For those children who have memorized all of Shel Silverstein’s poems (and for those adults who have heard enough of them), here’s a substantial collection of humorous poetry in Silversteinian style, complete with black-and-white line drawings on the half Shel (similar to his style, but not as successful). Kennedy (Elefantina’s Dream, 2002, etc.) divides the 86 rhyming poems into sections by subject, including themes of family members, animals, unusual characters, food, and dinosaurs. Two poems (“Mixed-up School” and “One Winter Night in August”) as well as several limericks are naturals for classroom use, along with other poems that make use of fairy tale or mythological characters. The works range in length and difficulty from just four lines to two pages, and the poems also span a range of quality from excellent to amusing but lightweight, with a few that sacrifice some meaning or natural language patterns to the rhyme scheme. Many of the poems are reprinted from other collections by Kennedy, and some have also been previously included in popular anthologies. Allen (My Best Friend Bear, 2001, etc.) has her own amusing style for her most of her line illustrations, though some of her work looks too close to Silverstein’s for comfort, especially in the same genre. Large collections of light, entertaining poetry of this sort have a built-in audience; recommended for most poetry collections in school and public libraries. (Poetry. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-316-38423-2
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2002
A little girl is going with her daddy to visit the home of Langston Hughes. She too is a poet who writes about the loves of her life—her mommy and daddy, hip-hop, hopscotch, and double-dutch, but decidedly not kissing games. Langston is her inspiration because his poems make her “dreams run wild.” In simple, joyful verse Perdomo tells of this “Harlem girl” from “Harlem world” whose loving, supportive father tells her she is “Langston’s genius child.” The author’s own admiration for Hughes’s artistry and accomplishments is clearly felt in the voice of this glorious child. Langston’s spirit is a gentle presence throughout the description of his East 127th Street home and his method of composing his poetry sitting by the window. The presentation is stunning. Each section of the poem is part of a two-page spread. Text, in yellow, white, or black, is placed either within the illustrations or in large blocks of color along side them. The last page of text is a compilation of titles of Hughes’s poems printed in shades of gray in a myriad of fonts. Collier’s (Martin’s Big Words, 2001, etc.) brilliantly complex watercolor-and-collage illustrations provide the perfect visual complement to the work. From the glowing vitality of the little girl, to the vivid scenes of jazz-age Harlem, to the compelling portrait of Langston at work, to the reverential peak into Langston’s home, the viewer’s eye is constantly drawn to intriguing bits and pieces while never losing the sense of the whole. In this year of Langston Hughes’s centennial, this work does him great honor. (Poetry. 6-10)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-8050-6744-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
With an eye toward easy memorization, Katz gathers over 50 short poems from the likes of Emily Dickinson, Valerie Worth, Jack Prelutsky, and Lewis Carroll, to such anonymous gems as “The Burp”—“Pardon me for being rude. / It was not me, it was my food. / It got so lonely down below, / it just popped up to say hello.” Katz includes five of her own verses, and promotes an evident newcomer, Emily George, with four entries. Hafner surrounds every selection with fine-lined cartoons, mostly of animals and children engaged in play, reading, or other familiar activities. Amid the ranks of similar collections, this shiny-faced newcomer may not stand out—but neither will it drift to the bottom of the class. (Picture book/poetry. 7-9)
Pub Date: March 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-525-47172-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2004
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