Aboard a Paper Plane and Other Poems

Aboard a Paper Plane... and other poems

by Joe & Allison Kelly
illustrations by Supakit Chiangthong



When this poetry collection, Aboard a Paper Plane, by Allison & Joe Kelly came my way, I was absolutely delighted to read it! Not just to myself. I read it aloud to my kids, and, randomly quoted some of the lovely lines to the other adult in residence as well.

Shel Silverstein meets Kenn Nesbitt meets Kurt Cyrus.

That's what popped into my head as I read this set of poems. The random everyday quirks with a deeper thought-provoking perspective à la Shel Silverstein, the laugh-out-loud aspect of Kenn Nesbitt's works, as well as the amazing wordplay that Kurt Cyrus brings to his creations, these are what struck me when I read the forty eight poems in this collection.

Some are long and showcase their wordsmithing perfectly while others are crisp and short and made me double up with laughter.

The younger child's favorite was, of course, Bath for the "Ewww..." factor, and Painter, as he had tried that once and found that it was not appreciated.

The older child loved the Secret Club and Pop Quiz, while chuckling at Clover and nodding along with If Only I had a Dollar.

Vegetables - a cautionary tale is at once brilliant and funny, one of my favorites. The wordplay in Broke is superb.

 Before I start listing the joys of each poem here, let me stop and share an informal interview with this talented couple.


1. Tell us about your writing journey - when did you start, what was your motivation for writing? 

J: I started writing children's poetry when I was fifteen - right around the time I met Allison, actually.  I love the variation inherent in a poetry collection, and I love it as both a reader and a writer.  The imagination's zigzag from character to character, situation to situation; not knowing to which world the next page is going to take you, only that it will be a place you're sure to enjoy.  I guess that's why we were drawn to the paper plane.

A: Like most writers, I'm sure, I'm thrilled by the idea of creating something new that wasn't there before: a character, a plot line, a turn of phrase. I've been enthralled with the writing experience since the age of six or so; it's truly been one of the constant joys in my life.

J: And me, right?

A: Yes, Joe.  And you.

2. Do you focus on writing only for children? What are some of your other works?

A: I will write for anyone! I recently started a small business in which I write and publish personal memoirs for people -- usually older folks whose children want to gather their stories and memories in one place before it's too late. I also write material for standardized tests for students ranging in age from kindergarten to high school, and for both native English speakers and English language learners.

J: I'm not quite as versatile as my wife.  It's been largely children's material to date - poetry, rhyming books, middle grade; even tried my hand at YA.  I'm drawn to the imagination bursting from the genre seemingly everywhere you look.  My "day job" is in finance, so I find balance in using the creative side of my brain after a long day or week of analytical thinking.

Aboard a Paper Plane is our first title.  While writing, however, we stumbled upon a few ideas that were too long to be part of the collection.  The game plan now is to turn those into stand-alone rhyming stories.  We've also started planning a second poetry collection.  We don't have any timelines or anything as of yet, but we're certainly having fun putting it all together.


3. What was the inspiration for this particular book? Why a poetry book? How did you settle on the 48 poems included, it's a tall order? Which of these are your top 3 favorites? 

A: A poetry book allowed us to experiment with a lot of tones, themes, characters, and settings.  We were writing the book in our free time (evenings, weekends), so we wanted to make sure the experience was always fresh and exciting.  And as for the inspiration, Joe's the idea generator, so I'll let him take it from here.

J: Thanks, Al!  The inspiration for the book was an odd collection of dozens of little things I've noticed throughout my day-to-day.  Normal things - things you see every day ,but maybe don't put much thought into.  Like a graveyard or a boomerang or a lobster - stuff like that.  If an object or situation catches my eye, I jot it down in the Notes app on my iPhone. It's also energizing to take lofty "life lessons" -- try not to compare with others, be grateful for what you're given, and so on -- and repurpose them in a fun and accessible way through poetry.  In terms of the forty-eight, we were trying to assemble a nice variety of lengths and subjects and styles. There were a handful that didn't fit with Aboard a Paper Plane.  We hope to find a home for them in the next collection!

A: My favorites are probably The Runner, Guardian Angel, and The Tiniest Ant & the Giantest Bear. They're all very different, and I think they give a good idea of our versatility. I think they best showcase our humor, wordsmithing, and wit.

J: I wouldn't say I necessarily have a favorite poem, but I do have a few favorite lines.  Like in the "Octopus Barber", the line about the monkfish.  Or in "Fortune Teller" when the narrator daydreams about body surfing.  Or in "Aboard a Paper Plane" - the part that goes, "You'll cartwheel to the moon and then you'll swim from here to Spain / Or close your eyes and scrunch your face to sprout a lion's mane."  That makes me smile every time.


4. Tell us about your favorite children's author(s)? Favorite children's book(s)?

J: When I was very young, my favorite book was Richard Scarry's "Best Ride Ever". In retrospect, it was a pretty odd story.  Essentially, the plot line revolved around this dog named Dingo.  Dingo Dog had a really, really cool red car.  What Dingo Dog did not have was much respect for traffic laws.  Dingo would drive his car down the sidewalk, through the supermarket - I think at one point he even drove through someone's living room?  At end of the day, the whole book was a pretty airtight case study on why we don't let animals operate machinery.  According to my dad, I would laugh nonstop through the whole story.  Guess I was kind of a weird kid...

A: You were a weird kid?  According to my mom, my favorite book as a little kid was "The Book of Virtues".  It was 1,000 pages and had no pictures.  I would ask my dad to read it to me every night...

