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[The authors] found that 60 percent of the kindergartners in neighborhoods where children did poorly in school did not... More
Summary: This book is filled with poems about oddly-shaped and named animals. For example, “Underslung Zath” about an animal who needs to take a bath. This illustrated collection of humorous poems is the first by award-winning author Shel Silverstein.
Type of Reading: bedtime story, family reading, anytime reading, read aloud book, early reader, reluctant reader
Recommended Age: read together: 4 to 10; read yourself: 8 and up
Interest Level: 7 to 10
Age of Child: Read with a 5-year-old girl.
Little Kid Reaction: My daughter's comments about the illustrations were that they were funny-looking, with gross animals. She didn’t like the odd animal names and most of the poems. In one poem (about catching an animal in a box), she commented that everyone knows that's what you do, so why write a poem?
Big Kid Reaction: I didn't like this book at all. It was really hard to read. Some of the words were tough to say and most of the poems made no sense. I was surprised that she didn’t at least like the pictures. I had to read this to her in about four sittings so she would finish the whole book. I took the opportunity to show her that just because you don’t like or understand a book you should still give it a chance and try to pick something positive about it.
Pros: If you are looking for a reading challenge, not just a quick fun story, this is a book you should try.
Cons: There are lots of weird names for odd-looking animals. It isn't a fun read, and in fact it can get tedious.
Borrow or Buy: Borrow. This is a unique type of poetry that won't appeal to everyone.
Educational Themes: This is book you can use to explore poetry, humor (what is funny to one person may be boring to another), and unusual animals.
Literary Categories: Fiction - poetry, humor
Date(s) Reviewed: May 2009
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