A Whiff Of Pine, A Hint Of Skunk: A Forest Of Poems (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
NY, Margaret McElderberry Books, 2009This is a rhyming picture book which focuses on nature. There are many uses for this book in the classroom. It could be included in a unit on forest biomes or on woodland mammals. Some of the poems could be read without the title and students could guess what animal it is. The illustrations are colorful and detailed and many of the poems are funny. The rhymes are nice for working on fluency skills. This is a beautiful poetry book. Picture Book ProjectCategory: Poetry (Picture Book)Source: Teacher's Choice Award 2010The students will like the quirky poems about these woodland creatures. Some are informational while others are just for fun.The front jacket has several animals that you would find in the woods along with the title, author, and illustrator. The colors used are those you would normally see in the woods--blues, browns, grays, blacks, reds, oranges, whites. The animals look more cartoon-like than they do realistically. On the back of the jacket is a badger writing out a letter and hearts protruding upward from his head--he is clearly writing a love letter. There is also a picture of another book written by this author and 3 reviews from different sources that claim how wonderful that book is. The left flap of the jacket has one of the poems and a small summary of what you will find in this book. The right flap has a little bio of both the author and illustrator. If you remove the jacket, the cover has the exact same pictures on both the front and back. The end pages have the same pictures. It is of the animals in the woods. You assume that these animals are what the poems will be about. The illustrations are done in watercolor and there are two dedications mentioned. One of the dedications is for a blind opossum named Annie who visited schools. Before the poems begin, there is a Contents page with all of the titles of the poems listed. Each poem is about a certain woodland creature. Most of the poems are short and they all rhyme in an abab format. The poem is usually typed up on white space and most of the illustrations are on one page per poem. There are only three poems that use a double spread. Some of the poems are about these animals doing human-things, like writing a love letter, going to a spa, or eating with a plate and cutlery. The other poems are about the animals in their natural habitat and their daily lives.I really liked this book. I think it's an easy read, but it's fun and enjoyable. It's different because it's a book of poems versus a story. These particular poems were amusing to me. I really liked the one about the turkey complaining about how children draw them by tracing their hands and coloring it in. The poems are short and simple, but very entertaining.I would use this book to introduce abab poetry. I could also use this book to talk about the different types of animals you find in woods or I could use this book to talk about the woods. What would you find in the woods? What kind of animals? What kind of trees? What kind of insects?
What do You think about A Whiff Of Pine, A Hint Of Skunk: A Forest Of Poems (2009)?
Great book to use with storytime - poems about turtles, skunks, deer, etc
—ghanu
Celebrate Poetry Month by discovering some new talent! I know I just did!
—EmilyRose