J: Okay - you got me there. But since my Dingo Dog-days of childhood, I've accumulated a whole host of both authors and stories I admire.  Just to name a few: Norton Juster's "The Phantom Tollbooth" & Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" for their wordplay and structure.  Shel Silverstein for his characters and situations.  R.L. Stine's "Goosebumps" for their zany twists.  But my absolute favorite?  I love "Oh, the Places You'll Go".  My grandparents gave me a copy when I graduated high school.  It's been on my desk ever since.

A: I loved the Berenstain Bears series -- the cute stories, the colorful full-page pictures! But most of the formative works I read as a child were when I was a little older, eight or nine or so. I loved "Little Women" most of all, followed closely by "A Wrinkle in Time" and the Babysitter's Club series.


5. How does the collaboration work? Each writes, and also edits the other's?

A: Writing children's poems has always been Joe's passion.  He comes up with the idea, any clever turns of phrase or characters, and writes a first draft.  Then, we both sit down in front of it to comb through line by line and word by word.  I'll suggest changes, shore up the scheme, and do my best to make sure every word counts.  We find that this process makes the best use of both of our skills.

J: That said, there were a few poems in the collection that we wrote pretty much top-to-bottom together.  These were, most notably: The Tiniest Ant & the Giantest Bear, If I Only Had a Dollar, Patient Pat, and The Gadget.  My favorite part about writing is being able to work with Allison.  I love having this as a shared experience.


6. Why eBook? And how was the self-publishing experience? Were you interested in submitting to the traditional publishers?

A: At this point, self-publishing Aboard a Paper Plane as an eBook was our most practical and expedient option.  We've also submitted to some literary agents and traditional publishers.  We're hopeful that our run as an eBook isn't the destination, but rather a step on the journey.


7. How did you "meet and collaborate" with the illustrator? On behalf of the illustrator, will you be able to share how they created the art, and whether they are open for working with other authors interested in self-publishing?

J: We met Supakit on Fiverr (which - by the way - is a great platform for children's book authors to partner with illustrators).  Our experience with him was fantastic - he was professional, easy to work with, and very talented. For each poem, we'd put together a detailed description of what we were looking for in the picture, shoot it over to Supakit, and then let him work his magic.  Unfortunately, we don't know too much about his process.  As of today, Supakit has taken his profile down on Fiverr.  He was a student during most of our collaboration, and we got the sense that he was taking on other time-intensive responsibilities as he got closer to graduating.


8. What do you do when you are not writing? What are your other interests/passions?

J: When I'm not writing or working, I enjoy running on the treadmill while watching a movie or show (currently, season 1 of True Detective), practicing the piano, drinking Guinness, all things personal finance, and spending time with my friends, family, and beautiful wife.

A: I love trying new recipes, learning languages (I'm currently taking a Spanish class!), reading, entertaining, and slowwwly decorating our house. And of course, spending time with my family, friends, and Joe!


Our sincerest gratitude to the Saffron Tree team for featuring us and our debut poetry collection, Aboard a Paper Plane! We truly appreciate all you do to promote children's literature. We hope you enjoy Aboard a Paper Plane; please reach out at jkelly821@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments! Happy reading!


[Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book but the opinions shared here are entirely my own. Review policy for this blog is available.]

Hypnotize A Tiger

Hypnotize A Tiger

Poems About Just About Everything
By Calef Brown

This collection of playful and whimsical poems with the characteristically quirky Calef-Brown-esque illustrations are more for the middle-grade readers than younger ones.

Organized into categories like The Critterverse, My Peeps, Schoolishness, Facts Poetic, Word Crashes, Miscellaneous Silliness and so forth, the poems tackle anything from creepy crawly insects and creatures large and small to Edible rarities and culinary peculiarities.

The joy in reading works by Silverstein and Kenn Nesbitt and Prelutsky is that the beauty of words strung together is seemingly nonsensical but manage to excite the young readers' imagination nonetheless.

Much the same way, the 10 year old got these poems for the most part, and enjoyed some of the sillier ones like Big-Hair Cats,
When cougars and lynxes
get fur stuck in their larynxes
they cough up hairballs
like an ordinary kitty.
It isn't very pretty,
not in the least,
to see a gob of gooey fleece
released by such a noble beast.

and Greta,
Greta can't make up her mind
if she should make up her bed
or practice gymnastics instead.
She likes to jump on the mattress, you see,
which often ends in catastrophe,
with pillows and blankets everywhere,
and then her parents are there
giving her a blank stare.
"Are you aware," they ask,
"that is it one a.m?"
"Yes," she replies, "I am."

I think she identified most with Carsick:
Car rides have always
been awful for me.
I try not to look,
but as soon as I see
that the needle is pointing
to forthy-three
on the ol' speedometer,
I'm a vomiter.


The seven year old enjoyed some of the animal poems and especially the off-beat outlook in poems like The Vulture where it introspects with,
...
This is my diet?
If it died, I try it?
...
A normal dinner would feel so nice.
Grilled asparagus and wild rice
without the wretched carrion.
Something vegetarian."

and Pupae:
Just because we're the pupae
people give us the poop-eye.

how can you go wrong with "poop-eye" and the younger reading crowd?

But what I liked even better was the bottom edge of pages: they are packed with mini-poems and absurd observations of sorts that were quite amusing. A few of my favorites:

I only eat cuttlefish from Cuddalore.
Sure, they cost a little more,
but ones from Delhi are sometimes smelly.

I prefer Swiss chard from Mumbai,
which is hard to come by.

Oh no! Now there are geese loose in the ghee sluice!
Ghee is butter. 
Thanks for clarifying.

Forcing compliance through orders and decrees?
Oh, please!

The last one in the book is Q&A with Calef Brown answered with enough jest and yet a good glimpse into the writer.

Tell us about your early days.
My life began in a tree fort
in Shreveport, Louisiana.
A sort of breezy cabana
with one of those fantastic lawns--
the kind with gnomes and plastic swans.
I was a weaselly child,
easily riled and wildly erratic,
full of dramatic "tin-drum tantrums"--
the loudest kind...

The kooky illustrations and off-center perspective on everyday things certainly amused the kids and me. To be able to pick a page at random and just enjoy the wordplay and the perspectives is a simple pleasure that this book offers in plenty.

[MacMillan View Inside the Book]

[Image source: MacMillan]

Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold

Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold

by Joyce Sidman
illustrated by Rick Allen
published by HMH Books for Young Readers


Filled with vivid illustrations and exuberant form poetry, the book is a delight to behold and experience, as it takes us on an excursion into the winter life of the creatures living in the extreme north.

Joyce Sidman, a master poet, has invited the kids to experience the magic of winter, as well as its harshness.

I’m a big brown moose,
I’m a rascally moose,
I’m a moose with a tough, shaggy hide;
and I kick and I prance
in a long-legged dance
with my moose-mama close by my side.
...

We instantly love this baby moose who is not afraid to tough it out in the tundra.

Chickadees song in collective voice is energizing.

From dawn to dusk in darkling air
we glean and gulp and pluck and snare,
then find a roost that’s snug and tight
to brave the long and frozen night.
...

Image Source: HMH Young Readers

Not just animals, but plants are celebrated as well -- skunk cabbage gets a dedicated triolet.

Skunk cabbage peeks up through the snow:
the first flower in the wood.
Wreathed in an eerie purple glow,
up through the slick of soggy snow,
smelling of rotten buffalo,
...

Even the snowflake!

Snowflake wakes,
whirling,
arms outstretched,
lace sprouting from fingertips

Leaps, laughing
in a dizzy cloud,
a pinwheel gathering glitter
...


The Whole World is Melting leaves us with the warmth and hope of Spring.

Printmaker extraordinaire, Rick Allen, adds intricate detail via the linoleum blocks cut precisely to present the exact image that livens up the poems. The hours of work involved in making these block prints is astounding but even more astounding is the results! Each page is a work of art that is simply brilliant!

Sidebar on each page provides notes about the animals.

We revisited this book for the National Poetry month and dream of housing a copy on our bookshelf soon. Also by Joyce Sidman, the Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night is a treat to read as well.

[image source: houghtonmifflin]

His Shoes Were Far Too Tight

His Shoes Were Far Too Tight   
poems by Edward Lear
masterminded by Daniel Pinkwater
illustrated by Calef Brown
published by Chronicle Books (2011)


He was a fat, goofy-looking guy with thick eyeglasses. He liked people but he was shy. He liked kids. He liked animals. He had a cat named Old Foss. His name was Edward Lear.

The book opens with the first page that introduces us to Edward Lear, beloved nonsense poet who was also a good artist who gave drawing lessons to Queen Victoria (which didn't last long).

Besides the very special How Pleasant To Know Mr.Lear, there are nine poems by Edward Lear in this picture book collection - including The Pobble Who Has No Toes, Owl And The Pussy Cat to and The Quangle Wangle's Hat, plus the Nonsense Alphabet.

The Jumblies was a favorite - how can they not be - they went to sea in a Sieve! And who so happy-- O who, as the Duck and the Kangaroo? Whose shoes were tight? Well, it was Uncle Arly's as we learn from Some Incidents in the Life of My Uncle Arly.

Illustrations by Calef Brown are quirky and funny, complementing the poems well.

Another set of wacky poems to satisfy the National Poetry Month cravings, along with Nonsense! illustrated by Valorie Fisher.

[image source: chronicle books]

Bigfoot is Missing!

Big Foot is Missing!

by J. Patrick Lewis and Kenn Nesbitt
illustrations by MinaLima (Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima)
published by Chronicle Books


Humans have had a fascination with cryptids long before the term "cryptids" was coined to describe the fantastic creatures whose existence is yet to be proven.

Cryptozoology, the study of animals rumored to exist, has found many followers over the past decades. And for those who claim they don't believe in Bigfoot, the ardent scholars of cryptozoology retort with a, "Don't worry, Bigfoot doesn't believe in you either!"

Former and current Children's Poet Laureates have teamed up to present a book to explore several of these cryptids from around the world. Some of them, we are quite familiar with, like: Bigfoot, Kraken, Lusca, 'Nessie' the Loch Ness monster, Chupacabra, Bunyip and so on. And, others are just as fascinating, with matchingly mysterious names like Ngoubou, Dingonek, Mokele, Nandi Bear and so on.

This refreshing presentation was a satisfying read for the National Poetry Month-- an amusing look at the Schrodinger's Cat-like creatures which don't exist until we observe them.

MinaLima, the team on the Harry Potter films known for making maps, newspaper clippings and suchlike, have brought an extra dimension to this set of poems that are clever, funny and creepy at times.

Rather than presenting the text and an illustration of the creature, each page is designed to look like a Wanted poster, or billboard, or newspaper clipping, or milk carton ad, or page from an arcane book.

For example, Bigfoot appears on the milk carton; he is missing, of course.

The Loch Ness monster has a double page spread of rolling Highland hills and the famous lake in the background with the familiar curves of Nessie; and the foreground shows the typical warning sign:

Warning!
No Lifeguard on duty
No Horsing around.
Stay Out of the water
Or Risk being drowned.
No Diving, No Swimming,
Or Things could get messy.
Sincerely, The Management,
aka "Nessie."


[image source: Chronicle Books]

Wool Gathering

Wool Gathering

A Sheep Family Reunion
by Lisa Wheeler
illustrations by Frank Ansley

Ms.Wheeler is an inspiration. Perfect verses and delightful themes make her books ideal for repeat reads - not just for kids, but for kids-at-heart like me who linger just that extra few seconds to appreciate the beauty and explain it to the kids when they'd much rather keep on reading. Yes, I can be weird that way.

And, then, I rush over to the sweeter half and have him listen as I point out why this verse was hilarious and why that verse was just amazing. Did I say I can be a little weird at times?

Every family has their set of quirky members, from oddball to adorable. And the Sheep family is no exception. The book is a collection of poems, often funny and always clever, introducing us to the various members from sweet spring "Lambie Kins" to "Sister Alabaster" a Kung-Fu master (not to mention Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Judo); from odd Cousin Ephram (who wears sauerkraut instead of fur, don't ask) to Dear Hiram whose horns kept growing and growing.

Witty wordplay and catchy format make for a rollicking fun read. The very young might not get all the subtleties and nuances in the poems but will surely giggle at the bright and brilliant art by Mr. Ansley. The cheerful illustrations perfectly complement the poems.

"Aunt Ewegenia" who always makes ewesful things was an instant hit with the 5 year old as he immediately commented that it reminded him of "Pterosaurs" by Douglas Florian in the Dinothesaurs collection, another brilliant book. [Has Mr.Florian ever written&illustrated a non-brilliant book?!]

Many poems are silly and light and short, with a comfortable lilt which attracts the young.

Itchy 

Itchy is a little lamb 
His fleece is white as rice 
You wonder how he got his name? 
Just ask his fleas and lice!


All in all, a perfect book for continuing our study of poetry at home via brilliant picture books.

10 Bizarre and Spooky Poetry Books for Halloween

There is always this fine balance as parents to encourage what we think is healthy and positive while gently steering our children away from what we believe is undesirable.

While the younger child doesn't care much for "spooky stuff" unless it is funny, the older one cannot have enough of it, the darker the better. The younger one is excited about poetry (the rhyming kind) while the older could take it or leave, as long as it is a good read (by her definition, of course).

So, when we decided to explore a theme for October, it seemed like poetry books that celebrate the creepy while balancing it out with humor, was a natural choice.

Of course, it was unavoidable to run into "Hallowe'en" along the way - there are very few children's picture books about the menacing macabre theme without the implicit association with All Hallow's Eve.

As usual, we raided the local library and found what we could and read the books one after the other, in no particular order. Some of the books below are for 8+ while others might be just fine of the 5/6 year olds.

1. Your Skeleton is Showing: Rhymes of Blunder from Six Feet Under
by Kurt Cyrus
illustrated by Crab Scrambly


Hot off the press, so-to-speak, this book of poems is both bizarre and funny. Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt's October 2013 pick seems to appeal to the young and not-so-young alike.

A young boy wanders into a graveyard and encounters a lost dog - well, ghost of a lost dog who is looking for its (ghost) owner. As they wind their way through the graveyard, they 'meet' various other 'inhabitants' and learn a bit about how they each met their macabre fate. In the end, the boy finds what he was looking for as does the dog.

Freddie Diggs who would not stop picking his nose; Wanda Gripp who loved to hug everyone and didn't think twice about hugging an anaconda; High-wire Pete who couldn't tie a knot; we learn about them via hilarious poetry- about how they fell, or what they are up to in their afterlife.

Kurt Cyrus is not stranger in our house - quite a few of his books (written & illustrated!) are all-time favorites earning a firm spot on our bookshelf. While I am curious to know why Kurt didn't illustrate this book, or had he chosen to illustrate it how different would it be, I am very glad to see Crab Scrambly's presentation of the grisly mixed with the amusing.



2. Los Gatos Black on Halloween
by Marisa Montes
illustrated by Yuyi Morales


This bilingual poetry book has just enough spooky Spanish words to complete the reading experience. From context and the illustrations, we can glean the meaning easily even if the Spanish words are unfamiliar at first.

Under the bright full luna, a host of creatures go about: los gatos black emerge; las bruhas fly on their broomstick; los fantasmas rattle their chains and shriek their pains; los esqueletos rattle their bones and clatter in a dance; los muertos rise from the graves and join the others at the haunted casa for some music and dance on their one night of celebration.

However, the party stops when they hear a knock on the puerta. What disturbs them the most is los niños yelling "trick-or-treat"!

While the illustrations are rather darkish and mildly eerie, the humor in them counterbalances and adds a certain charm that complements the reading experience.

What a fun way to incorporate a second language into the reading experience!



3. Creature Carnival
by Marilyn Singer
illustrated by Gris Grimly


I have tremendous admiration for Marilyn Singer's poetry. Mirror, Mirror and its follow-up book Follow, Follow present Reverso poems that she pioneered.

From the inspiring collection of poems about nature in Footprints on the Roof and its companions How to Cross a Pond and Central Heating, to child-friendly non-fiction presentations like Bottoms Up! and Eggs, many of Ms.Singer's books have resonated with me as a parent.

