Customer Reviews

The Tighty Whitey Spider: And More Wacky Animal Poems I Totally Made Up

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With a title like THE TIGHTY WHITEY SPIDER: And More Wacky Animal Poems I Totally Made Up,you'd expect this book to be a bit zany and off the wall. And in this case, you'd be absolutely right. This crazy collection of poems and puns is a bit reminiscent of Shel Silverstein, with some J. Patrick Lewis and Dr. Seuss thrown in for good measure.

The pages are filled with an assortment of laugh-aloud, punny, sometimes tongue-twisting fun. Some of the poems are short and simple, others are much longer, but all tell some type of story. There are poems about a dog that goes roller skating ("My Dog Is Running Faster"), a litter of kittens that like to box ("Kitten Fight"), a buffalobster ("Today I Touched the Buffalobster" --- bet you've never heard of one of those before), and a parrot that doesn't like to fly ("My Parrot Doesn't Care to Fly"). Other unusual titles include "My Chicken's on the Internet," "Ferret Soccer" and "My Dog Plays Invisible Frisbee."

Some of the pages are marked with a "headphone" symbol. If you go to the website listed at the beginning of the book, you can download free audio tracks of author Kenn Nesbitt either reading or singing those poems.

Nesbitt is no stranger to poetry. He has written six other books of poetry and has quite a devoted following of fans. These poems were obviously written for kids, but I must confess I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion. Read them for yourself, and you'll see what I mean. Great poems! Great humor! Great fun!

We are big fans of Kenn Nesbitt and his side-splitting poetry. He's funny, ingenious, original and best of all, makes up his own darn rules. Do you find poetry boring, maybe a little stuffy? Do you hesitate to introduce poetry to your children because you aren't sure if they will embrace it? You really should give this poetry a try.

Kenn's poetry doesn't focus on flowers or rainbows or running breathlessly through the rain. He doesn't wax on about his feelings, nor do you have to study his poems to figure out the deeper meaning. This book is full of poems about animals like ferrets, weasels and purple porpoises doing wacky things. Sometimes you can just tell by reading the title that it's going to be good. For instance, you can't go wrong with Toby the Snowboarding Doberman. It's inconceivable.

There's a paragraph on the rear cover (that's what we're calling it, right?) that explains how Kenn came up with his material. I can offer it to you to give you a real sense of what his humor is like, and not feel guilty about posting some poems that you should really buy the book to read. We are rule-followers here, after all.

"As a child, Kenn Nesbitt got lost during a field trip to the zoo and was raised by animals who taught him their secret ways. He used that knowledge to create this book, every word of which is true. Really. Okay, not really. He just wanted to see if you would read the back cover." If that doesn't convince you of Kenn's hilarity, then take a peek at Kenn's site to read three poems, reprinted with his permission: My Kitten Won't Stop Talking, My Kiwi is the Captain, and I Have to Write a Poem.

There are really only so many ways I can say that I think this guy is the key to get your kids interested in poetry. It worked at our house and it can work at yours. Oh! I totally forgot to mention that the book is peppered with illustrations from Ethan Long. Yeah, Ethan Long from Tickle the Duck - that Ethan Long. This book has it all: good writing, good pictures, talking kittens and flying pigs.

Just in time for National Poetry Month, beloved children's poet Kenn Nesbitt has a new collection of poems called The Tighty Whitey Spider and More Wacky Animal Poems I Totally Made Up. Perfect to read out loud with your son or daughter, these poems will have you both giggling about the silly antics Nesbitt's animals get up to.

I couldn't resist such playful titles as "My Kitten Won't Stop Talking," "My Chicken's on the Internet" and "Beavers in the Bathroom." Nesbitt often ends each poem with a play on words that's sure to appeal to younger readers. Ethan Long's illustrations are fun to look at, too. The expressions on his animal faces match the action in each poem perfectly. I particularly liked his smug-looking flying pigs and grim-faced goldfish in a military-style tank.

Readers can also download companion audio tracks of Nesbitt reading quite a few of the poems himself. It's quite a treat to listen to Nesbitt read while you follow along with the words and illustrations in the book. Instructions for downloading the tracks, which can be played in iTunes, Windows Media Player, Quick Time, and any other player that supports mp3 files, are included at the beginning of The Tighty Whitey Spider.

You can also check out Nesbitt's great poetry website, [...]. And Nesbitt's collection called My Hippo Has the Hiccups is available for a free download or viewing online with audio tracks.

The Tighty Whitey Spider is exactly the kind of book my daughter would have loved when she was in elementary school. I can't think of a better way to help younger children develop an early appreciation for poetry than reading Nesbitt's poems.

Who doesn't love to laugh?! I can't think of a better way for children to learn to love reading, or learning, in a better way than through fun and laughter. The Tighty Whitey Spider is the absolutely perfect way to celebrate National Poetry Month (or any time, for that matter). The poems included, within this one hundred and twenty-eight page book, are sure to bring giggles galore and pleads for more. When I first picked up this book and roamed through the pages, I was reminded of Shel Silverstein and his delightful play on words and the wonderful illustrations (illustrations by Ethan Long) to accompany and bring to life the silly tales told throughout.

