Monster Soup: And Other Spooky Poems [Paperback]

Dilys Evans (Author), Jacqueline Rogers (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

A collection of scary, spooky, silly poems about monsters, dragons, and other creatures.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- The subject is monsters--some prehistoric, some bump-in-the-night imagined--all fearsome in some way and all portrayed cleverly in poetry with extraordinary illustrations. Selections are by e. e. cummings, Jack Prelutsky, and John Ciardi, as well as a dozen others; all have been previously published. There are a few surprising (but appropriate) selections among the expected: ``Giant,'' by Elizabeth Sawyer, portrays a red-rubber-booted child as an unlikely monster (from an insect's point of view); ``Thunder , '' by J. Lee , explains the phenomenon as the slamming of doors in a giant's house; and ``The Power Shovel , '' by Rowena Bennett , compares a large backhoe to a prehistoric beast. Rogers's watercolor illustrations push at the edges of the double-page spreads with details that children will love to ferret out. The endpapers display a stable of eerie monsters safely boxed into checkerboard squares. Interesting perspectives and wild images animate the poems with just enough fright-power to appeal to school-age children. --Lee Bock, Brown County Public Libraries, Green Bay, WI
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

The genesis of this captivating book was unusual: the compiler (who is also an illustrators' agent), responding to Rogers's fascination with monsters (`` `They' kept popping up in her sketches; and we would talk about `them' as though they already existed and were only in need of a place to be''), chose these 16 poems not only for their appeal but also to summon Rogers's particular vision. The result has a great deal of variety and a special charm, nicely summed up in a poem by de Regniers--``Scare me easy/Scare me slow/Scare me gentle/Don't let go/my hand.'' Though there are plenty of ghoulies, ghosties, and witches here, there's nothing wicked or gruesome; an ingenuous humor is at work, and recognition that these superficially ugly creatures (like Max's Wild Things) represent a part of ourselves that's not too bad. Whether it's Sawyer's picnicking bugs capsized by a ``giant'' toddler or Lee's ``Thunder'' made by a giant's children slamming doors, Bennett's power-shovel dinosaur or Prelutsky's armored ankylosaurus, Ciardi's Halloween creatures or cummings's ``Hist Whist,'' imagination is the key. Mellow, witty, and delightfully inventive, Rogers's illustrations are her best yet. A year-round winner. (Poetry/Picture book. 4+) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback
• Publisher: Cartwheel Books (Scholastics) (September 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590452096
• ISBN-13: 978-0590452090
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,602,992 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Scary fun!, April 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Monster Soup: And Other Spooky Poems (Paperback)

This book was so much fun to share with my child. Ms. Rogers pictures were the perfect interpretation of these poems. The poems were so great that my fourth grader chose to recite one in class.

5.0 out of 5 stars We loved it!, March 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Monster Soup: And Other Spooky Poems (Hardcover)

The poems are wonderful and the artwork captivating. My 8 year old son and 5 year old daughter love it and I have not tired of reading it to them. Being an artist myself, I thoroughly enjoy the artist's imagination and her beautiful translation to paper.