What's not to like about creatures from myth, legend, and popular culture? From Godzilla to Dragons, a menagerie of animals are presented via clever and witty poems, possibly appealing to the older children and adults. The illustrations by Gris Grimly match the poems in wit and humor while highlighting the eerie and the  gruesome.



4. Skeleton Bones & Goblin Groans
Poems for Halloween
by  Amy E. Sklansky


I fell in love with Amy Sklansky's Out of this World poetry book about space.

This book is a collection of rather tame poems for the young, not too scary, and not too funny either, and all about Halloween as the subtitle says.

Some are perfect for the 5 year old to enjoy - like the one about Jack O'lantern and the one about what costume to wear for trick-or-treating.

I fell in love with the artwork in this book: beads and fabric!



5. Two Skeletons on the Telephone 
and Other Poems from Tough City
by Paul Duggan
illustrated by Daniel Sylvestre


Murphy the Rat immediately caught the attention of the 8 year old - the tough rat who calls out, "Here kitty, kitty" itching for a fight.

Murphy's Favorite Sayings is a short 4-liner that again reiterates Murphy's obsession with cats:

Murphy has a few sayings he loves to use,
Like "a stitch in time" or "tit for tat."
But the one that really expresses his view?
"There's more than one way to skin a cat."

Many of the poems are humorous and silly enough even if not laugh out loud funny. None of them are scary or gross, even if they might appeal better to an 8+ year old better.

Two skeletons on the telephone-
Yackety-yack all day.
Just a pair of empty heads
With nothing much to say. 
[Read the poem]



6. You Read to Me, I'll Read to You
Very Short Scary Tales to Read Together
By Hoberman, Mary Ann


Another wonderful book from the You Read To Me, I'll Read To You series, this is a collection of poems that two can read aloud taking turns, alternating the color-coded lines/verses. For example,
I'm a witch
A wicked witch
My hat and cape
Are black as pitch.

I'm the broomstick 

That she flies on.

I'm the broomstick

She relies on.

None of the poems are scary - the two-voiced poems are quite easy to read and fun to take turns and "act it out". The illustrations have a cartoonish charm while supplementing the reading experience.

[BookBrowse at Hatchett Book Group]



7. See My Lovely Poison Ivy
And Other Verses about Witches, Ghosts, and Things
by Lilian Moore
illustrated by Diane Dawson Hearn


The VSS Illustrator Interview features the wonderful Diane who illustrated this poetry collection by Lilian Moore (1909-2004).

Sometimes creepy just for the way it is conjures up images in our head, as Laura Purdy Salas shares, the poems are nevertheless ageless and timeless, and possibly appeal to 8+ age group.

Witches appear prominently, along with other creatures. The poems are clever and are presented from fresh and unique perspectives. I Left My Head reminded us of Shel Silvestein's The Loser in Where the Sidewalk Ends. Lost and Found was another interesting one where Lost: part announces the wizard's pet gone missing, please feed daily (p.s: Reward) and the Found: part announces a dragon breathing fire and eating 20 large meals a day, please come and get him (p.s: No reward needed.)


[image source: Visual Storyteller's Studio illustrator interview]



8. Halloween Hoots and Howls
by Joan Horton
illustrated by Joann Adinolfi


This is a delightful collection of poems. Some of them are quite silly and child-friendly and the 5 year old loved them.

Like the one about the pumpkin which starts,
"Woe is me," the pumpkin said / "They plucked me from my garden bed"

and goes on to describe the pumpkin getting its innards scooped out and then carved and then placed in a strategic spot which is infested with foul ghouls and ghosts, and in the end becomes a pumpkin pie, ending with, "They later baked me in a pie / And now they're eating me - Goodbye!"

And then there are a few that are quite perturbing and I skipped reading them to the younger child knowing his sensitivities. Like, the vampire poem which is short yet eerie:
"One waking vampire rising from his tomb / One thirsty vampire stalking through the gloom
... 
While you're fast asleep at night / He's searching for your room."

Of course, the 8 year old found all of them funny and silly - especially the gravestone ones like,
"Beneath the sea lies Captain Blank / A pirate made him walk the plank / He sank."

The illustrations are beautiful and amusing, not at all grim and dark.


9. The Gargoyle on the Roof
by Jack Prelutsky
illustrated by Peter Sis


Gargoyle, griffin, gremlin...
Werewolf, troll, basilisk...

Jack Prelutsky's brilliant style along with Peter Sis' quite terrifying illustrations made this perfect for the 8 year old. The humor does not come across easily and can be quite grim if taken literally sometimes.

Also, even some of the simpler references are probably more suited for older kids... like, the lonely troll who says he has brought his telephone so feel free to call him, especially since it is a "troll-free number" - the 8-yr old has no idea what a "toll-free number is" (possibly because I've not explained it to her yet and she has not had a need to know it), so the play on it is lost at first read.

Or, when the mother gargoyle sings her lullaby, "Dream your lovely daymares/ Where terror is delight" - if taken literally, it can get rather disturbing, but in the light of the whole poem where the mother tucks her babies in just as the sun comes up, when they'll all sleep like stones, it brings in a weird sort of smile to the reader just picturing this strange tenderness.



10. Witch Watch
by Paul Coltman
illustrated by Gillian McClure


Definitely more for the 9+ range, the entire book is a long poem that tells the story of a Cockney boy who is caught spying on his neighbor (witch) by hiding in a ditch, and is forced to do many chores.

