Special thanks to Rachael Walker, Outreach Consultant for Reading Rockets, for providing this post.

April is National Poetry Month. If April showers are keeping you indoors, use children’s poetry to encourage kids to read with this special online video presentation “Meet the Author: On Poetry” from Reading Rockets. Listen and watch as six acclaimed children’s writers explore the power and beauty of poetry.

Check out too what author Pat Mora, who has written poetry collections for both children and adults, has to say about poetry. In her interview with Reading Rockets, she says, “…poetry’s my favorite form. It’s probably because it’s the most challenging. In many ways, it’s the most playful of the forms, I think.”

Pat is also the founder of El día del niños/El día del libros – Children’s Day/Book Day, the April 30 celebration that brings together children books, languages and cultures. Sharing poems is a great way to celebrate Dia!

What are some of your favorite poems?