"Eek, you reek,
You make a funk.
Where you have been
Things stink, stank, stunk.
You've left a path,
A swath of smell,
And--yuk!
You did it very well."
Oh, you know them! Those students who just can't wait to get their hands on, and their tongues around this series of poems that Jane Yolen and her daughter Heide have written for their entertainment and education. They will want to regale everyone in the class with poems about the gross animals large and small that make the world a much smellier place. Here's the finish to the title poem:
"But do not wail
For what you've done,
For you are not
The only one.
The awful stench
You've left behind
Is shared by others
Of your kind.
Eek, you reek,
Your anger's spent
No longer worth
Another scent."
There are thirteen more poems ... each one accurately describing with delight others in the animal world known for their odor. Some are large, some are tiny; some are known, others less so; some use their scent to fend off predators, others to attract a mate: all are SMELLY!
I will admit I read each one a few times, and often chuckled. There is variety in the poetic form, while all accurately describe in well-chosen language the animal in question. Funny, rhythmic and entertaining as all get out, they are accompanied by digital art that is textural and boldly colored. You can almost imagine the reek!
Back matter includes thumbprint sketches and scientific names, along with a short paragraph of pertinent detail concerning each of the chosen creatures, a glossary of smelly words and even more, and a list of books for further reading.
Who Dares Eat A Skunk?
Great horned owls
Devour skunks.
They eat them up
in bite-sized chunks.
Because owl's got
No sense of smell,
Even foul
Can go down well."
No comments:
Post a Comment