Introduction:

“The And-Baid Problem” was written by Shel Silverstein. This book was in the works for over twenty years.  Family and friends helped get this published after Shel died in 1999.  Reading this poem with Band-Aids all over would certainly bring attention to this poem.

The And-Baid Problem

                 Runny Babbit tut his cail,

                        So Goctor Doose came by,

                        He put an And-Baid on the cut,

                        And Runny cegan to bry.

                        Goc Doose said, “Hey, that hidn’t durt-

                        I put it on sently and goft.”

                        Said runny, “I’m thinking ‘bout the time

                        You’re going to pull it off.”

Extension:

Students in third grade and older would certainly chuckle over the reading of this poem.  Encourage the students after hearing it twice; see if they can figure out the pattern.  This would be fun to have the poem on chart paper give each student a paper Band-Aid and have them write the correct word on their Band-Aid with a marker.  The Band-Aids would be numbered to correspond with the silly words in the poem. Call a student up to place their word over the silly word.  Then read the poem and see which version they liked better.

Silverstein, Shel.  2005.  “The And-Baid Problem from the Runny Babbit.  New York:  Harper Collins Publishers.  ISBN:  0060256532.

Introduction:

“One Old Owl” is written by Jack Prelutsky.  Turn out the lights and say some “Hoot, Hoot, Hoot, wear some gigantic yellow sunglasses and have some fun with this delightful poem.

                        One Old Owl

            One old owl upon a tree,

                  high atop a hill,

            Watched the forest silently

                 while the night was still.

            One old owl looked around,

                 while the moon was bright,

            Flapped its wings without a sound

                 and flew into the night.

Extension:

This would be a fun poem to read during the month of October.  Divide the students into two groups and have them alternate reading the lines from chart paper.  Read again by having the boys read the first stanza and the girls reading the second.  Read again and have the boys read, while the girls softly say Hoot…Hoot…Hoot…Hoot… Dim the lights for this one and even use a flashlight shining on yellow paper.

Prelutsky, Jack.  2002.  "One Old Owl" from The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders.  Singapore:  Greenwillow Books.  ISBN:  0688167195.

Introduction:

Valentine’s Day is always a fun time to read “Love” poems.  Boys and girls in elementary school giggle and blush when romantic poetry or any other types of Valentine poems are read.  Reading the poem to a student that is taller will get the classroom’s attention.  Of course both of us would have a large red heart taped to our chest!

Short Love Poem

                        It’s hard to love

                                 The tallest girl

                                 When you’re the shortest guy,

                                 For every time

                                 You try to look          

                                 Your true love in the eye

                                 You see

                                 Her bellybutton.

Extension:

Valentine’s Day is a time for romantic thoughts.  Brainstorm what the students might do for their favorite Valentine.  Maybe they would think of taking out the trash or doing dishes for their mother.  Each student would have their own copy of the poem printed on a heart.  The students would take turns reading line by line with a partner.   Practice writing new words to Roses are Red…

Viorst, Judith.  1981.  “Short Love Poem” from If I Were in Charge of the World and other worries.  New York:  Simon & Schuster.  ISBN:  0689707703.

Introduction:

“Turn on the Sunshine” is a poem about the beach, sand, and sun.  What a perfect poem for young students on the first visit to the library.  Students are tan, I am tan and everyone wants to talk about their summer vacation.  How many went to the beach?

Turn on the Sunshine 

                   Turn on the sunshine

                   Turn on the sand.

                      Let’s go to the beach

                      And all get tanned.

Extension:

This poem needs to be written on a large piece of blue chart paper. Spread the beach towels out and have groups of students sitting on them.  Also grab a few shells and have them sitting around to tweak the interest of the “beach scene.”  Read the poem once through.  Ask if any one would like to put on the sunglasses and read the poem by themselves!  Ask if someone would like to read with the beach hat.  Anyone ready for the beach?

Florian, Douglas.  1996.  "Turn on the Sunshine" from Bing Bang Boing.  New York:  Puffin Books.  ISBN:0140378243.

