Lee Bennett Hopkins passed away earlier this year, but he left behind a massive body of work, both his own poems and ones of other poets collected for anthologies.
Here we have a fine example, with a front cover that offers a glimpse of what we can expect inside.
text ⓒLee Bennett Hopkins, illustrations ⓒSerge Bloch
Then there’s the playful back. For some reason, my phone turned the cover grey, but it’s just as blue as the front.
text ⓒLee Bennett Hopkins, illustrations ⓒSerge Bloch
Then there’s the bouquet of punctuation on the title page!
text ⓒLee Bennett Hopkins, illustrations ⓒSerge Bloch
Am I geeking out?
The table of contents and its facing page give you a deeper idea of what’s in store. Yes, Jane Yolen is one of the contributors.
text ⓒLee Bennett Hopkins, illustrations ⓒSerge Bloch
Ok, enough of a preamble. Here’s Lee’s poem about the comma:
text ⓒLee Bennett Hopkins, illustrations ⓒSerge Bloch
_______________________________
Comma
by Lee Bennett Hopkins
A comma
lets you stop,
pause,
enjoy the weather,
unlike a period,
which puts an end
to any
cloudy,
rainy,
snowy,
or sunny day
at once,
immediately,
forever.
_____________________
Each poem is playful and memorable, as is each illustration by Serge Bloch. Kids may even want to memorize some of these just for fun. I know I do.
Activities/Resources:
Use the book’s last poem, Lines Written For You to Think About, as a springboard for writing your own poems.
Perform dramatic readings of each poem. Make punctuation mark costumes out of poster board for the performance.
Pair this book with others like EATS, SHOOTS & LEAVES by Lynne Truss or SEMICOLONS, CUPCAKES & CUCUMBERS by Steve Newberry.
Play PIN THE PUNCTUATION ON THE SENTENCE. Write a silly sentence that’s missing its punctuation on a flip chart, white board, or chalk board. Write giant punctuation marks on post-it notes and have kids decide which punctuation marks are missing. Then blindfold one child and see if he/she can stick the punctuation in the right place, while listening to commands from their friends.
Title: A Bunch of Punctuation
Author/anthologist: Lee Bennett Hopkins
Illustrator: Serge Bloch
Publisher: Highlights Wordsong, 2018
Ages: K-5
Themes: Punctuation, poetry
Please visit Susanna Hill’s website for more perfect picture book recommendations.
Jilanne Hoffmann 
I think my sophomores would benefit from this little gem.
I was hesitant to put an age range on this book, because I think that everyone could benefit from and enjoy it. Goooo sophomores!
Oh yes, my sophomores just might like this handy little resource.
I’ve read & enjoyed this one. Who knew punctuation could be so much fun!
Like so many things, it’s all in the approach, don’t you think? Like writing picture books…..
This will make anyone’s day! Thanks for a great post.
This is so creative – I like the change in this punctuation story.
Each poem is sly in its own way, creating unexpected moments of insight, which is something I love about poetry.
What a treasure of a story — very clever and lots of fun!
I liken it to peeking into a darkened room with a flashlight, illuminating moments that will bring giggles and appreciation of the reasons behind the rules for punctuation.
I think it’s so funny that we both shared books about punctuation today. I even linked your post in my post. The comma poem brought thoughts of fall to mind. I find myself pausing quite often on my walks to look at the beautiful colors before winter comes and puts a period in its place.
ooooh, I like that take on the comma and period. What a perfect metaphor! And yes, we were “on the same page” today, LOL. Cheers!
What a great resource for the older kids (and a few adults) of poetry and punctuation. This is such a great book. Thanks for highlighting it.
I even think the younger kids in the K-1 age range can benefit from having the poetry read to them. It gives such great context for the use of different punctuation marks.
Oh, I love this poetry collection. A great deal of fun and learning, and I love Serge’s art.
Yes! His art is quite distinctive! I was trying to recall what it reminded me of, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
What a creative take on punctuation! Love the artwork too!
It’s really a terrific pairing.