Five Treasures to be Found in Novels in Verse

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By Marci Whitehurst Novels in verse are a hybrid form of storytelling. Novels in verse combine a complete narrative with the structure of poetry, bringing depth and richness to the beauty of stories.  Here are five treasures you’ll find in a novel in verse:  POETRY!  This treasure is obvious on every page of a novel in verse. Each page is a poem. The majority are free verse poems, meaning these poems don’t follow a particular meter, form, or rhythm. The poems can stand alone, but when each page of poetry is read from beginning to end, it weaves a full narrative to make a complete story. Check out this example from our own Rebecca J. Gomez’s forthcoming novel in verse:  Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published We call this car, Sandra’s white clunky car, a marshmallow with wheels. It’s riddled with dings and dents, and the rear driver’s side window is stuck stubbornly up and the tear in the vinyl seat pinches if you sit just wrong while wearing shorts
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THANK YOU, OMU! Review and Activity

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by Tina Cho

Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora is a delightful BIPOC picture book about a woman who cooks a thick red stew in her apartment building and the smell wafts down the street and around the block. Soon visitors knock at her door, starting with a little boy, and then a police officer, all wanting to taste this delicious stew. But when it comes time for Omu to eat, there is none left. However, at the very end, the visitors remember Omu and thank her. This book could be shared during the Thanksgiving season as not all families in America eat turkey. And it has a wonderful theme of thanksgiving.

Read: Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora

Discuss: 

  1. How do you think Omu felt about sharing her thick red stew?

  2. Can you think of a time when you shared with someone who didn’t have something?

  3. How did the visitors thank Omu? 

Do:

The little boy in the story made Omu a thank you card. You can make homemade thank you cards for people in your life. To make a thank you card inspired by the collage art of Thank You, Omu!, follow the directions below.

You will need:

  • Construction paper or card stock

  • Paper scraps in various colors and patterns 

  • Scissors

  • Glue stick

  • Pencil

  • Envelope (optional)


To make the card:

  1. Fold a sheet of construction paper or card stock in half. If using an envelope, measure and trim your paper ahead of time so that it will fit inside the envelope when folded.

  2. Choose your background. You can choose the plain card paper as your background or choose a colored or patterned paper. If using another paper, cut it to fit the front of your card. Glue in place.

  3. Cut out block letters for THANK YOU out of contrasting paper. If it helps, draw the letters lightly with pencil first. Glue the letters onto your card, spelling out THANK YOU. Add an exclamation point if you’d like. You can also add the recipient’s name.

  4. Other options: 

    1. Make your own patterned paper by coloring or painting on cardstock or construction paper. Be sure to let it dry before you begin your collage.

    2. Make a more complex design by creating a collage image in addition to THANK YOU message.



Other ideas for things to do after reading Thank You, Omu!:

This holiday season is a time for giving. With the help of a parent, cook a stew or bake cookies or muffins to share with neighbors and tell them how you appreciate them.

Comments

Mindy Baker said…
I will have to look for this book! I love your activity idea. Thanks for posting!
November 18, 2021 at 7:37 PM
Rebecca Gomez said…
You're welcome. I hope you enjoy the story (and the art)!
January 26, 2022 at 11:43 AM
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