Nina and Nolan Build a Nonsense Poem Penelope and Pip Build a Prose Poem Henry and Hala Build a Haiku Luke and Leo Build a Limerick Ana and Adam Build an Acrostic Sophie and Sadie Build a Sonnet

Gr 2—4—These titles use stories to explain how to create different poetic forms. Each book opens with a letter from one of the characters, providing background information about the particular form. For example, in his missive in Nonsense Poem, Nolan writes that he thought that poetry had to be serious, but that Nina showed him how "You play with words and sounds. You play with word meanings." The bulk of the books consists of a fictional story in which a cast of multicultural characters write and share poems. Unfortunately, the stories lack suspense and will not capture readers' interest, and the format isn't successful at imparting the information. Titles end with a spread that gives students instructions for crafting their own work. Each book has a different illustrator, and the quality and style of the art varies. On the plus side, the series includes some types of poetry—sonnets and nonsense and prose poems— that are not often covered in similar guides, especially in individual volumes.