After the Bell Rings: By Carol Diggory Shields

                                   

       "Finally...finally...finally...BRINNNNNG!" Reads the inside cover of After the Bell Rings by Carol Diggory Shields was published in 2015 by Dial Books for Young Readers. Of course everyone knows that a student's favorite sound is the ding of the school bell that means school is over. In this book of children's poems, poet Carol Diggory Shields and illustrator Paul Meisel have fully captured what kids love to do when that last bell rings. Some of the topics include: music practice, homework, eating snacks, busy schedules, and so much more!

       Shields begins by capturing how both teachers and students alike anticipate and wait anxiously for the last two "slowest of all" minutes of the day to pass. By the end of the book, the week has come to an end and Shields makes use of clever end rhyme to highlight the irony found in a Friday night sleepover, where "We call it sleeping over--That's not exactly true. We bring along our sleeping bags. But sleep? Not what we do." Each poem is unique and makes use of its own type of  rhyme and rhythm. 

       Each poem throughout the book is accompanied by one of Meisel's engaging, childlike, illustrations created using a mix of medias. The full-bleed illustrations, in which the text is placed into the background, help to highlight the child's perspective that Shields is using in her poems. Even the end papers add to the book, showing numerous backpacks strewn across the floor with their contents spilling everywhere. No matter whether the picture depicts one scene, several separate images all linked together, or the screen of a call phone, they help to bring the poems to life, creating an impressive amount of visual interest. 

           This collection of children's poems would be great for children ages 6-10. Each poem is kid-friendly and easily relatable. Shield's use of clever and sassy poetry, combined with Meisel's accessible and visually appealing illustrations work to create an engaging and humorous collection of poetry. This book would be a great addition to any young child's poetry collection.

Picture Source: http://www.amazon.com/After-Bell-Rings-Poems-After-School/dp/0803738056