Unlike most people who participate in Poetry Friday, I am not a huge poetry fan. I rarely
read poetry except for my handful of favorite poems. I join this round up periodically
because it challenges me to step out of my comfort zone. Fortunately, I pick up some new
favorites to add to my collection as I do. Over time, I have gained a greater appreciation of
the genre–in part because of Poetry Friday.
While at the library this week, I found...
Title: Beastly Verse
Illustrator: Joohee Yoon
Target Ages: 5 and up
Genre: Poetry Anthology Picture Book
Summary: This anthology is a beastly menagerie of 16 poems about a variety of creatures like crocodiles, pelicans, hyenas, tigers, centipedes, hummingbirds, and snails. There are selections for both lesser known poets and well-known ones like William Blake, Lewis Carroll, and Christina Rosssetti.
Favorite Poems:
“The Crocodile” (by Lewis Carroll)
How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the water of the Nile
On every golden scale!
How cheerful he seems to grin,
How nearly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little fishes in,
With gently smiling jaws!
“Eletelephony” (by Laura E. Richards)
Once there was an elephant,
Who tried to use the telephant–
No! no! I mean an elephone
Who tried to use the telephone–
(Dear me! Am not certain quite
That even now I’ve got it right.)
Howe’er it was, he got his trunk
Entangled in the telephunk;
The more he tried to get it free,
The louder buzzed the telephee–
(I fear I’d better drop the song
Of elephop and telephong!)
Evaluation:
The illustrations draw in a young audience. The art work is whimsical, colorful, and
textured. Some of the pages expand to a triple page spread.
There are some longer, more serious poems which I question if the target audience will be
drawn too. However, the shorter, more fanciful poems will captivate children with their
rhyme, playful language, and humorous twists.
Beastly Verse is a poetry anthology worth checking out.
Thank you for sharing this clever anthology. The colorful illustrations really bring the poetry to life. I enjoy silly wordplay, so, of course, Eletelphony made me laugh. : ) Thank you for the recommendation!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this fun-looking anthology. It makes me think of Prelutsky's STARDINES SWIM HIGH ACROSS THE SKY. Thanks, also, for reminding me that not everyone who participates actually LOVES poetry. Hooray for you for broadening your horizons--I need to do the same with various genres I don't love.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this new-to-me anthology. The clever poems and the colorful illustrations are sure to pull in readers young and old. I'll check it out!
ReplyDeleteWhat an eye-catching anthology! Thanks for sharing this. And I applaud you for stepping out of your comfort zone — something that's good for all of us from time to time!
ReplyDeleteI would love this book as it contains one of my favorite poems Eletelephony! It's one of the few poems I still know from memory. I love the illustrations!
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