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Lion Stew! Humorous Children's Poems

A spot-on pairing of poetry and art sure to promote laughter and intergenerational bonding.

Debut author Ellis and illustrator Chambers-Goldberg (Paul Bunyan, 2011, etc.) channel Shel Silverstein in this collection of 26 humorous poems illustrated with droll black-and-white line drawings.

Many of these poems will send their 5-and-up audience into fits of giggles. “Fresh Cut Grass,” in which a man has grass for hair, can’t help but plant hilarious imagery in young minds: “I take great pleasure in my lawn and love to watch it grow. / The only thing I do not like is when it’s time to mow.” The perspective in these poems is perfectly kidlike. “Grandma’s Old Chair,”—which just may be alive and hungry—and “The Greatest Dive Never” might send adult readers spinning back to their childhoods as well. In the very short “Snow” —“I went to play in the snow today, / but had no fun at all. / The snow is almost four feet deep, / and I’m just three feet tall.”—the accompanying art shows the tip of a tasseled cap and two up-stretched, mittened hands. A few of the poems, including “Head Swallower,” stand out for their original premises: “Today I swallowed my own head, / and now it sits inside my tummy. / The bad news is it’s really dark. / The good news is I taste quite yummy.” Several poems have wicked twists: “The Great Bug Squasher” actually becomes the squashee. Mostly, the rhythm is regular and the rhyme is perfect; only occasionally does the regular meter falter, as in “Monster Under My Bed”: “A monster lives under my bed / and now I can’t sleep anymore. / It’s not because I’m scared of him / it’s just because of his loud snore.” More variation of the rhyming couplet structure would be welcome. A handful of entries, like “The World’s Shortest Rhyme” and “The Dance,” aren’t quite up to the standard set by the rest, but with nearly faultless poems like “Rain in Candy Land,” readers will forgive such quibbles.

A spot-on pairing of poetry and art sure to promote laughter and intergenerational bonding.

Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2012

ISBN: 978-1477613481

Page Count: 34

Publisher: CreateSpace

Review Posted Online: April 22, 2013

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A LIBRARY

A lushly illustrated homage to librarians who provide a welcome and a home away from home for all who enter.

A love letter to libraries.

A Black child, with hair in two puffballs tied with yellow ribbons, a blue dress with a Peter Pan collar, and black patent leather Mary Janes, helps Grandmother with the housework, then, at Grandmother’s suggestion, heads to the library. The child’s eagerness to go, with two books under an arm and one in their hand, suggests that this is a favorite destination. The books’ wordless covers emphasize their endless possibilities. The protagonist’s description of the library makes clear that they are always free to be themselves there—whether they feel happy or sad, whether they’re reading mysteries or recipes, and whether they feel “quick and smart” or “contained and cautious.” Robinson’s vibrant, carefully composed digital illustrations, with bright colors that invite readers in and textures and patterns in every image, effectively capture the protagonist’s passion for reading and appreciation for a space where they feel accepted regardless of disposition. In her author’s note, Giovanni states that she spent summers visiting her grandmother in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she went to the Carnegie Branch of the Lawson McGhee Library. She expresses gratitude for Mrs. Long, the librarian, who often traveled to the main library to get books that Giovanni could not find in their segregated branch. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A lushly illustrated homage to librarians who provide a welcome and a home away from home for all who enter. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-358-38765-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Versify/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022

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DIGGER, DOZER, DUMPER

While there are many rhyming truck books out there, this stands out for being a collection of poems.

Rhyming poems introduce children to anthropomorphized trucks of all sorts, as well as the jobs that they do.

Adorable multiethnic children are the drivers of these 16 trucks—from construction equipment to city trucks, rescue vehicles and a semi—easily standing in for readers, a point made very clear on the final spread. Varying rhyme schemes and poem lengths help keep readers’ attention. For the most part, the rhymes and rhythms work, as in this, from “Cement Mixer”: “No time to wait; / he can’t sit still. / He has to beg your pardon. / For if he dawdles on the way, / his slushy load will harden.” Slonim’s trucks each sport an expressive pair of eyes, but the anthropomorphism stops there, at least in the pictures—Vestergaard sometimes takes it too far, as in “Bulldozer”: “He’s not a bully, either, / although he’s big and tough. / He waits his turn, plays well with friends, / and pushes just enough.” A few trucks’ jobs get short shrift, to mixed effect: “Skid-Steer Loader” focuses on how this truck moves without the typical steering wheel, but “Semi” runs with a royalty analogy and fails to truly impart any knowledge. The acrylic-and-charcoal artwork, set against white backgrounds, keeps the focus on the trucks and the jobs they are doing.

While there are many rhyming truck books out there, this stands out for being a collection of poems. (Picture book/poetry. 3-6)

Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-7636-5078-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: May 28, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013

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