Poetry

If Pets Wrote Poems: A Parody Collection / Susan Johnston Taylor, Sandie Sonke (Illustrator)

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
If Pets Wrote Poems: A Parody Collection
By: Susan Johnston Taylor, Sandie Sonke (Illustrator)
Genre: Children’s, Picture Books, Poetry
Number of Pages: 32
Published: April 14, 2026
Publisher: Gnome Road Publishing
Dates Read: March 15, 2026
Format: ARC / eBook		ISBN: 9781957655659

This children’s picture book is a collection of poems from famous peoples’ pets. Each spread in this collection of poems contains one poem from a different poet, written in their style, from their pet along with some fun facts about the poet or their pet.

The poetry of this collection is written playfully and whimsically that are both engaging and digestible for young readers. The illustrations that are alongside each poem are adorable as well. 

Even if you aren’t all that familiar with every poet, this is a great introduction to them (and fun tibbits of information about them and their pets!).

Overall, adorable and fun for all age groups.

The Unboxing of a Black Girl / Angela Shanté

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
The Unboxing of a Black Girl
By: Angela Shanté
Genre: Poetry, Nonfiction
Number of Pages: 160
Published: May 7, 2024
Publisher: Page Street YA
Dates Read: December 16, 2024 - December 17, 2024
Format: Library Book / Audiobook

Trigger Warnings: racism, sexual assault, misogyny

In this collection of vignettes and poetry, Angela Shanté reflects on Black girlhood in New York City.

I am not a Black woman and this collection was not written for me, but there were still parts of this collection that resonated with me.

Shanté’s writing was raw and moving and shows the love she has for her friends and family while also showing how the world treats black girls throughout their lives.

This is a super quick read, but still powerful.