If Not For The Cat

Bibliography

Prelutsky, Jack. If Not for the Cat. Illus. by Ted Rand. China: Greenwillow Books, 2004. 978-0060596774

Review

"If Not for the Cat" is a collection of seventeen haiku that describe different animals. A combination of concrete and abstract meanings are given through these poems. Each haiku is seventeen syllables with alternating five, seven, and five meters on three lines.

Aspects of sound are crucial to the creation of these poems. Assonance is used by repeating a long "u" sound in the jellyfish haiku with "translucent...undulate, undulate" (Prelutsky, p. 11), as well as on pg. 19 with "raucously...caw...straw". Alliteration is an important characteristic of sound in these poems such as in "wingless we won't" (Prelutsky, p.20) or "nastartium's nectar" (Prelutsky, p. 9). Though the lines in the haiku do not rhyme, several words within the poems do show rhyme such as "sing...wings" (Prelutsky, p. 9) and "snack...back...crack" on page 20. Clear repetition brings meaning to the haiku about sloths with "I am" (Prelutsky, p. 12) and ants using "we are" (Prelutsky, p. 27).

Figurative language also plays a significant role in developing descriptive and exciting poems. "Sing with my wings" (Prelutsky, p. 9) is an example of personification as the hummingbird's wings are given a human characteristic. The parrot's description of "nothing at all to say...I can't stop talking" parallel opposites against each other.

Visual imagery is used by Prelutsky with several animals such as "gaudily feathered" on page 24 or "translucent" (pg. 11). In order for readers to feel they are really there and can touch the skin of the animals descriptive words are used like "gelatinously" (Prelutsky, pg. 11) and "wrinkled husks" (Prelutsky, pg. 15).

The emotional impact of this collection changes based on the animal and individual haiku. At times the reader feels tired and slow while reading about a sloth, busy and repetitive when learning about ants, or fearful when reading about the rattlesnake. Prelutsky does a fantastic job of describing these animals and delicately but purposefully putting them in the form of haiku.

Poetry & Connection

Crow

Raucously we caw.

Your straw men do not fool us.

We burgle your corn.

Because each haiku in this collection does not have a title included on the page itself, I would (without showing the pictures) read the poem aloud to the students and have them draw or write the animal they think the poem is describing. After finishing, students can justify with reasons why they think it is the animal they chose. After discussion, I would reveal the picture to the students.

As a follow-up, I would read several other of the poems from the collection and allow students to guess which animal it is describing.

Love That Dog

Bibliography

Creech, Sharon. Love That Dog. New York: HarperCollins, 2001. 978-0060292874

Review

"Love That Dog" is a novel written in verse that displays concrete meanings through its words. A young boy who is apprehensive towards poetry discovers its depth and that it isn't something intended only for girls. The meter in which the verse is read is through alternating stressed and unstressed syllables. It has a steady pattern that allows for the reader to flow through the novel quite rapidly.

Sound is an important part of "Love That Dog" in that the sound keeps it interesting and alive. Many words are repeated adjacent to each other such as "walk-walk-walking" (Creech, p. 69) or "wag-wag-wagging" (Creech, p. 68).Real sounds through onomatopeia are vivid and awaken the senses. Examples of tehse are seen throughout the novel with "pop-pop-popping" (Creech, p. 35) or the "taptaptaptaptap" (Creech, p. 67) of fingers on a keyboard. Interesting sounds inside of words that rhyme are revealed that create a fun sense of style, for example, "shaggy straggly paws" (Creech, p. 46) is an intriguing way to describe the dogs paws.

Figurative language brings unique ways of desribing events or feelings through the young boy. Creech personifies the spell checker as a "miracle little brain" on pg. 67 and reveals similes such as "like a squashed pea" (p. 64) and "fingers...as fast as my brain" (p. 67). Imagery through the senses is displayed on pg. 52 with the words "small" being literally smaller than the other words around it. Through this small gesture, the author truly creates an image in the reader of smaller poems and objects.

The tone fluctuates in "Love That Dog". At times it is anxious and nervous as the boy is scared of what students will think of his poetry. Later, acceptance is in the air as he beings to accept his poetry as being "good". On page 72 the tone becomes seriously and sad as the author reveals that the boy's dog was killed by a car, and the reader starts reflecting on the first poem the boy wrote in class. We realize there was meaning behind that poem about a truck, but he wasn't open to sharing about his dog being was actually killed by this truck. The story concludes with excitement and relief as Walter Dean Myers successfully visits the boy's school.

