POETS, MAN

When it comes to Canadian children’s poetry, you’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger name than Dennis Lee. On the heels of the 40th anniversary of Alligator Pie, Lee will release his first collection of original poems for kids in more than a decade. With illustrations by Boo Hoo Bird author-illustrator Jeremy Tankard, Melvis and Elvis (Harper-Collins Canada) promises to be a rollicking ride for young readers, with vivacious images to match.

A poet with a distinctly different style from Lee, JonArno Lawson is equally talented. In Sidewalk Flowers (Groundwood Books), Lawson’s poetry is entirely visual, expressed through evocative images by lauded illustrator Sydney Smith. The result of the collaboration is stunning and unusual, a combination bound to appeal to adults and children alike.

More poetry: Hypnotize a Tiger: Poems About Just About Everything by Calef Brown (Henry Holt & Co.); Teatime by Tiffany Stone with Jori van der Linde, illus. (Simply Read Books)