POETRY GENRE REVIEW-"THE LLAMA WHO HAD NO PAJAMA"

Bibliography

Hoberman-Ann, Mary. 1998.  The Llama Who Had No Pajama. Ill by Betty Fraser.  Sandpiper.  ISBN 978-0152055714

Plot Summary

This book is a collection of a variety of poems from all topics that has a high level interest for younger children.  It's a great way to introduce poetry to any young child.  This book is very engaging and creative with the language.  Some of the poems in this book are meant for discussion with children, some are to evoke imagery, and some are just for plan fun.  A poem that I could relate to in this book is, "The Birthday Bus" (9).

Critical Analysis        

This poetry book could be used for both general anthology or a topical anthology, because it has 100 poems there are a lot to choose from.  The poems vary in complexity so it's easy to pick a poem that's a perfect read for a child-some poems are super easy while others are more challenging.  The poems vary in length from long to short and majority of the poems written rhyme which is key to early reading development.  There are simple pictures that add to the meaning of the poem.  The pictures are not too distracting from the poem-they are very light and very playful.

Reviews Excerpts/Awards/Honors         

School Library Journal-  "Hoberman's rhythm' are lively and agile...Good for beginning or experienced readers of poetry, this should indeed become a favorite."

Publisher's Weekly- "This inventively illustrated collection brims with enough wordplay and silliness to please a room full of young wordsmith's."

Winner of the National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children

A National Parenting Publications Gold Award Winner

A Book Sense Book of the Year Finalist

Connections

• Memorize a poem and recite it.
• Use it as a form of Reader's Theatre.
• Use some of the poems and turn them into songs and sing them.

POETRY GENRE REVIEW-"WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW"

Bibliography

Sones, Sonya. 2001. What My Mother Doesn't Know. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. ISBN-13: 978-0689855535

Plot Summary

In this book of poetry, Sophie, a teenage girl, is very interested in boys.  The boy of her dreams Dylan, finally asks Sophie to go out with him and Sophie just knows that this is her true love.  Sophie later finds out that Dylan is her not so Mr. Right and she makes it her personal mission to find her soul mate.  Sophie develops a series of odd relationships with other young boys that she encounters.  Until she realizes the boy she would never be seen with is her true love.

Critical Analysis

This book is written in an unorthodox style, some pages consists of short poems summarizing one or more days of Sophie's day.  This exquisite book is a fast, detailed, and intense read.   The character Sophie is a confused teen who is dealing with all the normal things of a teenager.  She's fighting with her mother, a father whose barely there, whether to be popular by choosing a guy she really doesn't like or being with a geek who no one likes.  The theme of the book is transparent, 'don't judge a book by its cover'.  The boys she thinks she's in love with are the boys she's judging based on outer appearance and not by inner character.  There seems to be no topic off limits to discuss in this book.  The character Sophie talks about having intimate kisses, and pretty panties, to sitting on top of boys laps.  This is a good book to open up to young girls about having a relationship as a teenager.  When I was a child I was not allowed to discuss dating in my household so I felt a tremendous connection to this book because the only people she could tell where her close friends as I did.

Even though this was a collection of poems it fit together as one story.  The author did not use pictures to illustrate the story, her vivid words and her descriptions were suffice.  This book has no rhyming words and it is free verse.

Reviews Excerpts/Awards

Entertainment Weekly-"Winning."

Booklist, Starred Review- "Fast, Funny, touching."

Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review- "A verse experience that will leave readers sighing with recognition and satisfaction."

Publisher's Weekly- "Honest...destined to captivate."

KLIATT- "Brilliant." Loading...

An ALA 2002 Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

An ALA 2002 Best Book for Young Adults

A Booklist Editors' Choice

Connections         

-Have students write down a time in their life when someone as judged them wrongfully based on appearance.

-Have students predict about what will happen between Murphy and Sophie. 

-Read the sequel, Why My Girlfriend Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones.

-Discuss the proper things to do in a relationship

POETRY GENRE REVIEW-"SOUP FOR BREAKFAST"

Bibliography

Brown, Calef. 2008. Soup For Breakfast. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 9780618916412

Plot Summary

Soup For Breakfast is a collection of creative short verse, fun poems that are thought provoking.  This book will engage children of all ages and  allow them to use their imagination and interest.  If you like Shel Silverstein, you'll love this author.  Calef Brown has humor, creativity and deep imaginative creation of words written in this book.  My favorite poems were, "Architots"(13) and "Painting on Toast" (22-23).

Critical Analysis

The illustrations starts at the beginning of the story.  The cover of the book has a soup can that has various images from the poems that gives insight as to what some of the poems might be about.  The pictures are so rich in color and texture-the illustrations are done in acrylic.  The illustrations add excitement to the pictures and they are so artistic.  Some of the poems follow rhyming patterns and some don't.  The language of these poems are to have fun and to hear what some words sound like and how it makes its own music-when you let the rhythm of words flow from your mouth.  Finally, I like that even though this is a book about poems he still has a purpose for this book.  At the end of the story author Calef Brown, states that he really does eat soup for breakfast and so does his wife.

Reviews Excerpts/Awards        

Winner of the Myra Cohn Livingston Award for Poetry

2007 CBCC Choice

Publisher's Weekly- "A hearty salute to eccentricity."

Booklist-"Words and pictures manage to be both clear and weird, an enjoyable mix."

Horn Book-"Silly it may be, but all the best kind, prompting the reader to see the world (slightly) askew and to delight in it."

Connections

-Read other books written by Calef Brown such as, Polkadots and Octopus Slacks, and Flamingos on the Roof: Poems and Paintings.

-Have students draw their own illustrations of what they saw when they read this poem.