A Funeral in the Bathroom Review

Bibliographic citation:

Dakos, K. 2011. A FUNERAL IN THE BATHROOM: AND OTHER SCHOOL BATHROOM POEMS. Chicago: Albert Whitman & Co. ISBN 9780807526750.

Dakos, K. 2011. A FUNERAL IN THE BATHROOM: AND OTHER SCHOOL BATHROOM 

POEMS. Ill. by Mark Beech. Chicago: Albert Whitman & Co. ISBN 9780807526750. 

Kalli Dakos’s A Funeral in the Bathroom: and Other School Bathroom Poems is a collection of poems which present an often humorous spin on the experiences of children in the school bathroom. The variety of the poems will guide the adult reader on an emotional journey down memory lane, from tears in the bathroom to a funeral for the class pet goldfish, which all take place in the school bathroom. The book contains over forty poems of varying lengths, from a few lines to several stanzas. 

While the adult reader will be able to reflect on their school experiences, the young readers of this book may be perplexed at some of the outlandish and imaginative events that take place in the school bathroom! 

The layout of the book includes a table of contents and beautiful color illustrations by Mark Beech. The illustrations highlight the text of the poems and usually show the events portrayed within each poem. Some of the more hilarious poems like “Germs” features an illustration of different germs, grinning from ear to ear. Another light-hearted poem is “Broken Toilet”, which features a conversation between the “broken toilet” and a student named Joey. This poem is sure to get the younger kids giggling!

Aside from funny poems, the mood of the poems ranges from somber to adventurous. The theme of the poems is all that goes on behind the bathroom door, and interspersed throughout the book are “puzzle poems”, which are more like riddles. The answers to these “puzzle poems” are included on the page, in upside letters. By including the “puzzle poems” throughout the book, it gives the reader an appreciation for a different poem format. Another aspect of the book that young children may find to be either disturbing or funny is that some of the poems are written from the point of few of objects in the bathroom, such as toilet paper, the toilet and the sink.

One of the more somber poems which may surprise younger students is “Crying in the Bathroom”. It is only three stanzas long, but the words paint a picture of a young girl experiencing the sadness, uncertainty and confusion of the separation of her parents. The last stanza reads as follows:

I’m crying in the bathroom

where I can be alone,

away from kids and teachers

and the sadness of my home.

(Dakos, 22)

The first line of each of the three stanzas is the same, and the repetition of this line has a great emotional impact on the reader. Each of the four-line stanzas form a complete sentence, with the end rhyme occurring on the second and fourth lines. The imagery of a “life that’s lost its glue” is exaggerated by Beech’s illustration of a house separated in two pieces. If I was using this poem with a group of students, whether in the public or school library, I would incorporate it into a lesson or discussion on family relationships, and pair it with the poem "There Should be a Place Kids Can Go".

Be sure to include this poetry book in your collection of school poetry, especially if you work with children ages 8 to 12 years old. 

A funeral in the bathroom. JPEG. Retrieved from http://www.albertwhitman.com/content.cfm/bookdetails/A-Funeral-in-the-Bathroom

I Am the Book: Poems Review

Bibliographic citation: 

Lee, B.H. 2011. I AM THE BOOK: POEMS. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 9780823421190 (hardcover).

Lee, B.H. 2011. I AM THE BOOK: POEMS. Ill. By Yayo. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 9780823421190 (hardcover).

I Am the Book: Poems features thirteen poems by thirteen different authors, including one by Lee Bennett Hopkins. The theme of the poems in the collection is clear from the title of the book: the poems focus on reading books! The book’s level of quality is evident through the variety of poets included in the anthology. The poets include award winning poets, poets who are also illustrators and more well-known poets like Jane Yolen. The book's beautiful acrylic illustrations are by Yayo. The book features a helpful table of contents listing all of the poems, as well as information about the authors at the end of the book.

The poems throughout the book represent the various moods that reading and books can bring to children. The thirteen poems featured in this book evoke in the reader different emotions about the reading experience, including: adventure, tranquility, escape and imagination. Throughout the book the different poems also contain varied use of sound elements, such as alliteration, sensory imagery such as the taste of salt water, the feeling of the wind, and different types of figurative devices such as simile, metaphor and personification. These different poetic elements keep the reader engaged and excited to discover what the next poem contains.

The poem “Don’t Need a Window Seat” by Kristine O'Connell George gives the reader the sense of adventure and escape that reading provides. The poems range from point of view, including from the view of the reader, the book or a third-party narrator. The poem “When I Read” by Beverly McLoughland was a favorite of the second graders with whom I shared this book. Since the poem is written from the point of view of a child, the students were able to share their feelings about reading with the class. 

 I currently substitute teach, so I introduced this book as one of my favorite new poetry books to a group of second graders. The students enjoyed many of the poems, but one of their favorite poems was “Paperback Plunder” by Michele Krueger. The students liked that the illustration showed a seagull reading the book. The poem features the figurative devices of simile and personification. 

The first stanza of the poem reads as follows:

            Like a sunken treasure

            long forgotten,

            I lie half buried under sand.  

            (Hopkins, 15) 

The beautiful use of simile to describe the book as a “sunken treasure” immediately hooked the second graders as we read and re-read the poem together. The language used in this poem highlight the sense of wonder, excitement and discovery that can be found through reading. 

I Am the Book: Poems makes a great addition to a poetry collection for parents, teachers and librarians working with students in grades Kindergarten through third grade. The bright, colorful illustrations work in harmony with the text of the poems, making the layout of the book one that is inviting to the reader. By including poets from different backgrounds and with different writing styles, the book will help the reader to appreciate the power of words in many different ways. 

I am the book. JPEG. Retrieved from http://www.holidayhouse.com/title_display.php?ISBN=9780823421190

Welcome!

Hello everyone!

This blog was created for Texas Woman's University course LS 5663, Poetry for Children and Young Adults. If you are looking for reviews of poetry in many different formats by authors from around the world, this is the place.

Patrina