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How to Sing a Song
This third book by the team that created the New York Times bestselling How to Read a Book and How to Write a Poem celebrates the magic of listening to the song that echoes inside you, and letting your music ring out.
Hush.
Now, turn up your ears
and listen
to the concert happening
all around you.
As this quiet overture builds to a full symphony, Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander and singer-songwriter Randy Preston conduct a melody of a poem. Colorful notes are played by Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet’s distinctive artwork.
Surrounded by nature’s chorus and guided by words that vibrate like thunder, let the groove lead you on, until you can’t help but sing out from your soul!
How to Read a Book was an American Library Association Notable Book and was named a best book of the year by School Library Journal, Kirkus, and The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books. How to Write a Poem was a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.
Hush.
Now, turn up your ears
and listen
to the concert happening
all around you.
As this quiet overture builds to a full symphony, Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander and singer-songwriter Randy Preston conduct a melody of a poem. Colorful notes are played by Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet’s distinctive artwork.
Surrounded by nature’s chorus and guided by words that vibrate like thunder, let the groove lead you on, until you can’t help but sing out from your soul!
How to Read a Book was an American Library Association Notable Book and was named a best book of the year by School Library Journal, Kirkus, and The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books. How to Write a Poem was a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2024
About the author
Kwame Alexander
75 books3,002 followersKwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and New York Times Bestselling author of 21 books, including The Crossover, which received the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American literature for Children, the Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor, The NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, and the Passaic Poetry Prize. Kwame writes for children of all ages. His other works include Surf's Up, a picture book; Booked, a middle grade novel; and He Said She Said, a YA novel.
Kwame believes that poetry can change the world, and he uses it to inspire and empower young people through his PAGE TO STAGE Writing and Publishing Program released by Scholastic. A regular speaker at colleges and conferences in the U.S., he also travels the world planting seeds of literary love (Singapore, Brazil, Italy, France, Shanghai, etc.). Recently, Alexander led a delegation of 20 writers and activists to Ghana, where they delivered books, built a library, and provided literacy professional development to 300 teachers, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an International literacy program he co-founded.
Kwame believes that poetry can change the world, and he uses it to inspire and empower young people through his PAGE TO STAGE Writing and Publishing Program released by Scholastic. A regular speaker at colleges and conferences in the U.S., he also travels the world planting seeds of literary love (Singapore, Brazil, Italy, France, Shanghai, etc.). Recently, Alexander led a delegation of 20 writers and activists to Ghana, where they delivered books, built a library, and provided literacy professional development to 300 teachers, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an International literacy program he co-founded.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 1, 2024
best way to start November.
“Those who wish to sing always find a song.” 🎼🎶 🎵 -Spanish Proverb
IKTR✨🌻💚🙌🏽
“Those who wish to sing always find a song.” 🎼🎶 🎵 -Spanish Proverb
IKTR✨🌻💚🙌🏽
November 1, 2024
Kwame Alexander and Melissa Sweet team up for another poetic round of "How to...", this one adds singer/songwriter (and Kwame's friend) Randy Anderson to the mix.
In this iteration, Alexander and Preston blend their voices to encourage readers to actively listen for the musicality of sounds that surround them. They do this by instructing how with many different action words: hush, listen, seek, follow, tap/snap, leap, wail, and sing. The lyric poetry leaps and rolls off the tongue. The book closes with an author's note from Preston and one from illustrator Sweet regarding their processes in creating this book.
The poetry is descriptive and delightful when read aloud. Although the poetry is free verse, there are rhyming words and phrases, alliteration, rhythm, and patterns to be found throughout the poem. It is lively, it springs forward - just as lyrics of songs are expected to do.
Sweet's artwork was rendered in watercolor, gouache, mixed mediat, and handmade and vintage papers. Much of the collage artwork features the color or shades blue (think "blues" as in the style of music). The images swirl and swing, with spellbinding optical illusions and patterns in many that transport readers to "Higher Ground". Collage musical notes and sheet music appear occasionally in snippets, with the definitions of "sing" and "song" in the last image where the singer is joyously singing.
Perfect to use during Poetry Month, in music classes, to start a musical-themed storytime, or any occasion one might want to be creative and celebrate the arts.
Highly Recommended for PreS-grade 3.
In this iteration, Alexander and Preston blend their voices to encourage readers to actively listen for the musicality of sounds that surround them. They do this by instructing how with many different action words: hush, listen, seek, follow, tap/snap, leap, wail, and sing. The lyric poetry leaps and rolls off the tongue. The book closes with an author's note from Preston and one from illustrator Sweet regarding their processes in creating this book.
The poetry is descriptive and delightful when read aloud. Although the poetry is free verse, there are rhyming words and phrases, alliteration, rhythm, and patterns to be found throughout the poem. It is lively, it springs forward - just as lyrics of songs are expected to do.
Sweet's artwork was rendered in watercolor, gouache, mixed mediat, and handmade and vintage papers. Much of the collage artwork features the color or shades blue (think "blues" as in the style of music). The images swirl and swing, with spellbinding optical illusions and patterns in many that transport readers to "Higher Ground". Collage musical notes and sheet music appear occasionally in snippets, with the definitions of "sing" and "song" in the last image where the singer is joyously singing.
Perfect to use during Poetry Month, in music classes, to start a musical-themed storytime, or any occasion one might want to be creative and celebrate the arts.
Highly Recommended for PreS-grade 3.
October 3, 2024
the words are perfection; lyrical, inspiring. The illustrations match the flow and compliment the work nicely. the call to creativity (which is a increasingly popular genre) in this one is noteworthy.
October 31, 2024
Wow, this melodious text, poetic and infectiously rhythmic, is met with Melissa Sweet's sublime illustrations to create a wonderful reading experience that will be revisited again and again. Bravo! Brava!
October 7, 2024
Lovely words; I did not appreciate the font & artwork for this particular text, very distracting. (I have liked Sweet's work paired with other texts, just not this one.)
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October 9, 2024All Melissa Sweet's books are well done, and then the text is so lyrical as well. I like how the text is built into the pictures.
November 4, 2024
Another entry into this series which I like but don't love. This one, is maybe better than the others, because I think the text is really interesting.
November 11, 2024
Another terrific collaboration between Kwame Alexander and Melissa Sweet!
November 16, 2024
Did not like this book as much as HOW TO WRITE A POEM, but it's still a cool book with lyrical prose. Excellent series.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews