The Poet's Dog by Patricia MacLachlan

4 stars
jf/yf
short story/novella
received for review (not even all that long ago)
bookclub

A cute story about a dog, 2 kids, and poets.

As is often the case with short stories (technically this is probably a novella, but it feels like a short story) I'm left wanting a little more.

But in this case only a very little. ;)

Overall, short and sweet and you should pick it up.

Being Human by Julia Gari Weiss

4 stars
poetry
(some language)
received for review (this one hasn't even been around my house that long)

A short but poignant collection of poems.

Most are more melancholy, but overall they are a decent representation of the human condition.

And I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the cover art.

all the words are yours by tyler knott gregson

haiku on love

4 stars
received for review

Yes, some of them are a little cheesy.

Yes, some of them are a little more specifically about sex.

Yes, they get repetitive.

But overall, I really enjoyed this little collection.

My favorites:

You Are More than Words
And the letters that Make them,
You Are Poetry.


I wish I had more,
more letters, more words, more time
to write all you are.


Love me as I am,
see me for who I will be,
forgive who I was.


I'm passing my copy on to a friend who runs Unbox Love and The Loveumentary.  If you aren't familiar you should definitely go check them out.  (Dates would be a pretty awesome thing to give for Christmas, right?)

Picture Book Round-up

Random edition, lol

So obviously the month of reviewing Beehive nominees didn't cover everything... by a long shot.  But hey... we're still working our way through...

Today our round-up features 2 nominees.

The President's Stuck in the Bathtub
Poems about the Presidents
By Susan Katz

Boo, Mister, and I quite enjoyed this one.  There is a poem and a little factoid about each president.

Some are more amusing than others, though overall it's a really fun book.

Definitely for the elementary crowd, though, not the preschoolers.


How to Babysit a Grandpa
by Jean Reagan

Super super cute.  This is an adorable guide to babysitting Grandpa while Mom and Dad go out.
Very fun, totally recommended.


On a Beam of Light
A Story of Albert Einstein
by Jennifer Berne

An interesting, if simple, text all about Albert Einstein.  I think this one is a tricky fit for kids, though... kind of too much for preschoolers (unless they're really into science maybe?) but a bit too simplistic for Boo... so I'm not sure where the right fit is.  Early elementary, maybe?  Like K-1st?
Not sure.

Beehive Nominees: Poetry: Part 1

BookSpeak: Poems About Books
by Laura Purdie Salas
5 stars

I love poems about books.  I mean, how could I not, right?
The Cliffhanger poem is especially fabulous.

Boo says: 5 stars
Mister says: too long

Shiver Me Timbers! Pirate Poems and Paintings
by Douglas Florian
4 stars

This is a cute collection of pirate-y poems, which is guaranteed success at my house.  Some are very clever, some felt a bit redundant.

Boo says: 10 stars
Mister says: 10,000 stars!

Twosomes: Love Poems from the Animal Kingdom
by Marilyn Singer
3.5 stars

Super short, cute enough, but just not a lot to it.  Each page is a two-line "poem" about a different animal.  Some of them are pretty funny.

Boo says: 3 stars
Mister says: didn't want to read it

Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate

4 stars
JF

Read this with a box of kleenexes.

Just saying.

This touching verse novel tells of a boy from the Sudan who comes to America straight from a refugee camp.  His father and brother were killed right in front of him and he has no idea where his mother is... or even if she is alive.

It's reminiscent of Inside Out and Back Again, to be sure, but from a boy's perspective and possibly more painful.

Overall, definitely enjoyed and recommended, but like I said, have tissues handy.

Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant [and] Scranimals by Jack Prelutsky

5 stars (each)

Like Stardines, these books of poetry combine animals and objects and hilarity ensues.

All of my kids have really enjoyed both of these titles.

Scranimals is a touch long for the younger crowd and overall they are both better for preschool/elementary kids rather than toddlers.

Really really entertaining, though.

