CONFETTI: POEMS FOR CHILDREN by Pat Mora

Bibliography

Mora, Pat. 1996. Confetti: Poems for Children. Ill. Enrique O Sanchez. New York: Lee and Low Books. ISBN 9781880000854

Critical Analysis

Pat Mora has put together a collection of her poems that children will be able to easily relate to. While the subjects are imaginative, the language and imagery is very rich and not watered down. Written primarily in English, with a few Spanish words included, Mora’s poetry is a great multicultural example for any classroom. She provides a pronunciation guide/glossary at the end, so even those with no Spanish language background will be able to enjoy and understand the poems. Each poem stands alone, but the themes are all connected through the culture shared between them. While the style, rhythm and rhyming patterns are different for each poem, it doesn’t confuse or interrupt the flow of each individual poem.

Example

I think that Mora’s book would best be shared one poem at a time. While there is a cohesive element of theme culture, there is nothing added by reading each poem back to back compared to reading them individually. I have chosen to spotlight the poem Cloud Dragons. This is a poem that I think many children could relate to. In first grade, we discuss the wind and the changing clouds. I would enjoy using this poem along with that unit and then going outside to watch the clouds change. I would have the students draw and write about what they saw in the clouds. I would pair this poem with the book It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Shaw (ISBN 9780064431590).

Cloud Dragons

What do you see
in the clouds so high?
What do you see in the sky?

Oh, I see dragons
that curl their tails
as they go slithering by.

What do you see
in the clouds so high?
What do you see? Tell me, do.

Oh, I see caballitos
that race the wind
high in the shimmering blue.