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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, October 18, 2013

Poetry Friday - A Review of Zoo's Who

Douglas Florian is a poet and artist who has created many books of poetry for children. Many of his poems are clever, unique, and funny, and they show children that creating poetry does not require that you follow 'the rules.' If you love words, you can find your own way to create poems that a joy to read and to listen to, which is what he has done in this animal centric poetry collection.

zoo's whoZoo’s Who
Douglas Florian
Poetry Picture Book
For ages 5 to 8
Harcourt, 2005, 0-15-204639-9
Children love drawing animals, learning about them, and pretending to be creatures of all kinds Many of their favorite book characters are animals, and it is hard to imagine what the world would be like if Maisy the mouse, Babar the elephant, and Paddington the bear were not with us.
   In this picture book artist and poet, Douglas Florian, introduces us to twenty-one kinds of animals. We get to attend a zoological meet-and-greet that is highly entertaining and amusing.
   We begin with The Lizards, the creatures who like to “bask” and whose favorite food sounds so unsavory that one is better off not asking any questions about it. The next animal we meet is an altogether different kind of creature. It is the eagle, and it has a very high opinion of itself. It seems to think that it is “royal” and “regal” and that its existence proves that “All birds are not / Created eagle.”
   The penguin, which is also a bird, is a lot less bothered about keeping up appearances. This funny looking animal happily slides down snowy hills on its belly, and when it is really cold it is not too proud to “huddle with its friends.”
   Children are going to laugh out loud as they read these poems. They will come across many animals that they already know about, and they will also meet some animals that are new to them.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

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