I would say these are a good recommendation for a reluctant reader. :)

Notes of a Tourist on Planet Earth by JD Smith

Copy received for review

3 stars
R-4

This one was actually hard to rate.  It's a little book made up of poems, essays, stories, etc... and some totally deserve 5 stars... and others I didn't get.

And I didn't read the one on bestiality.

So yeah, definitely a lot of "adult content" though the one about visiting a dominatrix was actually a) not really dirty and b) really kind of interesting.

The section of stories people have told him in his travels felt confusing because there's no context.  And they're written in the first person.  So that just threw me off a bit.

My favorite page, hands down, was "Rejected Menu Item Proposals for Disney World".  Hilarious.

And what were the proposals? you ask.

Crab Sebastian

Hakuna Frittata (I LOVE that one.  Too funny.)

Jasmine Rice

Pocahummus (I also really love that one.)

Mickey Mousse (They should totally name a dessert Mickey Mousse!)

The other odd thing about this little volume-- I actually had to look up words.  I never have to look up words.

Granted one that I looked up also had dictionary.com stumped, so I still don't quite know what that was all about.

Overall, it was a mixed bag for me.

Poetry Month!! Jack Prelutsky

Growing up we had this great book of silly poems called Something Big Has Been Here.

I loved that book.

And then I grew up and didn't give it a second thought....

Until a package arrived in the mail a few weeks ago with 3 Jack Prelutsky books... and they felt so familiar.

So I looked up Jack Prelutsky and lo and behold-- he wrote Something Big Has Been Here.

We received for review:

*Stardines Swim High Across the Sky

5 stars

Oh my gosh, this is so stinkin' funny!

My favorite are the Bardvaarks.  LOL  Hilarious.

Go read it.  Now.  You won't be sorry.


*The New Kid on the Block

This one is very similar in layout, etc. to Something Big.  I can't tell you my rating, though, because Boo stole it before I got to read it.  And I don't know where she's hiding it. :P

But it looks great.

As does...


*A Pizza the Size of the Sun

I did manage to read the first (title) poem and it was fabulous.  But again, Boo made off with it before I got a chance to read the rest.

I can say, though, from past experience with Prelutsky's poems, that they are recommended.  Go read them.

It is Poetry Month after all.  :D

Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It by Gail Carson Levine

False Apology Poems

5 stars
picture book

This is just to say....

Based on the William Carlos Williams poem "This Is Just to Say", this book is full of some of the funniest "apologies" ever.

Some are immediately recognizable fairy tale characters, some are just funny situations, and a few are even directly from the author to the reader.

Mister was amused, though I'm not sure he understood why it was funny.

Boo thought it was hilarious.  She recognized most of the fairy tale-based poems right away and had a lot of fun spotting those.

The Dancing Pancake by Eileen Spinelli

5 stars
JF
Beehive nominee

**Happy Leap Day!!**

This adorable book, told in verse, is delightful but not nearly as lighthearted as one would assume from the cover.  And the title.

Why?

Because right off the bat, we know something's wrong.  (At least, an adult reader does.)

In her very first poem, Bindi mentions her father leaving to "look for work".

Eventually Bindi learns that it's not just work, he might not be coming back at all.

As she struggles to come to terms with everything, this spunky 11-year-old is not at all happy to learn they'll be moving... and her mother and aunt are opening a restaurant.

Really a great read, but probably a little old for Boo.  We'll wait a couple of years.

Wednesday Morsel

Name that book!

Pluto

Pluto was a planet.
But now it doesn't pass.
Pluto was a planet.
They say it's lacking mass.
Pluto was a planet.
Pluto was admired.
Pluto was a planet.
Till one day it got fired.

:D:D

National Poetry Month

Did you know it's National Poetry Month? I didn't either, until I read a post over at Once Upon A Time.

Is that not like the coolest poster ever? Seriously. Very cool.

"Do I dare disturb the universe?"

You can go to the POETS website to learn more about National Poetry Month.