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#1 The Llama Who Had No Pajama: 100 Favorite Poems
1. Bibliography:
Hoberman, Mary Ann & Fraser, Betty. 1998. The Llama Who Had No Pajama: 100 Favorite Poems.
Orlando: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN-13:978-0152-00111-7
2. Plot Summary:
An extensive collection of poems that encompasses an array of topics that are appealing to children, including childhood experiences, animals, and play.
3. Critical Analysis:
The Llama Who Had No Pajama is a delightful collection of poems by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Betty Fraser. The collection of a hundred poems include selections about family, animals, and play. The selections are humorous, silly and lots of fun with topics that interest children. One example is the poem Brother with four clever rhyming couplets with key rhyming
words like "brother, mother, bother, another" giving the poem a flowing sound. This is a wonderful tongue twister and most children will certainly relate to this poem about "the little bother of a brother." The language is simple and easy for children to understand. The rhythms are lively, moving, and energetic. However, all of the poems do not have the same rhythm. Some of the poems have short lines like "Dear little/Mere little/ Merry little/ Meadow mouse"capturing the quick movement of a mouse and others have long couplets creating more of a lyrical flow like the poem The Birthday bus "My birthday is coming and I will be six; I'd like a new bike and some peppermint sticks. " The animal poems are very child centered . For example, the expert use of language in the poem Giraffes capture in essence the reasoning of a child " Because/ Because/ Because, That's why I like giraffes". Fraser used simple detailed watercolor illustrations that are not overwhelming but complement the poems. There is a glossary and also an index of first lines which is very helpful. This precious collection that explores the wonders of childhood is sure to be a favorite.
4. Review Excerpts and Awards:
School Library Journal:
"Covering everything from centipedes to whales, from swinging on swings to ice-skating in winter, from eating applesauce to celebrating birthdays, the delightful poems in this extensive collection convey the experiences of childhood with a fresh timelessness."
Goodreads:
"Very cute book of poems for children. My boys actually enjoyed many of these poems and poetry is not normally their thing."
The Horn Book Review:
"Although perhaps best taken in small doses, this collection of some forty years of Hoberman verse is a charmer."
Awards:
Poetry Foundation Children’s Poet Laureate 2008-2010
Gold Award Winner – 1998 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA)
Best Books of the Year – Child Magazine
Connections:
Mary Ann Hoberman is also the author of You Read to me, I'll Read to You Very Short Mother Goose Tales to Read Together which is a collection of popular Mother Goose nursery rhymes with a twist. It is very amusing, and will definitely produce lots of giggles. The illustrations are hilarious, detailed and colorful. The collection is also very child centered like The Llama Who had No Pajama..with clever rhymes and lively rhythms. It also has a helpful table of contents. The funny hand clapping rhyme of Miss Mary Mack is also a fun board book and an extended poem that young children will enjoy.
Activities:
Activity # 1:
The animal poems can serve as an introduction to a unit about animals. Each year we take our Pre-kindergarten students on field trip to the zoo. Before going to the zoo, different zoo animals can be featured. The poems can be used as a way of introducing the individual animals. The poems give detailed descriptions of animals. For example, the poem Giraffes describes the physical characteristics of the giraffe as well as its gentle nature. Ask open-ended questions such as: What did you notice about this animal?What do you like best about this animal? Why? What else would you like to learn about this animal?
Activity # 2:
The poems Brother and My sister saw a Dinosaur can be paired with books about the family. In early childhood, the family is very popular and an important topic . we read literature about parents, grandparents and the family in general. Fiction as well as non-fiction books are read. Read the poem. Ask open-ended questions such as: What do you think about this poem? What do you think about when you listen to this poem? What do you like best about this poem? Why? Have the children create their own illustration that would best complement the poem.
Children's Response:
The animal poems was a favorite among the children. The children in my pre-kindergarten class were curious about the animals and wanted to know more. They especially loved the poem Giraffes . They liked that he had a long neck and that he ate leaves. They connected the poem to a lesson we did on living things and said that the giraffe needed water and food to live. My eight year old son's favorite was A Catch. He liked the "squiggly" worm on the hook and the fact that the fish would be caught.
