Series: No established series, but there are two similar books: Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word, and Presidential Misadventures: Poems That Poke Fun at the Man in Charge.
Targeted Age Range: 8-12
Synopsis: Who says words need to be concrete? This collection shapes poems in surprising and delightful ways.
Concrete poetry is a perennially popular poetic form because they are fun to look at. But by using the arrangement of the words on the page to convey the meaning of the poem, concrete or shape poems are also easy to write! From the author of the incredibly inventive Lemonade: And Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word comes another clever collection that shows kids how to look at words and poetry in a whole new way.
Language: The word "dumb" (not referring to a person) is used once.
Violence: None
Romance/Sexual Stuff: None
Spiritual Elements: In a poem about flying, it's mentioned the pilot is "headed toward heaven." One of the poems references "Mother Nature."
Magic: None
References: There are references to Orville Wright, crossword puzzles, baseball/baseball terms, hopscotch Spanish, German French (languages), and cell phones.
Other Issues: None
My Age Range: I think kids aged 8 and up would enjoy this book the most.
Read Aloud: This would be a terrific read aloud! It works well either way you choose to read it.
My Opinion: Despite the author's aim towards kids, this is not one of those books that only kids will enjoy. It's also a perfect read for teens and adults, too. Anyone of any age will be inspired by Razcka's playful, creative use of words. If you're like me, just taking a look at one of the many poems can make you want to write your own.
The whole book is a marvelous work of art. Dealing with memories and thoughts the young and young at heart have experienced every once in a while, Razcka captures all the feeling of one moment in a small, simple composition. His work makes you smile, wonder, and remember what it's like to be a kid. And, like he poignantly reminds us, "poetry is about taking away the words you don't need...[T]ry." At its core, poetry is another way to express our feelings, not a type of writing that's far off and can only be used by "experts". Through writing verses about the simpler things in life, Razcka demonstrates how poetry can be fun, poetry can be easy, and poetry can help us look at moments in new ways.
I'd recommend this for anyone who wants a taste of summer back, who's interested in or already writing poetry, and who wants to read a book that's short, but will make them laugh and think.
Discussion Questions/Writing Prompts:
-Out of all the poems in the book, which one was your favorite? Why?
-The author writes poems about three things: life, nature, or whatever he's thinking about. Pick an idea of your own from one of those subjects, and write about it!
-The author not only writes poems easy to understand, but he makes "word paintings" out of them! Can you find at least three examples in the book? Which word paintings did you like the best?
-What was your favorite poem? Why? Sit down and write your answer. Or, better yet, make a poem out of it.
-Which poem out of this book do you think a family member (parents, siblings, cousins, etc.) would enjoy listening to the most? Why?
-Which poem do you think your best friend would enjoy the most? Why?
-Think about the words in the book's last poem, "Poetry". What do you think the poem means?
Thanks for joining me for a look at Wet Cement! I hope you'll consider reading it, or recommending it to someone who'd enjoy it.
Right now I'm not sure what I'll post next week! Do you have any books you'd love to see me review? Check out my Review Policy page, and let me know in the comments.
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