Module 9: Dog Poems

Bibliography: Crawley, D. (2007). Dog Poems. Homesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, Inc.

Summary:   This book contains a collection of humorous dog poems written in simple, rhythmic verse.  A number of topics are explored such as domestication, expression, different dog breeds and amusing behavior.  One example is the poem “Telling a Tail” which describes how a dog’s tale changes with different moods.  Another poem, “Washing the Dog”, depicts a young boy’s struggle to wash his dirty dog.  Each poem is accompanied by one to six colorful illustrations that depict a scene or scenes from the poem. 

Impressions:  Crawley’s use of simple, rhythmic verse is combined with colorful and humorous illustrations to produce an excellent collection of children’s poems.  Young readers who enjoy dog related material will enjoy the variety of guises that man’s best friends is shown in over the course of this book.  The mood of every poem, from the laziness of the sheepdog in “Shaggy Sheepdog” to the happy abandon of the labrador in “The Labrador Loves Liquid” is faithfully captured by the accompanying illustrations.  A great way to introduce children to the world of poetry!

Reviews:

“This collection of twenty-four humorously illustrated-verses will please dog lovers, classroom teachers, young readers, and poetry lovers who are young at heart. Size, shape, breed, and pedigree do not matter as author Crawley captures man’s best friend in a variety of guises. He includes the benevolent shaggy sheep dog, dogs who adopt the moods and appearance of their owners, the little canines’ emotions, the fierce mongrel in the junkyard guarding his territory, and many others. Each animal is unique. Types of barks, variety of sizes, and adventures with slobbery kisses, bathing and walking the pooch are all explored with wit and affection in rhyming lines. Petrosino reflects the mood of each poem in her expressive cartoon-like drawings. Librarians, teachers and parents will want to add this enjoyable picture book to their poetry shelves to share with children who have dogs and those who would love to have them but cannot. This title is a great resource for tempting reluctant poetry readers to enjoy the genre.” – Janice DeLong (Children’s Literature)

-          DeLong, J. (2007). Dog Poems Review. Children’s Literature. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2378/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~YUCRSZ:5

“This follow-up to Cat Poems (2005) captures the pleasure and occasional problems that come with man’s best friend. The rhythmic poetry introduces kids to “Oodles of Poodles,” gives them a chuckle in “Washing the Dog,” and shows them how much dogs look like their owners in “Almost Human.” Deeper issues are tackled in a poem about a rescued greyhound (though young readers may not understand the idea of rescue dog), and “Wolf Dog” looks back at the time when canines were becoming socialized. The rhyme scheme is sometimes unrelentingly uncomplicated, but there’s lots of humor packed in the poems, and most dog owners will find something to remind them of their own pets. The cartoon-style watercolor art has a bounce all its own; kids will want to draw their own dogs wagging their tails, jumping on beds, and giving great slobbering kisses.”  – Ilene Cooper (Booklist)

-          Cooper, I. (2007). Dog Poems Review. Booklist (Vol. 104, No. 1). Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2378/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~YUCRSZ:5

Suggestions for Use in a Library:

Read several poems from the book aloud to a group of children.  The librarian can then show a few short video clips of dogs in action.  The children can describe what they like best or don’t like about dogs.