Introduction:

Let’s play soccer!  This is a sport that many students enjoy and play.  How many know who Pele` is?  Learn more about Pele`:  http://www.360soccer.com/pele/pelebio.html

Take a poll and discover how many girls and boys play soccer.  What is their team name and color of their uniform?  Read the poem slowly the first time.

Soccer

Twenty-two

prayers

on

                        reverent grass

            kick

                      dribble

                    trap

                         pass—

                       sprint

                 run

                   tackle

             fall—

   all

                            for the

                       love

                   of a

               sacred

                                        ball.

Extension:

Brainstorm what action words were in this poem. Draw a huge soccer ball on the board and have the children come and write the action words on the ball.  Talk about the language (twenty-two prayers, reverent grass, and sacred ball) 

Hopkins, Lee Bennett.  2005.  "Soccer" from Days to Celebrate.  New York:  Harper Collins.  ISBN:  0060007664.

Jack Prelutsky has created an unbelievable funny collection of poems about animals, places, and people we are dying to meet!  His original style will give readers of all ages the opportunity to laugh, giggle and read again and again. 

Granny Gooding

Granny Gooding lost her footing,

fell into a pudding vat.

There was pudding on her jacket,

pudding, pudding in her hat.

There was pudding in her slippers,

pudding, pudding on her dress.

Ever since she lost her footing,

Granny Gooding’s been a mess.

Granny appears to be an African American older lady with a fluffy skirted dress, striped socks, grabbing her grey pudding-faced poodle, holding her umbrella as she falls from the trapeze bar into the pudding vat! Petra Mathers adds whimsical style with her watercolor illustrations. Granny is falling with the eyes and faces of the circus crowd looking in awe as she tumbles to the vat.  Young readers will really chuckle over this poem.  Anyone been to the circus recently?  What did you enjoy the best?

     Jack Prelutsky also wrote several poems with places in the United States.  The one I selected next is a Texas one.

Barnaby Boone

Barnaby Boone, in his yellow balloon,

flew from El Paso one bright afternoon.

He drifted for days through the blue Texas skies,

feasting on hamburgers, hot dogs, and pies.

He drifted up north, and he drifted out east,

until he had finished the last of his feast.

He ran out of food, so he came back to earth,

Landing his yellow balloon in Forth Worth.

What a fun poem to introduce to children in third and fourth grades.  Bring out the globe, the map, and track the travels from El Paso to Fort Worth.  How many students have been to El Paso?  Mathers uses browns and oranges for the Texas ground. The sky is a beautiful blue with smatterings of clouds.  Barnaby flies high in the air with his Texas cowboy hat, red handkerchief, and his blue denim shirt. 

     The creative style of “The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders” will really seize the attention of  primary students.

The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders

The frogs wore red suspenders

and the pigs wore purple vest,

as they sang to all the chickens

and the ducks upon their nests.

They croaked and oinked a serenade,

the ducks and chickens sighed,

then laid enormous spangled eggs,

and quacked and clucked with pride.

     The combination of Prelutsky and Mathers make a tremendous team.  The rhyming and musical words dance on the page.  The additions of the playful illustrations make the double page come alive. The green frogs are standing on two legs with red suspenders and red shorts.  The pink pigs are standing on two feet with purple vests.  The ducks and chickens are sitting in the front row seat of the stage just cackling away! What a fun introduction to this outstanding collection of poems.

     The wonderful collection of 28 poems will be popular with students and families for years to come.  Some other titles for this collection are:  "Peanut Peg and Peanut Pete," "Seven Snails, Seven Snakes,"  "Ten Brown Bears," In The Town of Tucamcari," and many others. Please find  a copy and enjoy.

     Additional information on Prelutsky may be found:  http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-prelutsky-jack.asp

    To learn more about the talents of Petra Mathers the reader may go here:  http://www.edupaperback.org/showauth2.cfm?authid=187