Reading and Discussing Poetry  
Young children are capable of literary criticism, if only at a very simple level. It is very important to recognize the valuable skill-building nature of such reflection and discussion.  

Using focusing questions to encourage discussion among young students helps them to hear the  
poems clearly and refine their skills to listen for and respond to the poem’s message, music, imagery, and emotion.  

Pose these questions when discussing a poem in The Macaroon Moon:  
1. How did a poem make you feel?  
2. Did a poem make you see something in a different way? Explain how.  
3. Tell me a part of a poem that you liked or disliked and why.  
4. Which words helped you to see pictures in your mind?  
5. Did any part of a poem surprise you?  
6. Did a poem prompt you to remember similar experiences from your life?  

A second type of question focuses on the subject of a poem, what it is about, where it takes place,  
the feelings it conveys and conjectures on why the poet wrote it.  

For example, Wanda Haan, the author of The Macaroon Moon wrote the poem "Sneakers" after her nine-year-old daughter begged her to buy a particular brand of sneakers she had seen advertised on television. The television ad promised that the child wearing this brand of sneaker would be able to  
jump higher!  

No amount of reasoning with her daughter worked to convince the child that sneakers do not make  
you jump higher. So Wanda bought the sneakers for her daughter who quickly put them on to try them out. As expected, the little girl was disappointed. But the experience was responsible for the creation  
of the poem, "Sneakers." It also was a valuable lesson for Wanda's daughter about truth in advertising.  

Tell your class how "Sneakers" was created. Then select some poems from The Macaroon Moon and ask your students to guess why the poems were written. Provide an interesting possibility why each poem might have been written to peak their interest:  

The poem "The Macaroon Moon" was written because:  
The moon is all uneven like a coconut macaroon? (Some children and adults do not know what a macaroon is. Bring some macaroons to class to show those children not familiar with the cookie.)  

The poem "Busy Butterfly" was written because:  
Butterflys kept flying into the author's face?  

The poem "Sun Kite" was written because:  
A child caught her kite on the sun?  

The poem "Wind Race" was written because:  
It was so windy that the wind seemed to be going in every direction?  

The poem "Fast Food" was written because:  
The author was hungry for a burger and fries?