Antarctic Antics: A Book of Penguin Poems by Judy Sierra. Illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey
Wonderful illustrations highlight these playful poems.

The Bug in Teacher’s Coffee by Kalli Dakos. Illustrated by Michael Reed.
This book contains a variety of short poems on school topics such as math tests and the classroom goldfish.

Could We Be Friends? Poems for Pals by Bobbi Katz. Illustrated by Joung Un Kim.
Children will find reflections of their own experiences in these 24 poems celebrating community, family, and friendship.

I, Too, Sing America: Three Centuries of African American Poetry. Edited by Catherine Clinton. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn.
The best of the African-American tradition, from Phillis Wheatley to Amiri Baraka, is represented in this collection.

Knock at a Star: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry byX.J. Kennedy and Dorothy M. Kennedy. Illustrated by Karen Lee Baker.
This revised edition, with 75 new poems, is one of the best introductions to poetry available for children.

Lemonade Sun and Other Summer Poems by Rebecca Dotlich. Illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist.
The joys of summer are described in poems about walking barefoot, selling lemonade, jumping rope, and playing jacks.

Sol a Sol: Bilingual Poems by Lori M. Carlson. Illustrated by Emily Lisker. Translated into Spanish by Lyda Aponte de Zacklin.
In fourteen short poems, the reader becomes acquainted with the daily rituals of a little girl. The cheerful pictures tie the poems together from sol a sol- sunup to sundown.

Spectacular Science: A Book of Poems. Edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Illustrated by Virginia Halstead.
This collection focuses on the wonders of science in everyday life. New voices, like Aileen Fisher's, are included, in addition to beloved poets such as Carl Sandburg, Lilian Moore, and David McCord.

That Sweet Diamond: Baseball Poems by Paul Janeczko. Illustrated by Carole Katchen.
This volume captures every aspect of baseball- from what it feels like to play the game to the enthusiastic fans.

The Twentieth Century Children’s Poetry Treasury.  Edited by Jack Prelutsky. Illustrated by Meilo So.
More than 200 read-aloud poems by 137 poets are included in this treasury which spans the twentieth century.