Book "Unites STEM learning with literary excellence . . . an essential purchase." -- School Library Journal (STARRED REVIEW) ...
Hope is the thing with feathers
Dickinson, Emily
Paper Book
A FOREWARD INDIES 2024 FINALIST FOR PICTURE BOOKS! Emily Dickinson's beloved poem is beautifully brought to life by bestselling artist Tim Hopgood in this beautiful picturebook that champions poetry and shows that, even in the darkest times, there is always hope. ...
If I could choose a best day : poems of possibility
Latham, Irene
Paper Book
An ode to imagination and the power of "if," this exhilarating poetry collection features the voices of thirty-one diverse poets. If I could choose a best day it would be sunny it would be summer and I would be with you. ...
In and out the window
Yolen, Jane
Paper Book
The largest single anthology of Jane Yolen's poetry, containing more than one hundred poems for all occasions--with fun black-and-white art throughout. Our Kitchen Smells of mornings, blueberry muffins, hot chocolate, tea.
Queer and fearless : poems celebrating the lives of LGBTQ+ heroes
Sanders, Rob
Paper Book
Learn about the lives of some of the most important LGBTQ+ heroes in this unique picture book that combines poetry and biographical information to honor those at the forefront of LGBTQ+ history. Young readers will learn about the lives and legacies of seventeen heroes of the...
Round and round the year we go
Higgins, Carter
Paper Book
Eric Carle meets Chicken Soup with Rice in this joyful dance through the year one month at a time, sure to whirl young readers right along with it. Time never passed so happily! From sledding and snowman-crafting in January to the New Year's countdown in December,...
This is not a small voice : poems by Black poets
Todd, Traci N.
Paper Book
A beautiful, bold and moving collection of 100 poems by Black poets for the whole family to treasure.
A universe of rainbows : multicolored poems for a multicolored world
Esenwine, Matt Forrest
Paper Book
Rainbows in all their glory are celebrated in this STEAM-filled poetry collection from an all-star roster of children's poets. Perfect for Poetry Month and Earth Day. What do Yellowstone's Grand Prismatic Spring, Peru's Vinicunca mountain,...
Windsongs : poems about weather
Florian, Douglas
Paper Book
A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book 2024 Discover the fascinating world of weather through clever and entertaining poetry in this "delightfully sunny" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) picture book from celebrated poet Douglas Florian, creator of Dinothesaurus<...

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