The tough part was the accent - hard to read to translate to "understandable" English at times, but, all the more fun, as the older child has a fascination for the subtle differences in English accents (thanks to Doctor Who), along with a strong liking for all things Irish, Scottish, and Welsh.

Not exactly a fun read-aloud book, this is one of the tougher books in this pile here. The pictures are quite bizarre and filled with nuances that can be unsettling if the child is not ready for it.



Bonus:

11. By the Light of the Halloween Moon
by Caroline Stutson
illustrated by Kevin Hawkes


An all-time favorite, this book is a cumulative rhyming tale about a girl who is sought after by various unpleasant creatures, and how she stands up to them.

While not a collection of poems, the jaunty lilt in the text makes it a fun read-aloud book.

[Read More]



[image source (unless otherwise specified above): multcolib.org]

Ten Picture Books of Animal Poems

I was planning to write separate post for "Picture Books of Bird Poems", then decided that they are animals too, so, why not just be inclusive here...

The animal poetry books are listed here in no particular order. Some are for the older readers while others are easily enjoyed by all.


Feathers
Poems about Birds
by Eileen Spinelli
illustrated by Lisa McCue

Eileen Spinelli needs no introduction. Her Polar Bear, Arctic Hare is a firm favorite in our bookshelf.

The poems in Feathers are short and lyrical, and most a quite humorous, plus all of them are delightfully entertaining and educational - we learn a little about each bird as we chuckle at the apt titles. And, we might learn a bit about the various poetic forms from Haiku to Limerick to Cinquain.

The illustrations by Lisa McCue are bright, colorful and the birds are shown quite realistically in their natural habitat.

We learn about the somewhat unfamiliar lyrebird of New Zealand and plover, the wading bird of Egypt, as well as the familiar favorites like the crow and woodpecker and weaverbird.

[image source: Eileen Spinelli's website]


Birds of a Feather
by Jane Yolen
photographs by Jason Stemple

Jane Yolen has written such a wide range of children's books from Owl Moon, How Do Dinosaurs... books, Child of Faerie, Child of Earth, to Dragon's Blood, but her poetry collections seem to be lost in the mix somehow.

In Birds of a Feather, 14 stunning up-close photographs of birds are accompanied by creative and playful poems, and a brief paragraph of facts about each bird.

Haiku for a Cool Kingfisher

Hey, girl, fish lover,
Sitting on the dead gray tree,
Love the blue Mohawk.

With clever titles like Solitary Wood Duck, terns Galore, Regal Eagle, Cedar Waxwings Unmasked, we learn about the birds as much from the facts box as from the poem itself.

The poems probably will appeal to older children better as they can probably get some of the nuances.

[image source: google books]


Omnibeasts
Animal Poems and Paintings
by Douglas Florian

It looks like anything we get interested in, we invariably find a book by the prolific Mr.Florian!

As always, the illustrations are appealing. The poems are short and funny and quirky and weird at times. To give an example, there is one about Jaguarundi (a.k.a eyra cat native to Central and South America)

The jaguarundi hunts by day
Then sleeps inside its lair
And when it wakes it likes to play
In jaguarundi-wear

Sure to incite peals of laughter in the young. How can one go wrong with the "underwear" motif :)

Of course, not all of the poems are as silly. We learn about each animals as we take the poems in, one by one, wondering, Are these for real? 

Between the Jaguarundi, the Skink, and the Blenny, the fairly uncommon animals are covered. We also encounter the usual suspects like the cheetah, the porcupine, the armadillo, the bat, the tiger, the boar; and, some of the unusual like the mayfly, the daddy longlegs, and the chihuahua.

All in all, a fun read. The kind of book that brings joy to adults and kids alike. (At least in our household. And, at least for this adult.)

Also by Florian that we enjoyed: Mammalabilia, Beast Feast, and On The Wing.

[image source: scholastic]



National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry
200 Poems with Photographs That Squeak, Soar, and Roar!
edited by J.Patrick lewis

Essentially, this is a photo book. Full of breathtaking animal photos that we've come to expect from National Geographic.

And, it is also a magnificent poetry book. From thoughtful to playful, from silly to evocative, from classic to modern, the book presents poems by such poets as Emily Dickinson, Rober Frost, Lord Tennyson, J.Patrick Lewis, Jane Yolen, X.J.Kennedy, Georgia Heard, Jack Prelutsky, John Ciardi, to name a few.

The book starts with a section called "Welcome to the World."  The rest of the book is presented in sections titled "The Big Ones," "The Little Ones," "The Winged Ones," "The Water Ones," "The Strange Ones," "The Noisy Ones," and "The Quiet Ones," the book showcases a wide array of animals that naturally fit in each category. A section called "Final Thought" concludes the book.

Not all poems in an anthology can appeal equally. We pick and choose and relish what resonates with us. Considering there are 200 poems in this anthology, at least a few are sure to leave a lasting impression in the young minds.

[image source: National Geographic]


Animal Poems
by Valerie Worth
illustrated by Steve Jenkins

Twenty-three poems by Valerie Worth are presented in this posthumous collection of free verses that capture the qualities of each of the animals featured - from wasp to wren, jellyfish to star-nosed mole, porcupine to tiny snail, humming bird to blue whale.

The poems are rather sophisticated and may elude the very young. But, what might hold their attention is Steve Jenkins' stunning trademark cut-paper collage art work. That's the primary reason the younger child reached for this book, not the poems themselves as his leanings are towards Kenn Nesbitt's style.