Poetry & Connection

"My Yellow Dog: by Jack" (Creech, pg. 37)

I would have each student choose an obect or something that is important to them. I would give the students several minutes to close their eyes and just think about that obejct. Then I would have students start writing sensory words about the object they chose. After students have had time to complete their descriptive words, I would now show "My Yellow Dog" on a big sheet of butcher paper. After giving the students a bit of time to look it over, discover the shape of the dog, and read the poem, we would discuss how the author used the words of their poem to create a shape.

Students would then get the opportunity to create shape poems from the words they had chosen about their object.

Yum! іmmmm! іQué rico!

Bibliography

Mora, Pat. Yum! іmmmm! іQué rico!: Americas’ Sproutings. New York: Lee & Low Books Inc., 2007. 978-1584302711

Review

The poems presented by Pat Mora in Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Que rico! Americas' Sproutings keep a consistent meter with each haiku poem containing its seventeen syllables. Sound is an important element and help bring the poems to life. Examples of alliteration in “Tomato” with “squirts seedy...splatter” and assonance in “Peanut” by using “nutty...jelly...gooey party” display the vibrant affect sound has on each poem.

A treat for all readers is how Pat Mora uses personification in “Pineapple” to transform the fruit into a playful person with a “stiff, spiky hat” and “thick prickly skin”. Metaphors are used in this anthology as a pumpkin is painted as autumn's orange face. An instance of onomatopoeia is seen in “Cranberry” with a nod towards hearing sense imagery using “POPS!”.

Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Que rico! explodes with sense imagery focusing on the senses of smell, taste, and touch. The act of smelling and tasting are brought out in most of the haikus using words such as “syrupy”, “juicy”, “lick”, and “smell grits, tortillas, corn bread”. “Melts on your tongue” in “Chocolate” is the perfect example of how the sense of touch is awakened through Mora's poems.

Pat Mora's poems bring about a simple and carefree tone with a cheerful mood. This collection of poems is supported with additional information pertaining to the origin of the foods which is noted in smaller print alongside each haiku. A letter from the author is also included at the end which wraps up the collection and helps bring meaning to the poems.

Poem & Connection

Pumpkin

Under round luna,

Scattered tumblings down the rows,

Autumn’s orange face.

(Mora, pg. 27)

Reading “Pumpkin” during the fall would be a great introduction to talking about how pumpkins are grown and the time of year that many plants are harvested. Have the students (with adult help) carve a pumpkin and learn about the parts of the pumpkin. Students can count and divide seeds into equal groups or even follow a simple recipe to roast pumpkin seeds while having to use cooking measurements.

Bing Bang Boing

Bibliography

Florian, Douglas. Bing Bang Boing. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1994. 978-0152058609

Review

Douglas Florian parallels opposing subjects for a larger impact for example placing “The Thin Man” and “The Fat Man” on adjacent pages. The rhythm for most poems is steady such as the bouncing words on either side of the page in “Ping-Pong Poem” and the reference to the metronome.

Sounds are an important part of Florian's poetry with the display of consonance in “I Friz, I Froze” on pg. 78 using “earz”, “ize”, “noze”, “toze”, and “kneez”. Rhyming in “Lost Head” brings a lightness to the words, with “head” and “instead” or “all” and “basketball”. On page 113 the poem “Rain Check” uses clear and distinct alliteration such as “My sister Sarah's Sixth birthday”.

Personification is seen throughout Florian's poems and these instances are a unique way of creating entertaining literature that comes alive through the reader.”Cars are Creatures” on pg. 111 personifies the car as an animal as it is seen “guzzling gas, growling”, and sleeping when parked. Other poems use comparisons like similes to create vivid images for the audience. “It's as wrinkled as a rhino” and “It's as hairy as a hound” from “The Monster in My Mirror” helps to stimulate visual imagery in the reader.

Other imagery is seen throughout “Bing, Bang, Boing” such as touch in “It's Hot! It's Hot!” or in juxtaposition of this, “I Friz, I Froze”. When writing about eating beetles, lizards, and dragons in “Diet Riot”, Douglas Florian brings out the sense of sound by writing “Crunch Crunch Crunch.” It completely brings the poem full circle and gives the reader an icky feeling but also a bit of a grin. The emotional impact of this set of poems is lighthearted, silly, and fun. A wonderful book of poetry for all readers of any age.

