WET CEMENT: A Mix of Concrete Poems by Bob Raczka.  New York: Roaring Book Press, 2016. 45p. ISBN: 978-1626722361 hc. $17.99.     Gr. 2-4     J 811

Raczka describes concrete poems as word paintings or shape poems.  His poems becomes a work of art, as well as a precise combination of words used to convey an idea.  Enjoy 21 poems which include orbiting in a circle around the sun, erasing mistakes with a pencil made of words, and reading icicles hanging from the top of the page.  The last poem is titled, "PoeTRY," encouraging readers to try their own hand at creating concrete poems.  Combine this book with Raczka's "Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word" (2013) to provide simple and interesting models for writing poetry individually or as a group.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI  49855