A pet for me : poems
(Book)

Gr. 1^-3. Beginning readers will like reading these poems in this entry in the I Can Read series. The topic of pets is an appealing one, and it gets fine treatment from well-known authors. Karla Kuskin wistfully longs for a companion in "I Would Like to Have a Pet; X. J. Kennedy extols dogs in "Dog Love." The poems themselves are quite short, usually 10 or so lines, but they capture the lure of pets, both unusual (hedgehogs and iguanas) and familiar (birds and turtles). Manning's sprightly artwork, marked by imaginative twists and geometric flourishes, complements the poems nicely. --Ilene Cooper

PreS-Gr 3-A collection of 20 easy-to-read poems that celebrate pets of all shapes and sizes. Featuring such poets as J. Patrick Lewis, Tony Johnston, and Alice Schertle, among others, the selections sing the praises of turtles, ants, iguanas, and tarantulas along with more common animals like cats and dogs. Manning's cheerful watercolor illustrations suit both the format and the poetry perfectly. Smiling children of all sizes and colors hold, stroke, wave to, and play with their pets in obvious enjoyment. In one selection, a freckle-faced boy smiles down at the reptile resting blissfully in his lap as he proclaims, "I love my small iguana/I think that he loves me." In another, a girl and her cat are shown curled up together, encircled by broad bands of pastel colors. The accompanying poem asks, "You-me-/Lost in/Fragile fur./Why/would/we/ever/stir?" For storytime, classroom sharing, or quiet reading, this is a charming addition to either poetry or easy-reader shelves.-Jane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kids cotton to all kinds of critters in this spirited collection of twenty pet poems. The requisite cats and dogs caper through the verse, as do more exotic animal companions such as iguanas, homing pigeons, and tarantulas. The brief poems are accessible enough for new but fluent readers; the cheery pictures portray some pet owners looking suspiciously like their pets. Ind. From HORN BOOK Fall 2003, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In this thematic poetry collection, noted anthologist Hopkins (Home to Me: Poems Across America, 2002, etc.) has selected 20 simple, humorous poems about children's pets for this addition to the I Can Read series. The selections include both common pets (dogs, cats, birds, and goldfish) and more unusual ones (a purple snake, a tarantula, and a hedgehog). Poems from well-known writers such as Karla Kuskin, X. J. Kennedy, and Aileen Fisher are included, along with several works by Hopkins himself. All the poems rhyme except one, with the text of the poetry printed in large type and with extra line spacing to assist new readers. Many of the poems are set against pastel backgrounds incorporated into double-paged spreads, which works well, but with several poems, part of the text is set against a darker portion of the illustration, a distraction for beginning readers. Manning (Drip, Drop, 2000, etc.) provides a cast of appealing animals and cute children with stylized, elongated eyes, and she focuses on both playful action scenes and more introspective moments between child and pet. The artist includes children of all ethnicities in her illustrations, and she chooses a spunky little girl as the owner of a pet tarantula. In an amusing subtlety, children often sport haircuts or clothes that echo the physical features of their pet in a gentle hint at the old concept of shared identity. An index of authors and titles is included, although a contents page is not, which seems to put the bibliographic cart before the horse. (Easy reader/poetry. 5-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

PreS-Gr 3-A collection of 20 easy-to-read poems that celebrate pets of all shapes and sizes. Featuring such poets as J. Patrick Lewis, Tony Johnston, and Alice Schertle, among others, the selections sing the praises of turtles, ants, iguanas, and tarantulas along with more common animals like cats and dogs. Manning's cheerful watercolor illustrations suit both the format and the poetry perfectly. Smiling children of all sizes and colors hold, stroke, wave to, and play with their pets in obvious enjoyment. In one selection, a freckle-faced boy smiles down at the reptile resting blissfully in his lap as he proclaims, "I love my small iguana/I think that he loves me." In another, a girl and her cat are shown curled up together, encircled by broad bands of pastel colors. The accompanying poem asks, "You-me-/Lost in/Fragile fur./Why/would/we/ever/stir?" For storytime, classroom sharing, or quiet reading, this is a charming addition to either poetry or easy-reader shelves.-Jane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, NY Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.