Wet Cement

Starred review from December 21, 2015
Raczka (Lemonade) returns to the subject of concrete poetry with a virtuoso gathering of 21 poems, in which he plays with the layout and form of both the poems and their titles. (Not to be left out, the table of contents is shaped into a T, and the copyright information forms a copyright symbol.) Raczka sets a high bar with the first poem, “Takeoff,” in which the airborne T in the title becomes the Wright brothers’ airplane, with the playful accompanying poem (“Wright on course, headed for heaven./ One two three four five six seven”) a small hill below. Elsewhere, mazes, dominoes, pencil erasers, and the subway (“a citified-just-slide-inside-and-take-a-ride electric mole”) provide ample fodder for Raczka’s inspired typographical experiments: in a recipe-style tribute to icicles, “Mother Nature’s freeze pops,” the spacing between letters makes some of the vertically oriented lines appear to drip. This is arguably Raczka’s best poetry work to date. Ages 8–12.

Starred review from January 1, 2016
Readers may never look at concrete, or shaped, poetry in the same way again. Of course the words on the pages convey the outline of objects and ideas in Raczka's stunningly inventive new collection of "word paintings," but so do letter arrangements and shapes in the poem's titles. See, for example, "DIPPER," set against a black two-page spread, with the second P in the title soaring aloft, cup-shaped, at the top of the page, while the shape of the poem itself resembles Ursa Major. The letters in the title "eracer" appear with a partially obliterated c, while the poem includes a pencil-shaped line whose eraser-tip "end" is about to wipe out a "misstake"! And so goes each delightful, child-friendly poem and creative title. Readers will enjoy turning the volume upside down and every which way to catch every word and nuance and won't miss illustrations a bit. As Raczka points out, "In the poems...I've created pictures with words." Youngsters will be inspired to put their own writing implements to paper voluntarily. Indeed, the author's final effort is entitled "poeTRY." Teachers might wish to challenge students to devise cleverly lettered titles, then exchange papers with partners who will follow through with themed poems. Kids will want to wade deeply into this marvelous, winning mix-up. (Poetry. 8-12)

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Starred review from February 1, 2016

Gr 3-6-At the start of this collection, Raczka notes that he likes to think of poems as "word paintings," and he demonstrates this philosophy to marvelous effect. In each of his 21 concrete poems, he groups the words in a shape that complements or emphasizes the meaning or central concept. Raczka goes even further, playfully arranging the letters in the one-word titles of his poems as well. Even the table of contents is constructed to resemble a table. The result is a fun and clever collection that is sure to inspire young poets. While short, the poems are by turns amusing and thoughtful and make excellent use of figurative language devices. A selection about the Big Dipper includes a metaphor that describes the constellation as "a vessel of stars, my brim overflowing with night." Another offering depicts a thunderstorm as "a cloud tantrum." A few layouts may test some readers, such as one about a home run in which one whole line is printed backward, but most students will enjoy the challenge. VERDICT This winning assortment should find a place in most libraries.-Lauren Strohecker, McKinley Elementary School, Abington School District, PA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2016
Grades 2-5 Concrete poetry is a fun and effective way to introduce young readers to creative wordplay. Though this slim volume offers only 21 selections, it's an entertaining assortment that skips from a zigzag lightning bolt to an inflated helium balloon to whimsical dots of fireflies scattered across a black expanse. Each selection offers a unique perspective, and aspiring poets will be alternately engaged, amused, and perhaps even temporarily perplexed as they decode and interpret words and text-based images. The poems feature a variety of fonts printed in crisp black and white, and some images practically pop off the pages. This is a worthy addition to the concrete canon and will complement many other recent collections, such as Brian P. Cleary's Ode to a Commode (2014) and Betsy Franco's A Spectacular Selection of Sea Critters (2015). Whether they are watching words about dominoes cascade across a two-page spread, or reading a recipe for icicles that drips down along the top edge, aspiring wordsmiths should find plenty of inspiration here.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)