Ivy In Bloom

 I am trying to add a bit more poetry into our homeschool. Ivy in Bloom is a perfect resource in reaching that goal.

Ivy in Bloom by Vanita Oelschlager is a clever, out-of-the-box story that infuses famous lines written by well known poets of the past with a modern children’s story written in poetic verse.

At the surface, the book appears to be a poetic story of little Ivy Van Alsberg’s deep desire for spring.

​Sick of the gloom, she begins to describe the chilly March day and imagine the changes on their way when April arrives.

Within her descriptions are familiar lines borrowed from poems of the past.

Here’s an example:

In the story there is a line which reads . . .
“She wore her yellow sun-bonnet
She wore her greenest gown;”

This is a segment of a poem by A.A Milne, but the story continues without quoting anymore of that poem. The full poem is in the back of Ivy in Bloom along with other poems whose lines were borrowed. Poets referenced include:

• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
• Charles Dickens
• William Cullen Bryant
• John Greenleaf Whittier
• e.e Cummings
• Christopher Morely
• Walt Whitman
• Edna St. Vincent Millay
• Robert Frost
• Thomas Nashe
• A.A. Milne
• Robert Browning

All this poetic genius is woven together into the modern story text written by Vanita Oelschlager and complemented by the adorable illustrations of Kristin Blackwood.

If you are using this in conjunction with your homeschool, don’t miss the extras provided here including a word search, word scramble, coloring pages and more.

The author and illustrator went out of their way to provide a truly usable tool for exciting children about the value, legacy and unfading message of poetry.

I give this book five stars and wish I could give more. It’s brilliant!

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Order your copy of Ivy in Bloom on Amazon or Barnes&Noble.

​I received a free copy of Ivy in Bloom from Vanita Books via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.