Put Your Eyes Up Here and Other School Poems by Kalli Dakos

Dakos, Kalli. Illustrated by G. Brian Karas. Put Your Eyes Up Here and Other School Poems. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2003.

ISBN: 9780689811173

Put Your Eyes Up Here and Other School Poems takes the reader through an entire school year.  Penny is a young and apprehensive student in Ms. Roy’s class.  At the beginning of the school year, Penny is unsure of her silly teacher who shows up in a yellow stovepipe hat and black patent “kindergarten shoes”.  Penny wishes for a normal classroom where she might know “what to expect”.  However, throughout the year, Penny learns to embrace change and the unfamiliar.  The personal standpoint of the poems allows the Dakos to write to the readers and explore typical emotions and trials of young children at school.  Dakos explores insecurity, stress, and pride.  Many children develop special relationships with their teachers.  Dakos expertly illustrates this bond for the reader in this series of poems.  The poems are short, easily understood, and whimsical.  Young readers will surely enjoy reading this collection and relating to the range of emotions.

In Color

I don’t read very well.

I don’t write very well.

I’ve never been the teacher’s pet.

But

Today,

Ms. Roys

Wrote a poem about

Me.

I’ve drawn

All kinds

Of crazy cartoons

On my bookbag,

And Ms. Roys

Says it looks like

An art gallery,

Right there

On my back.

She especially loves

My pictures of

Snoopy.

They remind her

Of her little dog,

Zoe,

Who died last year.

She says the cartoons

Bring back memories

That make her smile.

In school,

I’ve always felt

Like a black-and-white picture

That not one noticed,

But Ms. Roys

Wrote a poem about

Me,

And now I feel

Like I am filled

With pictures,

And they are all,

In color!

The poem “In Color” touches on a particularly special exchange between Penny and her teacher.  Ms. Roys takes notice of Penny’s drawings on her backpack and makes a connection with her about them.  Dakos has illustrated a special moment when a child who never felt noticed is made to feel special by one of her teachers.  Moments such as these are instrumental in children’s development and boost self-confidence.

I’d introduce this poem to a classroom with a discussion about the things that make each student special.  All of their varying interests and talents are important!  I’d encourage each of them to share their originality with their classmates and be proud of the things that they can do.  After sharing the poem, I’d divide the students into groups of 4 and give each student 4 notecards.  Each student should think about a moment when someone noticed something special or unique about them and how it made them feel.  I’d ask the students to write this moment on one of their notecards.  On the other three cards, the student should write something that makes each of their other group members unique and the student’s name.  I’d have the groups share what they’ve written with each other.  This would make an excellent team building and confidence boosting exercise!