Did You Hear What I Heard? was written by Kay Winters and illustrated by Patrice Barton. It is a collection of poems that are all written by Winters. There are 35 poems in this collection that are themed around schools. The topics of the poems include the new kid, math, recess, and fire drills just to name a few. The topics are relatable to children that have been to or are currently going to school. The illustrations suggest a public school setting however the topics could be relatable to private schools as well. The illustrations show diversity in the students, teachers, and other adult figures. There is no table of contents nor is there an index. Each poem is titled at the top of the page or one of the pages that have the poem. The titles are in colored print and different text from the contents of the poem.
The poems are catchy and most include some rhyming. There are some poems that contain words that are repeated. In the poem In the Music Room the sounds clap and click are repeated 3 times before each stanza. There is an emotional impact, in She’s Going…. Winters uses words to describe the feelings that the two friends are experiencing when their best friend is moving away. The language used is accessible and understandable by those who would read or listen to the poems. This would be a great book to read with those entering preschool or kindergarten for the first time.
The poems are arranged within the illustrations. The illustrations are digitally created. They bring the reader in by creating a picture of what is happening in each poem. Most poems are on one page and have their own unique illustration. The second and third poems, one page each, share illustrations. The second poem, The Bus Speaks, tells where in the town the bus is going, then the third poem, The School Speaks, tells how the school can hear the busses arrive at school for the first day of school.
Opposites
Opposites are fun to play.
See how many you can say.
The opposite of weak is _____.
The opposite of right is _____.
The opposite of in is _____.
And when you whisper you don’t _____.
The opposite of good is _____.
The opposite of happy is _____.
The opposite of work is _____.
And when it’s night it isn’t _____.
The opposite of lost is _____.
If something’s square it isn’t _____.
The opposite of bottom is _____.
The opposite of go is _____.
Can you guess them one by one?
Keep on trying-now you’re done!
(Winters and Barton 2018)
For this poem, I would choose to make the poem the activity in storytime. I would make the theme of the story time concepts. To introduce the poem, I would talk about opposites. I might read a story such as Opposites abstract by Mo Willems. Using props to show opposites such as holding a ball and a box or holding one item that is significantly bigger than other. Then I would read the poem once and then read a poem a second time asking the children to shout out answers at the end of each sentence. I would then repeat the poem a third time telling the children the answers and explaining if needed.
References:
Winters, Kay, and Patrice Barton. 2018. Did You Hear What I Heard? Penguin.
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