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#2 Central Heating poems about fire and warmth
1. Bibliography:
Singer, Marilyn & So, Meilo. 2005. Central Heating poems about fire and warmth. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-375-92912-6
2. Plot Summary:
A collection of poems that examines the nature of fire and heat. Nineteen poems that describe fire as a force of nature, heat, warmth, comfort, and inspiration.
3. Critical Analysis:
Central Heating poems about fire and warmth is a unique approach to the subject of fire. From the destructive force of a forest fire, prairie fire, erupting volcano and the power of a fire breathing dragon to the warm glow of a firefly. Singer's entries are energetic, moving and awe inspiring. For example the poem Inspiration with its short lines " No bomb/ No bazooka/ No dynamite.." captures the rhythm of a quick spark. The poem Contradictions gives one a feeling of warmth and comfort as Singer speaks of "a candle's cozy flickering" and "the burst of July fire works that unites a wide-eyed town" but one can also experience a sense of terror contemplating the horror of " a forest burning down." The language is vivid and meaningful as Singer connects to ordinary things such as candles, fire flies, a backyard grill, and electricity. Singer uses free verse but also includes rhythm and rhyme. The poem Hot Water with its short rhyming couplets with words like "fauna /sauna" and "perspire/fire" has a flowing sound and creates a relaxing image. Singer also includes a table of Contents which is very helpful. The illustrator, So, uses bold lines and washes and also the color red to create a simple but dramatic effect that compliments each poem. The color red fortifies the image of heat and fire. This collection of poems is sure to be a "hot" item.
4. Review Excerpts and Awards:
School Library Journal:
"Gr 4-7 The complicated nature of fire is explored in Singer's energetic short poems and So's deceptively simple single-color illustrations. Surprising subjects include birthday candles (a child wants to watch them burn "to give each little flame/its full glory"; chili peppers ("Will nothing suffice/to put out the fire/from one bit of spice?/..."
Kirkus Reviews:
"From the author of Cold (2009), another engaging, easy-to-read, free-ranging exploration of a natural phenomenon."
Goodreads:
"As a companion volume to her poetry collections about earth and about water, Marilyn Singer now examines the nature of fire, an overlooked subject in the realms of poetry. From forest fires and prairie fires to the fires on backyard grills; from chili peppers to birthday candles; to jack-o-lanterns, menorahs, Christmas lights, and holidays around the earth; to dragons who..."
Awards:
ALA Notable Books for Children (2006)
5. Connections:
Marilyn Singer also wrote a wonderful poem about water and nature. In How to Cross a Pond: Poems about water, Singer explores the nature of water. From gentle brooks to the powerful ocean, Singer captures the various facets of water as she does with fire in her book of poems Central Heating: poems about fire and warmth. The selections are also free- style verses and rhyming couplets. Both book of poems deal with the intricacies of nature and both can address topics across the curriculum. Singer uses clear, meaningful words and flowing sounds in both books of poetry.
Activities:
Activity # 1:
The poem Fire Fighter can be paired with an informational text about fire fighters. The poem is very descriptive and includes the tools fire fighters use and the danger of their jobs. After reading the poem ask open-ended questions like How did this poem make you feel? What did you think about fire fighters after reading this poem? Please explain? Can you think of something specific this poem reminded you of? What did you like best about this poem? Why? What would you like to learn about fire fighters?
Activity # 2:
The poem Summer Magic can be used as an extension of a unit about insects. Read the poem but don't read the last line. Ask the children what they think the poem is about? Why? Read the last line after the children have explained their answer. Why do you think the poet wrote this poem? What clues did the poet give in the poem that indicated that the poem was about a fire fly? Have each student pick an insect and research the characteristics of the insect and then create a short poem about the insect.
Children's Response:
The poem Dragon and Fire Fighters were a favorites.
The children were intrigued by the power of the dragon and the bravery of the fire fighters. Most of the poems were above the level of a four year old. However, the four year olds, 8 year old and 13 year old could all relate to the poem Fire Fighters.
