This is a very amusing and comical collection of poems, all centred around the on-goings of the classroom and the daily life at school. What makes these poems original is the way that they are written, in that they can appeal to children, teachers and parents. The poems are categorized into the following sections- School Time, Play Time, Dinner Time, School Time Again and Home Time. This structure also cleverly mimics the outline of the primary school day. The poems featured in this collection are particularly relatable for primary school children, as a variety of topical issues are explored, such as dealing with a supply teacher, picking teams at playtime, losing items of clothing and even visiting the school nurse. The way that these topics are explored is interesting, as they are not enforcing “goodness” or morality, but rather humorously and accurately depicting feelings, experiences and occurrences. For example, in “Supply Teacher”, the “rules” for dealing with this situation are stated. “Always remember, you must say this: ‘Our teacher never does that, Miss!’”. The light-hearted ways in which these issues are presented allows for the reader to laugh at the content, rather than take it too seriously. What is brilliant about this book, is the way that Ahlbeg transforms rather mundane occurrences like a class losing pairs of scissors, into a funny, relatable situation. Even adult readers can read these poems and be metaphorically transported back to their own school days. This book also shows how school experiences stand the test of time, and that primary school children nowadays can identify with these poems as much as a 50 year old would. The illustrations featured alongside these poems are excellent also, as they almost look like doodles on the side of piece of paper. They do not distract from the words or content, but rather simply add to the fun of the poems. The doodle-like illustrations also contribute to the theme of the book, and helps to reinforce the idea of school life. This book would be suitable for Key Stage 2 students, as the subject matter would be relatable for children aged 7-11. This book could be used as a performance piece, as the rhyming poems would be perfect for children to act out and perform as a creative display. It would also be interesting to see children create their own Ahlberg-style poems as a part of their creative writing.
This is a brilliantly child friendly book that they can relate to due to the wording and the way the poems are written. Children will really love the poems as they are a focussed around children's everyday lives and their lives within school. The poems are also written in a way that adults can relate to, as quite often the poem is from the view point of the teacher or the adult. There are many types of poetry used throughout the book, mainly written to sound like children speaking, and also full of humour. Some of the poems seem a little old fashioned and out of date, but I think that children can still relate to them. They are also very repetitive which makes them good for children learning to pronounce words and for phonic awareness. Small illustrations are also on each page to add more background and visual imagery to the poems. I think they can easily be read to the class, probably a year 2 or 3 class, as well as children reading them to themselves or in guided reading. I loved the poems!
What do You think about Please Mrs Butler (1984)?
This is now a classic for me, a book I've owned and used for yearsThe humour is contagious, it'll have you in happy tearsAs teachers it is easy to relate to the tales that are toldIn this book, some are so true and never will grow old!Children enjoy them too, So check them out please doI just hope that I'm never as unaware of children or so sadThat I'd treat them at all like Mrs Butler - oh so badThe others in it are memorable, so why don't you give them a tryThey're great at reminding readers of days gone byBut oh so funny at the same timeSo go check out these brilliant rhymes!
—Elaine
Please Mrs Butler This boy Derek Drew Keeps copying my work, Miss. What shall I do?...This collection of poems is full of many incidents that occur daily within a primary school from children telling tales to the classic issue of the “copycat”! Ahlberg adds a humorous twist to each and every poem, such as the title poem ‘Please Mrs Butler’ where the teacher gives foolish suggestions to the pupils who continuously whine about the behaviour of another child in class (such as “Lock yourself in the cupboard, dear. Run away to the sea…”)This book would be particularly effective to share with upper key stage two who would not only understand the various issues that are raised in each poem but also understand Ahlberg’s use of humour. The poems would be a good starting point to getting children keen on the idea of writing poetry and the fact that poems do not always need to rhyme. Also, examples such as being picked last for teams could be used as a focus for circle time, particularly in a class where any children many feel singled out.
—Sabera
This was another nostalgia driven buy for me. I'm not sure if I remember reading it myself, or having it read to me, but I remember thinking it was brilliant. Reading it again now at the age of 30 it didn't quite do it for it me any more. I still enjoyed reading the poems, and it is definitely worth a look for 'Emma Hackett's Newsbook' and 'Dog in the playground' alone.The book is a collection of verse, all set in the school environment on familiar themes. Organised in to sections that follow the pattern of the school day (school time, play time, dinner time etc), there are nice poems of different sorts about things like supply teachers, telling tales, excuses for being late, notes and parents.For children now, some of the references might not make sense, so I'm not sure how useful it would be from an educational point of view. Some poems if carefully selected could be suitable, and these might be useful ways of exploring poetry and verse, but I think that some more modern collections would engage children more.
—Steven Farmer
