The Tomato Collection [Hardcover]

Kevin Kammeraad (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 1999

The Tomato Collection is a book of goofy thoughts, some fears and a few dreams that will brighten any day. Sixty-four pages packed with fun poems, goofy drawings, thought provoking poems, photographs, characters such as Magooie Balooie, Achoogie Aboogie, Jacob, Norwood, Ethan, Bradford, Little Man Jay and lots more! Kevin wrote and illustrated his book over a period of 4 years, writing poems and stories in response to the emotions and thoughts from his everyday life. Using crayons, markers, paint, collage, sculpture, photographs and more, Kevin created a unique book that encourages the reader's imagination. The unconventional illustrations and insightful poems will invite children to illustrate the poetry with their own ideas and hopefully write their own! If you like the work of Shel Silverstein or Jack Prelutsky, you will certainly enjoy this book!

The book is designed for grades K - 5, however, it truly is a book that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Kevin Kammeraad has a bright, young spirit in him, just bursting out in this delightful collection of poetry written for children and the kid in each of us. He plays around with words and thoughts of children and makes some profound observations in simple verse. Captured here are, not only the lighthearted moments, but also children's confusions and worries about the big world. When it comes to lighthearted though, Kammeraad is in his prime. There's the moogie monster man responsible for messing up bedrooms; the little guy whose job it is to keep the toilet neat; a clever eyebrow trick to ward of potential baldness; the people-eating couch; and the sad and lonely, television remote that's not in use.

Kammeraad's art is fun and whimsical, with a mixture of kid-type drawings, family photos, and sculptured characters. Words and illustrations together treat the imagination. This book will surely encourage some little poet out there, bursting to be heard, to put pen (or crayon) to paper and let their ideas spill out.

The Tomato Collection is an enjoyable book to share with a little friend - or even a medium sized friend.

Don't miss the Author's Note and "Thank You" credits at the end of the book. Catch a glimpse of these friends of the author who sit around with the same playful spirit and talk kid-poetry. There's hope in this world! If you're wondering about the title's significance, this section is also your source for that tidbit of information. -- Alexandra M. Fix, Women's Edition Magazine Book Review

Kevin's book has limitless possibilities for parents and children to use the process of imaginary thinking. He has combined many art forms to engage the reader... -- Jan Propst, Art Teacher, West Ottawa Public Schools

Many whimsical glimpses into a young child's psyche are captured in this delightful collection. Questions, observations, fantasies, frivolities, and just plain "funny thoughts" are presented in word and living color. Hopefully, the readers will not only enjoy the verse and the art, but be challenged to create their own poetry and pictures. -- K Laurel Balkema, Children's and Young Adult Literature Collection Librarian, Grand Valley State University

From the Publisher

The Tomato Collection is our bestselling product. Be sure to check out The Tomato Collection: The Big Album.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Cooperfly Books; First edition (April 3, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966950402
• ISBN-13: 978-0966950403
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,441,475 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My family loves this book!, December 19, 2000

By 

"susanalex" (East Grand Rapids, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tomato Collection (Hardcover)

The Tomato Collection is a surefire winner for storytime with your kids. Honestly, I don't know who enjoys the book more - me or my son! The stories and poems capture the true spirit of kids, from the silly to the serious, in their own language. The original illustrations and photos add a whimsical dimension to the already creative writings. Everytime we read it, we find something new.

We liked the book so much that we recently added "the Big album" CD to our collection. The just-released recording puts The Tomato Collection to music in a collection of over 50 songs. My son and I love to dance and sing along with the characters from the book. Plain and simple - this is great fun for kids of all ages.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great buy for the money!!!!!! A book for the entire family, August 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Tomato Collection (Hardcover)

The book says for ages 4 - 8, but we loved it just as much as our daughter!! It's loads of fun and reminded of us of our youth. Our daughter loved the artwork. We have read it over and over and keep finding new stuff each time we read it. Kevin obviously has a bright future ahead of him.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Really Cool Book, November 17, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Tomato Collection (Hardcover)

This book is full of really cute poems and thoughts that Mr. Kammeraad has and has put together into a funny little book. The book has poems that are fun to read and that the whole family likes to read. One of the poems is about a couch that eats people. This is a really neat book and everyone should get a chance to read it