Resources used:
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# 3 The Lightning Dreamer
1. Bibliography:
Engle, Margarita. 2013. The Lighting Dreamer. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ISBN 978-0-547-80743-0
2. Plot Summary:
Novel in verse about a fictional biography of a famous Cuban poet. Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda, known as Tula was a Cuban abolitionist poet who dared to speak out against injustice. In this verse novel, Engle focuses on Tula's life as a teenager.
3. Critical Analysis:
The verses are written in multiple voices which is brilliant as the novel unfolds like a play. Engle provides an historical background which set the stage for the verses that follow. There is also a helpful table of contents and the novel is divided into five parts. The first part, Suns and Rays 1827, introduces the thirteen year old Tula and the dilemma she faces. Tula is expected to conform to the world around her were a woman is expected to be silent and serve her husband. Women had no voice, they couldn't vote, were forced into loveless arranged marriages and girls were not allowed an education. Tula discovers banned books by a rebel poet that reaches her soul. In part two, The Orphan Theater, 1827 we get a glimpse of the orphans and the consequences of forbidden love. In Part three, The Marriage Market, 1828, Tula faces an arrange marriage but she rejects her suitor. In part four, See me as I Am, 1829, Tula is banned to her grandfather's plantation because of her independent spirit. Tula finally falls in love but it is not to be, it is forbidden. Lastly in part five, The Hotel of Peace, 1836, Tula is on a ship headed to Spain. She decides to "fight back with strong words." Engle's remarkable book is written entirely in free style verses. She tells the story in less than 175 pages. She cleverly writes in the first person from the point of view of different characters. She deals with issues like slavery, the suppression of women and forbidden love. She gives a voice to a community who had none. Engle celebrates the human spirit that cries to be free. Her words evoke vivid imagery as one can picture a feisty outspoken young girl , a frustrated mother, a loving brother, a motherly cook(freed slave), wise and caring nuns, and a kind and loving half-African freed slave.
4. Reviews and Awards:
Goodreads:
“I find it so easy to forget / that I’m just a girl who is expected / to live / without thoughts.” Opposing slavery in Cuba in the nineteenth century was dangerous. The most daring abolitionists were poets who veiled their work in metaphor. Of these, the boldest was Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, nicknamed Tula. In passionate, accessible verses of her own, Engle evokes the...
"
School Library Journal:
" Gr 6 Up—Engle has produced a fabulous work of historical fiction about Cuban poet, author, antislavery activist and feminist Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda. Written in free verse, the story tells of how Tula, which was her childhood nickname, grows up in libraries, which she calls "a safe place to heal/and dream…," influenced by the poetry of José María Heredia. In Tula's voice, Engle writes, "Books are door shaped/portals/carrying me/across oceans/and centuries,/helping me feel/less alone." She takes elements from Aland's novel Sab, which is believed to be autobiographical, and creates a portrait..."
Kirkus reviews:
"An inspiring fictionalized verse biography of one of Cuba's most influential writers."
Awards:
- Newbery Honor
- PEN Literary Award
5. Connections:
The Poet Slave of Cuba A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano is a lyrical biography of a slave in Cuba who escapes and becomes a celebrated poet. This book also uses multiple voices. It is also a book about slavery and the enduring human spirit. In both novels, we see the important contributions of poets as they speak out against injustice. This is also a free verse biography, however it is not a fictional biography.
Activities:
Activity # 1:
Have the students read both novels and use a VENN diagram or another graphic organizer of choice to compare and contrast the novels. Guide the students by asking open ended questions such as What did you think about these poems? How did you feel after reading them? Explain? What similarities and differences did you notice between the two?
Activity # 2:
Readers theater. After discussing the novel The Lightning Dreamer, explore how the students felt after reading the poem and what they thought about the poem. Have the students do a readers theater. Assign the role of each voice in the novel. Have the students journal how they felt as they read their part.
Children's response:
My eight grade son liked the novel. He liked the layout and how it was organized. He said the book made sense. He found the verses to be very thought provoking.
Resources used:
http://www.amazon.com
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