Customer Reviews

A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk: A Forest of Poems

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Every page you turn in this book is like peeking around a tree in the forest only to find another creature or critter peering back at you. You just never know who you are going to meet and what you might find them doing. You would never expect to find a squirrel at a spa being doted on by three mice buffing her nails and combing out her tail. There are the snails racing (if you can call it that) up and down the leaves leaving a "perfect trail of slime" behind. At night you might just be able to see the night owl.

The Night Owl

Somewhere in the forest
he is practicing his hoot,
but you'd swear that he's rehearsing
on a spooky-something flute-
working on his timing
and his quavery technique,
patiently perfecting
the position of his beak.

All the poems in the book are yummy and the art work is adorable and, at times, very amusing. The portrait of the toad who "made a mistake with the slug-on-a-stick" and felt a tad sick after his lunch was adorable. This would be a great story time book and could become a favorite, especially if the reader was a jolly expressive sort that could bring the poems alive. This i, without saying, one of those bedtime books that your little one will want you to read several times a week!

I realize that most parents, when looking for an easy picture book for their pre-schooler, do not think of poetry--but this book is outstanding, and your pre-school-through-upper-elementary student will love it! Heck, I am 51, and I adore it! The pictures are stunning, and the rhymes--well, just perfect! Bravo, Ms. Ruddell and Ms. Rankin!

I loved this book as much as my 4 year old. It has short poems with beautiful and interesting illustrations. My son loved looking at the animals and hearing their funny poems. I laughed aloud.

My daughter has memorized almost all of these poems. They are so cute and just come to life. We checked it out from the library, then eventually just needed to own our personal copy - a keeper for sure.

I ordered this book from the library based on the title. What a fortuitous discovery! I used it as a mentor text with my 3rd grade students to discover how poets can use rhyme, rhythm, and metaphor/simile to create poetry. The imagery and similes are outstanding and speak to a young audience. My students are now begging to read aloud poems they have found in other books and to write their own poems to the moon, worms, garden, and stars. This was a perfect entry into the creative, gorgeous, funny, rhythmic world of poetry!