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When the weather was good, our mom used to read poems to us outside. She'd spread a blanket on the grass and crack open a book called "Favorite Poems Old and New: Selected for Boys and Girls by Helen Ferris."

I'm sure she read a variety of poems, but the one I remember most clearly was called "The Spider and the Fly." It's all about a spider that lures a fly into its parlor and then bites its head off for lunch.

"Why did you read poems to us, anyway?" I asked Mom the other day.

"Because I like poems," she said.

"Are you sure you didn't read poems to us because they're short?" (Sometimes short is good when it comes to kids and reading aloud to them.)

"Nope," she said. "I just like poems."

And thanks to my mother, I grew up to like them, too — especially when I hear them read aloud. Also, thanks to my mom, I'm afraid of spiders. But that's not the point. The point is that April is National Poetry Month and there are some nice new collections for young readers and their parents on the shelves this spring.

Here are a few collections to consider:

'Wet Cement: A Mix of Concrete Poems,' written and illustrated by Bob Raczka

Remember when you were in junior high school and your English teacher told you to write a poem that literally looked like the subject of the poem? So you wrote about a flower and arranged the lines so that the words formed a flower? That's a concrete poem, my friend, and Raczka's delightful collection is full of them. Thumb through the book's pages and you'll find verbal and visual word pictures of everything from balloons to icicles. Besides being a lot of fun, concrete poems give the young reader a fresh take on familiar objects.

'Slickety Quick: Poems About Sharks,' written by Skila Brown, illustrated by Bob Kolar

Is there anything that both fascinates and terrifies like a shark? (Answer: Not really.) (Unless you count spiders.) The good news is that readers can enjoy some shark love from a safe distance with this engaging collection of poems that describe different varieties including the great white, the wobbegong, the tiger, the hammerhead and the goblin shark, which — I'm not kidding — is the exact same color as Bubble Yum bubble gum. WHO KNEW?

'The Alligator's Smile and Other Poems,' written by Jane Yolen with photographs by Jason Stemple

Didn't get your fill of poems about deadly animals with "Slickety Quick"? Then you might be interested in this collection about alligators, written by the veteran children's writer Jane Yolen. This poem called "Seven Words About an Alligator" is typical: "Silently floating, Silently gloating, Not a log." The book is also filled with fascinating factoids about these ancient animals who outlived the dinosaurs and who may well outlive us.

'Animal Ark: Celebrating Our Wild World in Poetry and Pictures,' by Kwame Alexander with photographs by Joel Sartore

Newbery award winner Kwame Alexander also gives wildlife the business in this attractive picture book. Alexander is always interesting, of course, and his invitation to "see what we can save — together" will resonate with readers of all ages. But what sets "Animal Ark" apart is the book's stunning photography. Up-close-and-personal portraits of leopards crouching, gators gliding and pandas cuddling are a joy to behold.

Sartore is a regular contributer to National Geographic, and his work in this book shows it.

'A Song About Myself,' poem by John Keats, illustrations by Chris Raschka

"There was a naughty Boy, A naughty boy was he, He would not stop at home, He could not quiet be." Mention the name John Keats and the phrase "kid-friendly poetry" does not automatically spring to mind. But these verses, which Keats included in a letter written to his younger sister while he traveled through Scotland, display an unexpectedly playful side to the legendary English romantic poet. Caldecott winner Chris Raschka clearly has some fun of his own, creating colorful illustrations that reflect the poem's whimsical tone.

'Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets,' written by Kwame Alexander, Chris Colderley and Marjory Wentwork, illustrated by Ekua Holmes

This high-concept book features poems written by poets about other poets. In his poem "Hue and Cry," for example, Kwame Alexander celebrates Gwendolyn Brooks, the first African-American poet to win a Pulitzer Prize: "Bronzeville lady, Way past cool, Voice like butter, Melting blues." While this book, quite frankly, may work best in a classroom setting (picture books can be effective teaching tools for all ages), "Out of Wonder" is an exceptional collection.

'Keep a Pocket in Your Poem: Classic Poems and Playful Parodies,' written and selected by J. Patrick Lewis, illustrated by Johanna Wright

This new collection by the prolific J. Patrick Lewis would also work well in a classroom setting as an introduction to famous poets, as well as a creative-writing prompt. Included are well-known poems by Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost, among others. Lewis then pairs them with his own witty, affectionate riffs on the originals. "Fog" by Carl Sandburg, for example, becomes "Hail," while "Sleepy Thought" follows close on the heels of "Happy Thought" by Robert Louis Stevenson.

'Make the Earth Your Companion,' by J. Patrick Lewis, illustrated by Anna and Elena Balbusso

"Make the earth your companion, as other creatures do. Let the sky paint her beauty — she is always watching over you." This book by Lewis is not a collection. Rather, it's a single poem that reminds children and their grownups to learn the lessons that the Earth can teach us. The serene illustrations complement the text nicely.