Poem & Connection

My Monster

I saw a monster

Ghastly and green.

I saw a monster

Nasty and mean.

I saw a monster,

A horrible creature.

That’s no monster –

That’s my teacher!

(Florian, p. 132)

This poem could be used on the first day or week of school as it brings comic relief to those that may have been worrisome about starting a new school year or having a different teacher. Students could discuss fears of starting school and meeting their teacher and what the first day was truly like compared to their fears.

A Jar of Tiny Stars

Bibliography

Cullinan, Bernice, ed. A Jar of Tiny Stars: Poems by NCTE Award-Winning Poets. Honesdale: Wordsong, 1996. 978-1563970870

Review

A Jar of Tiny Stars is a collection of child selected poems by poets who have won the National Council of Teachers of English Award. The poets' poems are displayed together after a picture and personal quote.

Many of the poems have a steady rhythm such as Valerie Worth's “Giraffe” which keeps a consistent 2 beat meter for each line. In this book the reader will find poems that contain rhyme such as “Summer Song” by Josh Ciardi and others that do not have any rhyme like “Lemonade Stand” by Myra Cohn Livingston. The impact of sound in many of these poems is imperative. The onomatopoeia of “s-s-s-s-s-s-s” in “SNAKE” by Barbara Esbensen breathes life into the poem and to the surprise of the reader the sound of the snake is inherently made either aloud or in their mind. In Eve Meriam's “Gooseberry” the freshness of sound is revealed through the repetition of berry in “Gooseberry Juice berry, Loose berry jam”.

Personification is one element of figurative language that is seen many times in this book of poetry. “Mine” by Lilian Moore creates the ocean as a selfish snatcher of sand castles and sand tunnels, and Valerie Worth's “lawnmower” is viewed as a monster or animal that “grinds its teeth” and is “spitting out” grass.

The emotional impact of this collection is altogether joyful and encouraging. An “About the Poets” section is included that gives the audience a sense of who the poets are and makes a greater and more meaningful connection between poet and reader.

Poem & Connection

pebbles

“Pebbles belong to no one

Until you pick them up –

Then they are yours.

But which, of all the world’s

Mountains of little broken stones,

Will you choose to keep…”

(Worth, p. 64)

This poem can be read during an Earth Materials or Geology Unit while discussing weathering and erosion. Students can draw different particle or grain sizes such as boulder, pebble, gravel, and sand and label each. Teacher or librarian should lead discussion about how weathering affects rocks and their sizes and ask students what they think the poem means by “mountains of little broken stones”.

Hip hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat

Bibliography

Giovanni, Nikki. Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat. Nashville: Sourcebooks, 2008.

Review

Editor, Nikki Giovanni, introduces an anthology of “poetry with a beat” in a vibrant and well put together set of poems. Giovanni presents a background of how rhythm, rap, and hip hop have been in place for years and years. The reader gains a better understanding of how rhythm has been a part of various cultures and crosses barriers.

The book also includes a CD in which many poets read their own poems and an index that includes a brief description of each poet. The illustrations are perfectly paired with poems that contrast subtle and vibrant colors and display purposefully smudged pictures.

Some poems use rhyme such as “Allow Me to Introduce Myself” by Charles R. Smith Jr. using stopper and dropper or Man and Slam in consecutive lines. (Giovanni, pg. 24) Imagery created through senses is pivotal to Gary Soto’s “Music for Fun and Profit” in which the sense of hearing is provoked. From a rubber band to kicking leaves and bars of a crib to the rattling of a newspaper, the character realizes he has his own band (Giovanni, g. 24)

Poem & Connection

Oh, Words

By Eloise Greenfield

“Oh, I love those wacky words

those crazy words that crack me up,

like dibbily-doobily-doo and such,

they don’t mean much,

but oh, I love them so….”

(Giovanni, pg. 14)

I would introduce this poem before teaching a writing lesson on word choice. This poem is just what is needed to trigger an explosion of ideas from students on words that are interesting and exciting instead of dull and boring. Writing can seem empty and scary, but “Oh, Words” creates an image that words can be wildly fun and engaging.

America at War

Bibliography

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. America at War. Illus. by Stephen Alcorn. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2008. 978-1416918325

Review

This collection of poems by a variety of poets is a reflection on American Wars from the American Revolution to the Iraq War. Not only are the poems about soldiers and war scenes, but about families anxiously awaiting their arrival, those who have lost loved ones, and soldiers writing to their newborns at home.