[image source: MacMillan]


A Gopher in the Garden, and Other Animal Poems
by Jack Prelutsky
illustrations by Robert Leydenfrost

The Snake

Don't ever make
the bad mistake
of stepping on snake

because
his jaws

might be awake.

The Multilingual Mynah Bird, The Bengal Tiger, The Giggling Gaggling Gaggle of Geese, Do Not Confuse the Brindled Gnu are some of the teasing titles; and there are the usual The Owl, The Ostrich, The Rabbit etc.

Scramble was an instant favorite as the first stanza probably indicates why:

If the zebra were given the spots of the leopard
and the leopard the stripes of the zebra,
then the leopard would have to be renamed the zeopard,
and the zebra retitled the libra.

[image source: personal photograph]


Animal Mischief Poems
by Rob Jackson
illustrations by Laura Jacobsen

Words made up just to rhyme are tricky especially for the young whose vocabulary is still growing and they are trying to figure out if it is a "real" word or not. At the same time, thanks to Dr.Seuss' bold approach, such new words do work when done right, in a funny context.

The poems in this book are delightful and informative. Take for example Camels:

Consider now the dromedary,
Domesticated desert ferry
Piled high with heavy crates
It loses up to half its weight
Especially when dinner's late.

So far so good, but the next two lines are visually entertaining as the letters are arranged to show two humps in the first line and one hump in the second lines:

While other camels have two humps on their bactrian
The dromedary has just one, an interesting factrian.

"bactrian" and "factrian" is easily a giggle inducer for the 7/8 year olds who probably know this fact by now.

The one I liked, titled What's in a Name? wonders if the animals were named by men? Take for example the penguins - why are they King Penguins and Emperor Penguins and not Queen and Empress? And what about Gentoo - can we rename it in the sense of the ladies and not the gents?

Sidewinder was another appealing one because of its concrete/shape poetry format - the words are arranged on the page resembling the snaky zigzags of the creature stating, "If you've never seen a side winder, its track in sand will help you find her."

The illustrations complement the light-hearted poems well.

[image source: amazon.com]


Animal poems of the Iguazú poems
by Francisco X Alarcón
illustrations by Maya Christina Gonzalez

This bilingual poetry book is a treat to read, with side by side placement of Spanish original and English translation. The indigenous Guarani people have been fascinated with the Iguazú waterfalls in the northeastern part of Argentina. The author shares that he wrote these poems in a small notebook during his visits there - many of the plants and animal species are in serious danger of extinction and he hopes that these poems will motivate us to take action to protect and preserve the wild Iguazú  area.

The English version is simple, not heavy on rhyme or meter, mostly free verse, short and yet with a refreshing take. Example, Yacaré (Caiman):
on the rocks
of the Iguazú river
I'll always lie
under the sun
a smiling happy
caiman.

[Preview on Google]

[image source: Powells books]



There's a Babirusa in my Bathtub
Fact and Fancy about Curious Creatures
by Maxine Rose Schur
illustrated by Michael S. Maydak

You've heard of cats and you've heard of bats / And giraffes and zebras, of course.

Starts the book. And goes on to say, But outside the zoo what would you do / with an animals you didn't know? / Do you think you'd be frightened? / Or want to be enlightened? / If so... turn these pages and go!

And on page one, we encounter Babirusa. With the poem in one column and facts in the other, each page is a treat to read. And the picture accompanying it is realistically presented in the animal's natural habitat. Plus, there is a short paragraph of Fabulous Fact. "To prove who is the strongest, male babirusas stand on their hind legs and box each other."

Babirusa, Civet, Colugo, Jerboa,Kinkajou, Matamata, Tamandua, are some of the featured animals! Fairly uncommon and easily interesting.

Back of the book has activities based on the book. The popular one at home is the Hidden Picture challenge. Each page of illustration has something concealed in it - something alluded to in the poem. There's also a phonics and phonemic awareness activity. Also, an exercise to pick an animal from the list given, research them, and write an acrostic poem about its characteristics.

This is easily my top favorite so far for the format, the choice of animals, and the supplemental activities at the back. It is geared towards slightly older children, possibly Upper Elementary level.

[Preview at Dawn - click on the cover to look inside]

[image source: Dawn publications]


Alphabestiary (anthology)
collected  by Jane Yolen
illustrated by Allan Aitzen


As Jane Yolen shares in her blog, it is a labor of love - a collection 72 of kid-friendly animal poems from A to Z.

From Robert Louis Stevenson, Lilian Moore, Jack Prelutsky, John Ciardi, to Hilaire Belloc, Christina Rosseti, Ogden Nash, we encounter many familiar poets whose works we admire as adults and are eager to introduce to our kids.

In any A to Z presentation, it is tough to find something for Q, X, Y, Z, but Jane Yolen has rounded up quite a few for us.

[image source: Multcolib]

Also shared earlier:

Hotel Deep

Around the World on Eighty Legs

Cat Poems

Imaginary Menagerie

Five Picture Books of Space Poems

Poetry books can be a huge joy or a tricky proposition for kids, depending on the style and the subject/topic. The typical collection of silly yet very kid-relatable ones (Kenn Nesbitt!) are favored to the heavier, deeper, imagery-rich, evocative ones. However, there is always something to learn, no matter what the subject, style, or format.

Outer space holds a certain fascination for some kids, while it incites an inexplicable fear in some.The older child is not a fan of outer space, despite liking the premise and adventures of Doctor Who. The younger child cannot have enough of it. If he can measure and catalog all the objects in outer space, he'd have reached one goal in life.

