You may have noticed I haven't posted a review in the past week. I'm taking a brief break from book blogging to catch up on my reading and work on my program plans for summer reading. But I'll be back in a few weeks with reviews and some #FlannelFriday posts.
Until then, happy reading to all my readers!
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Friday, May 11, 2012
Friday, May 4, 2012
I've Lost My Hippopotamus by Jack Prelutsky
Animals abound in this new collection from the 1st Children's Poet Laureate. Some are real. You might even have seen them in a zoo. Others live in the poet's imagination like the crabacus and the boomerangutan.
What I thought: I'm never disappointed in Prelutsky's poetry. It's funny. At times, it's downright absurd. That's why it works...it's fun! Kids (and adults) don't want to read dull poetry. The illustrations are great. Black line drawings can pack quite a punch. The made-up animals reminded me of Prelutsky's other collection Scranimals. My favorite poems are "Shopping at the Dragon Store," "I Planted a Whistle," "The Hopalotamus," "I Laugh at My Hyena," "The Elegant Bowtiger," and "It's Noisy in My Garden."
(Illus. Jackie Urbanovic. Greenwillow, 2012)
What I thought: I'm never disappointed in Prelutsky's poetry. It's funny. At times, it's downright absurd. That's why it works...it's fun! Kids (and adults) don't want to read dull poetry. The illustrations are great. Black line drawings can pack quite a punch. The made-up animals reminded me of Prelutsky's other collection Scranimals. My favorite poems are "Shopping at the Dragon Store," "I Planted a Whistle," "The Hopalotamus," "I Laugh at My Hyena," "The Elegant Bowtiger," and "It's Noisy in My Garden."
(Illus. Jackie Urbanovic. Greenwillow, 2012)
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Step Gently Out by Helen Frost
Photographs by Rick Lieder.
Frost's lyrical poem celebrates nature--what you'll see if you just "step gently out." Lieder's photographs complement it perfectly.
What I thought: Oh, how I wish I had had this book for my Bugs Family Story Time in March. It's lovely. The line breaks/page breaks are perfectly situated for reflecting and pondering before you turn the page. Lieder's photos are extraordinary. My favorites are the cricket, the moth, and the firefly. Step Gently Out is an unexpected gem!
(Candlewick, 2012)
Frost's lyrical poem celebrates nature--what you'll see if you just "step gently out." Lieder's photographs complement it perfectly.
What I thought: Oh, how I wish I had had this book for my Bugs Family Story Time in March. It's lovely. The line breaks/page breaks are perfectly situated for reflecting and pondering before you turn the page. Lieder's photos are extraordinary. My favorites are the cricket, the moth, and the firefly. Step Gently Out is an unexpected gem!
(Candlewick, 2012)