I'm Small and Other Verses (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Jill McElmurry (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This uneven collection of 18 poems has moments of literary excellence and, unfortunately, archaisms as well. At their best, Moore's (I Never Did That Before) verses are models of economy, child-friendly and evocative. For example, a child muses on the joys of a snowsuit: "I'm zippered/ up to my chin./ I like my zipper skin./ I like the way it keeps me/ IN." Other entries seem dated, either in their references or in their use of language. A list of things that come in pairs includes "gloves to wear going to town"; a child describing an arm that's fallen asleep says, "Ooh!/ Now that it's waking,/ How funny it is!/ Like ginger ale/ That starts to fizz." A recurring cast of multicultural children stars in the illustrations. The mood of the pictures is invariably cheerful; even when a narrator is shown growing bored (as in the poem "Waiting"), McElmurry adds a comic touch (in this case, a cat unties the ribbon on the present the narrator waits to give someone). However, her contributions here lack the wit of her Mad About Plaid. Ages 2-6.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-This collection of poems is brought to vibrant life by McElmurry's gouache artwork. The verses focus on typical childhood concerns and pleasures, from playing in the snow and on the beach to the difficulty of waiting for a desired event. "How long is/`a little while, dear'?/How many days to/`soon'?/Why does the morning/take so long/To get to/`this afternoon'?" The gently expressionistic illustrations feature a mix of youngsters from different ethnicities, highlighting the universal nature of the poetry. McElmurry does a particularly good job of illustrating unrelated poems on the same double-page spread by connecting the events in each, e.g., "I Like Peanut Butter" and "Ooh!" are joined by a drawing of two boys eating at the same table. One is focused on his peanut butter, the other on his arm, which has fallen asleep. Most of the poems previously appeared in Humpty Dumpty's Magazine. These selections will work well for storytime and one-on-one sharing.-Ellen A. Greever, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; 1st edition (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763611697
• ISBN-13: 978-0763611699
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,250,029 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Poetry for Toddlers!, October 10, 2005

By	M. Wellington - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of my two and a half year old's favorite books. The poems are short and sweet, and great kid's fare. The illustrations are wonderful and add a lot to the poem's imagery. It's exciting when your toddler asks you to read a book over and over again... especially one that you enjoy too!

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book for Kids, March 25, 2008

By	Jill Myers Sapphire "new mom" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a lovely poetry book for children (even very young kids). My daughter recently turned 2, and this is one of her favorite books!