Anyway, here are a few children's picture books about outer space, written in verse or as poetry collections, that fascinated us at home.


Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings
by Douglas Florian  (Author)

Douglas Florian became a household name of sorts when the then six year old took a fascination for Poetrees which probably is unrelated to my (not-so) subtle influence on her reading choices at that time.

We've read a few of his poems included in National Geographic's 200 Animal Poems book, and his poetry collections in Omnibeasts and Insects, Frogs and Polliwogs; and almost always, the illustrations take front-and-center for us in his poetry books.

Twenty poems celebrate celestial things in Comets..., including the now ostracized Pluto and the ever-enigmatic black hole. All the 8 major planets are covered, even the minor planets, and the usual galaxy, constellation, and our special star, the Sun. Short, funny, and often witty, the poems entertain in a kid-friendly way.

Jupiter's jumbo,
Gigantic,
Immense,
So wide
Side to side,
But gaseous, not dense. 
With some sixteen moons 
It's plainly prolific-- 
So super-dupiter
Jupiterrific!

The bigger attraction is the art work, not surprisingly. Die cut planets peek through the pages that feature dramatic collages that complement the poem. Quite a visual treat.

Galactic Glossary and further reading makes this an instructional collection.

A galaxy has stars galore:
A million, billion, even more.
Some galaxies are round, some flat.
Some form spirals, some seem fat.
Some are egg-shaped, some have bars.
All have stars, and stars, and stars.

Harcourt has a free downloadable Poetry Kit which has some useful Poetry Pointers from Mr.Florian.

7-Imp: Seven Questions over breakfast with Douglas Florian 

[image source: blaine.org]



Out of This World: Poems and Facts about Space
by Amy Sklansky
illustrated by Stacey Schuett

One of the poems at the beginning of the book set the tone for the little guy - he read it, laughed, then ran to his dad to share it, then came over to me asking me to read aloud the Facts about the layers of our atmosphere given on that page.

With the picture showing the layers of Earth's atmosphere, and a rocketship in motion on its way out, the poem simply states:
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Exosphere
(I'm outta here!)

S P A C E

Simply brilliant!

Every poem is clever and kindles the imagination, and the pictures by Stacey Schuett add fuel to the fire, which is refreshingly abated by the Facts included on each page.

[image source: amysklansky.com]


Stargazer's Alphabet
by John Farrell

With endless supply of objects in space, the Alphabet book can be a potential goldmine for writers. Despite favoring the popular names for the stars, Og often uses the orderly Bayer Designation for them in our "I'm thinking of a Star..." guessing game at dinner time so that the much-loved Sirius is Alpha Canis Majoris and his favorite Arcturus is Alpha Boötis.

From A is for Andromeda, we parade through the celestial objects alphabetically, ending in a rather predictable Z is for Zodiac. The rhyme and lilt make it a fun read. The accompanying color photographs and diagrams are visually appealing. Plus there is enough facts/information about each to keep the young minds interested.

[image source: boydsmillspress.com]



Night Wonders
by Jane Ann Peddicord

Traveling on a beam of light, the protagonist takes us through the wonders of outer space.

First stop, The Moon a.k.a Luna - the smiling face that greets us into outer space. While the whimsical poem conveys this idea, the short paragraph of facts on the page inform us that the craters make it seem like the moon has eyes and a lop-sided grin which, from ancient times, has probably been the inspiration for personifying our very own solitary moon as a smiley face.

We take a full trip and land back wondering what else is hiding out there for us to see..

[image source: charlesbridge.com]


Blast Off!: Poems About Space (I Can Read Book 3)
by Lee Bennett Hopkins
illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Mostly about Moon and rocket ship, this poetry anthology did not quite satisfy the kid or me. One or two caught our attention and made us sit up as we recognized the poets - viz., J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen.


Star Seeker: A Journey to Outer Space is another picture book much loved and oft-read from our bookshelf.

Six, Olinguipus, Oh My Shoe

A Kick in the Head started the poetry journey for the older child when she was about six-ish, and a year later, we did a study of how to write poetry at home just to demystify the process which led to her first poetry collection on Tide Pools, which just happened to be what she was interested in at that time.

Again, over this summer, the very same A Kick in the Head from our bookshelf sparked a wild interest in poetry for the younger child. We've been reading several poetry picture books (separate post coming soon) to serve as inspiration, the most-admired of which was Stardines.

Anyway, so far, the kid has produced 3 poetry books, each with about 10 to 12 poems, on various topics that caught his fancy. No strict rhyme scheme, no exercise in standard poetic forms; mostly bordering on the silly, composed extempore from free form rambling, nothing profound, nothing earth-shattering...

Just the fact that he initiated it and I simply acted as the typist/illustrator made it an enjoyable experience for me.

Olinguipus came right after reading Stardines - the inspiration to combine two known things and make a new thing: Olinguito and Octopus makes Olinguipus, Art is Arm and Foot. Illustrations were added to make the poems clear.

Oh My Shoe was possibly inspired by Shel Silverstein who happens to be the older child's favorite so far. As the Contents show,  a fairly wide set of topics are covered in this collection. Very few illustrations, mostly relying on the strength of the direct and simple words. I particularly liked The House They Lived In and I Have A Nose.

Six is the latest book and my favorite. No illustrations at all. As with the other books, one of the poem's title became the book's title. My favorites were Six, Longmouth Fish, Hummingbird, and Babirusa.