The Death of the Hat: A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects

Reviewed by: Cathy Potter - Falmouth Elementary School, Falmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 7, 2015

Review

Poet, Paul B. Janeczko, provides readers with a history of poetry through the ages in the anthology The Death of the Hat. In the introduction, Janeczko explains that he researched poems from different time periods and selected the poems about objects. Well-known poems by Eloise Greenfield, William Wordsworth, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, Billy Collins and more are accompanied by whimsical, watercolor illustrations by Chris Raschka. The poems are arranged chronologically, and the time period is noted at the top of the page. Don’t be fooled by the picture book format; it’s not a book aimed at very young readers. Many poems selected for The Death of the Hat are deep, complex and use rich language that older readers (grades 4-12) will appreciate and savor. A recommended purchase for library and classroom poetry collections.

Overall Book Score: excellent