Poetry "Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars" written and illustrated by Douglas Florian

The title of the book that I chose for poetry was "Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars" written and illustrated by Douglas Florian.  This book includes a variety of 20 poems that focus on various parts of our solar system.  Each poem uniquely describes the solar system with vivid words and imagery.
After evaluating the book itself, it fits all of the criteria for effective poetry.  Each poem is written clearly to provide understanding from the reader without confusion.  In addition, there is vivid imagery aside from the pictures that allow the reader to make the words in the poems come to life.  There are also many smilies that compare planets to real life objects that allow the reader to gain an understanding of what it really is like on a planet or in outer space.  Last but not least, rhythm and rhymes are consistently seen throughout the book as the author includes rhymes in each line of his poems.  Therefore, this book is a great selection as it fits the evaluation criteria for poetry.
This book fits within the self love and knowledge category of the six elements of social justice as it helps teach children about the various aspects of our universe.  It helps them gain an understanding that there are worlds outside of the one that we live in today and it teaches them that the world does not "Revolve" around them.
If I could use this poetry picture book to apply to my classroom, I would use it during a unit on the solar system or outer space.  This book is a fun way to teach readers about the solar system using rhythms and rhymes.