With a title like The Tighty Whitey Spider, who can help but being drawn in and curious to pick up a copy. I have to say that one of my absolute favorite poems in this newly treasured book is "My Kitten Won't Stop Talking". I swear every time I read it, I can't help but chuckle. Now that you know how much I love the book, I wanted to be sure to give a child's opinion. My seven-year-old daughter and I have read several poems throughout the book and she loves them!! I have to be honest when I say that this is no small feat. I have tried to share my love for Shel Silverstein with her and she really doesn't show much interest yet. As we sit together to read through some of Shel's excellent poems, she starts to wiggle and twitch and just does not get into it as much as dear old mom. However, with The Tighty Whitey Spider, that is not the case at all. She laughs, she giggles and when I asked if she would like to share the book with her second grade class she burst out with a very emphatic "YES!" A few of her favorites are "My Kitten Won't Stop Talking", "The Tighty Whitey Spider", and "My Hamster Has a Skateboard".

I truly cannot recommend this collection of poems enough, for both adults and children. After all, who doesn't need a good laugh or giggle after a hectic or stressful day?! In addition (if the book itself isn't awesome enough), readers can download free audio of the author reading and singing many of his poems. A track list is included with the table of contents, as well as listed on the poems throughout the book. The Tighty Whitey Spider is a must-have for any home and/or library. I can't wait to collect the entire collection of this author's books and will be sharing my love for this particular book very readily!

My 2nd graders and I absolutely LOVE these poems! They are fast & funny & imaginative- easy to picture the hysterical things being described in each poem.

The Tighty Whitey Spider: And More Wacky Animal Poems I Totally Made Up What a fun book. Kenn Nesbitt combines animals and craziness into some wacky poems. Some of the poems are set to the rhythm of familiar tunes: Such as Tighty Whitey Spider (Itsy Bitsy Spider), Ferret Soccer (Frere Jacques),

Get Me Out of the Fish Tank (Take Me Out of the Ballgame)
Get me out of this fish tank,
Get me out of this bowl.
I was just trying to catch the fish.
They looked tempting and awfully delish
but I slipped and fell in the fish tank
and now my future looks grim.
I just went to see and found out something:
Cats don't swim.

Won't you give me a hand here?
All I need is a lift.
Help and I promise I won't come back.
I'll go elsewhere when I need a snack,
for I've learned a valuable lesson;
I know it's not safe in here,
and the next time I want the fish I'll bring
scuba gear!

There are more poems set to tunes you know as well as originals. They all have a catchy beat and are fun to read aloud! This will be great as in introduction to poetry. Tighty Whitey also includes drawings and you can download the audio of some of the poems. The table of contents lists which poems are on audio and there's also a separate track listing all the poems that you can listen too.

"Can we read another poem?"

How can a mom say no to that? My six-year-old son and I have really been enjoying this book. I like it because we can read a few poems at bedtime or breakfast or anytime during the day. He likes it because they are silly and ironic, with many of them setting a scene and then revealing the twist at the end.

Another big hit are the poems that are sung to the tune of songs, such as the title poem, "The Tighty Whitey Spider" sung to the tune of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." For the first week, each time we opened the book we had to sing that one before we read any new ones. There are also poems sung to "Frere Jacques" and "On Top of Old Smokey."

Even the spoken poems have great meter which make this fun to read aloud. The rhymes aren't forced.

The line drawings add just enough interest to the poems and pages.

This book will be a big hit with all elementary-aged kids who like humor. Highly recommended!

Content Advisory: There is some "body humor" such as the "water wedgie" that the Tighty Whitey spider gets, and from "A Rock Makes an Excellent Puppy" we learn that "rocks never pee on the carpet." If that type of humor bothers you, you might wait for a few years, but my Kindergartener and I love it.

The Tighty Whitey Spider is quite possibly one of the cutest poetry book I have ever seen for kids. Almost every poem has an adorable illustration to go along with the poem, which will undoubtedly help keep your child's attention. In addition, some of these poems are downright hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud on a number of these poems.

If the hilarious poems and adorable illustrations were not enough, there is also a free audio download available. In this audio, readers can listen along as the author reads (and even sings) some of the poems. I took a few minutes to listen to the audio, and have to say that it is a great accompaniment to the novel. The Tighty Whitey Spider would be a great addition to any parent's library who is wanting to introduce poetry to their younger children or expand on their relationship with poetry.

My ten year old son and I read this book together. Following are our individual reviews:

John's Review: When my mom told me that we were going to read a book of poems before I went to bed, I wasn't very excited. Poems are about love and stuff like that, things I totally don't want to read about! But then my mom told me they were different kinds of poems. I didn't believe her until I saw the cover of the book. A spider...in underwear?! I had to read this!

The Tighty Whitey Spider: And More Wacky Animal Poems I Totally Made Up is the funniest book of poems I have EVER read. Kenn Nesbitt, the author, is so crazy! The poems aren't dull and boring, they are full of action and fun. A few of my favorites include I Bought a New Tank for My Goldfish and My Hamster Has a Skateboard. If all poetry was this exciting, I'd definitely read more!

My review: What can I say? Anything that gets my son excited about reading poetry has to be good! John was very skeptical when I told him about the book but instantly opened up after seeing the cover and reading the first two poems. They are full of wit and fun, I was honestly laughing a bit myself. There are several poems that should be read to the tune of popular children's songs nursery rhymes. Those were a real hit! Let's face it, little boys like it when they think they're making fun of another song or rhyme!

The only thing I should mention is that some of the poems are a little on the crude side and do discuss bodily functions. Nothing totally off the wall or completely repulsive. Just something I thought worth mentioning. Still this book is still worth checking out! Exclusive audio is available online, including Kenn singing and reading many of these hilarious poems!