Selected by: Jack Prelutsky
Illustrated by: Jane Manning
Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8
Themes: Fiction, Poetry, Picture Book
Summary:
A collection of 18 children's poems by a varitey of authors on various school day topics such as: counting down the minutes to recess, a malfunctioning water fountain, getting called on by the teacher, show-and-tell, and what is really in the school lunch? The poems, combined with Manning's illustrations, provide a humuorous look into a child's view of a shool day.
Children will enjoy these poems as they can relate to the topics. The rhyming patterns are simple and the the pictures amusing. Pretlutsky definitely had an understanding of young children when he chose the poems to include in his book. Children will not be able to keep their eyes off of the pictures as they listen to the rhymes.
Suggestions for the Classroom:
This would be a wonderful book to use with children when teaching rhyming words and poetry. The poems are simple and young children can relate to the topics. While each poem has to do with school, there are a wide varitey of topics within the book to provide more inspiration for the children.
This book would also be wonderful to use with children to practice the skill of making predictions. Students who do not have the skills to read this book independently would definitely be able to guess to the topic of each poem due to the wonderfully elaborate pictures.
*Pre-Reading Activities: Dicuss with children how to identify if words rhyme (they have the same ending sounds). Begin a list with the children of rhyming words on the board. Tell them that "Poems are stories that use sometimes use rhyming words. Today I am going to share with you a Poem that has rhyming words."
*During Reading: Select one poem from the book to share with the students (The Drinking Fountain). Show students the illustrations before you begin to read. Give students any opportunity to tell you what the predict the poem will be about. You may ask leading questions to get the desired response (a drinking fountain): Where is the little girl? How do you think she get wet? Then Read the poem to the students. Point out to the students that often the pictures give us good clues to what the story may be about.
*Post-Reading Activities: Ask students if they were able to hear any rhyming words. As they identify rhyming word pairs, write them on a Post-It note and put it in the book. If necessary, read the poem again, stopping after each set of four lines to ask students for rhyming word pairs.
After practicing this for a few days, using a different selection from the book each day, I would model writing a rhyming poem with the students. Then I would give them an opportunity to write their own rhyming poem about school, completed with an illustration. I would save a copy of each students poem and make our very own collection of poetry.
About the Author:
Jack Prelutsky admits that as a child he never did like poetry and he likens it to a teacher who made it "about as exciting to liver". Instead he loved to draw pictures and later in his life began to write poems to go with his pictures. While others fell in love with his poems, they unfortunately did not fall in love with his pictures. He has proudly written poetry for 30 years and continues to inspire children with his poems (I imagine that this is his audience due to the experience he had as a child with poetry) Prelutsky maintains and interactive website that caters to both children and adults, complete with: poems, letters he has received, a biography, pictures of his family, sports trading cards that he has made which are complete with poems, and lesson plan ideas for teachers.
About the Illustrator:
Jane Manning has illustrated both children's picture books as well as chapter books, including: The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches, Pip Sqeak, Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar and Drip Drop. She currently lives in Deep River, Connecticut where she continues to write, illustrate, and take photographs for children's books.
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