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Dear Book Lovers, Welcome! I am delighted that you have found The Through the Looking Glass blog. For over twenty years I reviewed children's literature titles for my online journal, which came out six times a year. Every book review written for that publication can be found on the Through the Looking Glass website (the link is below). I am now moving in a different direction, though the columns that I write are still book-centric. Instead of writing reviews, I'm offering you columns on topics that have been inspired by wonderful books that I have read. I tell you about the books in question, and describe how they have have impacted me. This may sound peculiar to some of you, but the books that I tend to choose are ones that resonate with me on some level. Therefore, when I read the last page and close the covers, I am not quite the same person that I was when first I started reading the book. The shift in my perspective might be miniscule, but it is still there. The books I am looking are both about adult and children's titles. Some of the children's titles will appeal to adults, while others will not. Some of the adult titles will appeal to younger readers, particularly those who are eager to expand their horizons.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Poetry Friday - A review of Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku

For today's poetry title I have a collection of haiku that are unique and often very funny. As they read through this book, children will enjoy exploring this interesting poetry form .

J. Patrick Lewis
Illustrated by Tricia Tusa
Poetry Picture Book
For ages 5 to 8
Little Brown, 2006, 978-0316607315
If you are expecting simple and elegant haiku about matters of great importance and meaning, then you will have to look elsewhere, for in this book you will find nonsense senryu that are full of wit, wordplay and outlandish humor. The poets who created these funny flights of fancy write about things that are ridiculous, things from everyday life, and things that are completely improbable.
   For example, on one page we read about a boy whose sister gets a "complete makeover," and then on the next we read about some children whose "freedom vanishes" when the babysitter comes over. These are everyday situations that we can all identify with.
   Then, at the other end of the spectrum - in the realm of the fantastical - there is the poem about a mother hippopotamus and her baby who sit in front of the TV eating French fries. On another page we see a the old grumpy bear who listens to "Mom and Dad snoring." These are completely improbable and deliciously amusing situations to imagine.
   To go with these unique poems, Tricia Tulsa has created a wonderful series of illustrations that are full of humor, outlandishness, and charm. The combination of the poems and the artwork tickles the funny bone, and readers will see that poetry does not have to be serious to have an impact.
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