Some great new kids books have been published in the last few months that they are told entirely in verse! So if you are a kid who’s a big fan of poetry, of if you have any kids who are fans, then here are two books that you should definitely check out.

Zorgamazoo by Robert Paul Weston — This uniquely-titled tale tells the slightly creepy story of a girl who helps Morty the Zorgle track down the missing zorgles, and all the other magical creatures that have gone astray. This pleasingly macabre story is likely to be a hit with fans of Lemony Snicket. It’s dark and funny and very surprising. Plus, the book is just begging to be read aloud! The deftly written rhyming couplets positively roll off the tongue. But don’t take my word for it, here’s the beginning:

Here is a story that’s stranger than strange:

Before we begin you may want to arrange

A blanket, a cushion, a comfortable seat,

and maybe some cocoa and something to eat.

I’ll warn you, of course, before we commence

my story is eerie and full of suspense,

brimming with danger and narrow escapes,

and creatures of many remarkable shapes.

Dragons and ogres and gorgons and more,

and creatures you’ve not even heard of before.

And faraway places? There’s plenty of those!

(And menancing villians to tingle your toes.)

So ready your mettle and steady your heart.

It’s time for my stories mysterious start…

Add to the amazingly written rhymes some charming illustrations reminscient of Edward Gorey, and you’ve got one heckuva fun adventure told entirely through poetry. Very cool!

Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech — If you’ve read Creech’s Love That Dog then you have a pretty good idea what to expect from Hate That Cat. This is an excellent follow-up to Creech’s tender portrait of a young boy writing poems about his beloved dog. This time Jack is writing poems to express his disdain for the neighborhood cat, a fat black feline who stalks Jack at the bus stop. Creech’s free-verse style of poetry perfectly describe’s Jack’s frustrations and anxieties about the new school year, the evil black cat, and his unexpected Christmas present. Here’s the opening poem — it pretty much sums up Jack’s feelings about the cat:

September 12

I hate that cat

like a dog hates a rat

I said I hate that cat

like a dog hates a rat

Hate to see it in the morning

hate to see that

FAT black cat.

This story in many ways is the opposite of Zorgamazoo. It’s realistically explores the feelings of a young boy, it’s heartfelt, and the entire story is told in free-verse. But that doesn’t make this any less of a wonderful tale. While Zorgamazoo will be a homerun with kids who like loads of adventure peppered with slightly sinister illustrations, Hate That Cat will be a homerun with kids who like fiction that reflects the kinds of experiences they have everyday.

Try one of this books if you’d like to get your kids hooked on poetry. You may be surprised!

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 27th, 2008 at 6:03 pm and is filed under Book Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.