- Renowned anthologist Lee Bennett Hopkins has a national following for his award-winning and wide-ranging poetry collections for children. - Affecting and insightful poetry taps into universal feelings and emotions that most-if not all-readers have experienced, regardless of the setting or their particular backgrounds. - Introduces young readers to diverse events and experiences across the age spectrum from childhood to adulthood. - Delivers a message of understanding and empowerment for readers of all ages. - Includes selections from a rich variety of well-known children's poets, including those of African American, Asian American, Latino, and Native American heritage. - Extraordinary realistic and detailed paintings by award-winning artist Chris Soentpiet, a master of children's book illustration, combine with the poems to create a vibrant reading experience. - Ties in with the "Culture," "Time, Continuity, and Change," "People, Places, and Environments," and "Individual Development and Identity" strands of the Social Studies Curriculum Standards. (source: NCSS Standards publication) Comparative Books - When the Horses Ride By: Children in the Times of War by Eloise Greenfield, illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist (Lee & Low, 2006, $17.95, ISBN 978-1584302490). Simple verses express universal truths about both conflict and childhood. - Days Like This by Simon James (Candlewick, 2005, $6.99 paperback, ISBN 978-0763623142). Poems about childhood experiences. - Love to Mamá: A Tribute to Mothers edited by Pat Mora, illustrated by Paula Barragan (Lee & Low, 2001, $16.95, ISBN 978-1584300199). Poems about mothers express varying moods, from vitality and joie de vivre to sadness and pathos. - The Rainbow Hand: Poems about Mothers and Children by Janet S. Wong (McElderry, 1999, $15.00 hardcover, ISBN 978-0689821486). Poems about the connections between mothers and children. Universal love, discipline, strength, and emotion are all in evidence. - In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers illustrated by Javaka Steptoe (Lee & Low, 1997, $16.95, ISBN 978-1889999311). Poems celebrate fathers and the emotions and feelings father-child relationships engender.

LEE BENNETT HOPKINS, acclaimed poet and writer, has created numerous award-winning poetry anthologies for young readers. He is the recipient of the 2009 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, which honors his body of work. He also founded the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award (presented annually since 1993) and the Lee Bennett Hopkins/IRA Promising Poet Award (presented every three years since 1995).

Chris Soentpiet is the illustrator of several highly praised picture books. Awards he has won include Original Art Show Gold Medal, NAACP Image Award, ALA Notable Children's Books, Texas Bluebonnet Award Masterlist, Jane Addams Children's Book Award, and Notable Books for a Global Society. Soentpiet also promotes children's literature and the arts at schools, libraries, and conferences across the United States.