The anthology is divided up between wars, with a brief overview of how the war started, its unique qualities based on the time period such as new technology or major events such as the Holocaust, and the resulting number of deaths. When a country is in a war it affects everyone. Binding poetry and reflections on wars from hundreds of years ago with today’s war, creates a powerful message to the reader.

Because this is an anthology of various poets’ work, a range of poetic elements are seen throughout the poems. The reader will view poems with a concrete meaning such as “WW II: American Occupation, Weinheim, Germany” by Heidi Bee Roemer where the mother needs to feed her children and from the back of a truck falls a can of Spam and two cans of bean, but other poems convey more abstract meaning seen in “Alphabet” by Jane Yolen which describes the evil alphabet of names for concentration camps during the Holocaust.

One poem in particular, “War is the Fiercest Art” by Sara Holbrook, displays many poetic sounds such as rhyme with spill and kill or rhyme, time, and sublime. I believe though that the poet’s use of consonance has an even bigger affect on the sound of the poem when she uses “evading” and “invading” against each other or “hate”, “state”, and “frustrate” on three consecutive lines.

Personification is revealed in Sara Teasdale’s “There Will Come Soft Rains” in which Spring is made to be a person waking up who wouldn’t realize there was a war and that everyone had died. The tone of most of these poems is very serious which lends these to have a serious impact on students regarding their view of war today and in previous times. Perhaps it may make the Civil War or the Vietnam War seem like more of a reality as it is combined with poems about Iraq. In doing this, history may be more relatable and therefore reading about the emotions of these wars may result in students’ interest towards seeking information about these wars.

Poem & Connection

Care Package

By Janet Settimo

“this care package

is addressed to my sister….

And if we can’t locate this soldier?

Would you like the package returned to you,

given to another soldier, or abandoned?

But my heart is screaming find her.

FIND HER!”

(Hopkins, 70-71)

I would share this poem with students and discuss soldiers who are overseas today. I would guide discussion on what a care package means to a soldier and the emotions brought from both parties in giving and receiving one. As a follow up activity we would assemble care packages for troops who are overseas and write notes of encouragement (or poetry!).

The Brimstone Journals

Bibliography

Koertge, Ron. The Brimstone Journals. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2001. 978-0763617424

Review

This collection of poems sets the stage for a “Columbine-like” reenactment, introducing high-schoolers who are intertwined by circumstances such as classes, bullying, dating, or friendships. Each page is from the perspective of one of fifteen unique teenagers who are innately influenced by their families but are struggling to search within themselves to find their own beliefs and self worth. All fifteen students are connected to the initial ring leader, Boyd, whether she is on his “list” or have been recruited to help him open fire at his high school; fifteen different stories are heard clearly, allowing every reader to have a chance to connect with at least one if not many of their lives.

The meter is consistent and has a steady rhythm that makes the poems flow naturally from line to line and poem to poem, regardless of the fact that alternating poems are from the perspective of different characters. Several of the characters use metaphors to describe who or what they wish they could be. Kitty, for example, compares herself to being a bird on page 54, as if she was light enough to “just levitate”, focusing in on her obsession with being skinny. There are traces of rhyme every so often in this book but these instances never take away from the rhythm nor do they develop a sing-song sound. The story throughout the poems is consistently serious while these teenagers seem to open too many doors to trouble, but towards the end of the book, the mood is lifted a bit with hope for the future. One cannot pick up this book and not be affected. One relates to these students even after high school: the drama, the choices, the questions. This is a great book filled with poetry for young adults that carry meaning, lessons, and problems they are really dealing with.

Poem & Connection

The poem from The Brimstone Journals I chose to share is one from the character, Kitty, on page 54.

I think if I’m thin enough, I can fly.

I’ll get real thin and just levitate.

Lift off.

I like the way birds leave home.

They just go.

Nobody’s crying, nobody’s lecturing.

I read about these birds that almost never land:

they feed on the wing, nap as they glide, never make a nest.

They weight next to nothing.

By: Ron Koertge

I feel this poem speaks to many young people who are insecure in their appearance or have dealt or aredealing with eating disorders. I would introduce this poem with students by speaking about the reality and prevalence of eating disorders, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and seeking help for yourself or others. This disease affects many young people and this poem would be a great way to make students aware of what many around them may be dealing with and what they can do to help.