A Dazzling Display of Dogs

Two students created projects for Betsy Franco's clever book of shape poetry, A Dazzling Display of Dogs, a wonderful companion book to A Curious Collection of Cats. Leslie Wilson created a digital trailer and Angela Giono developed a readers' guide. Here they are.

Here is a link to Leslie's clever trailer:
http://animoto.com/play/fzdYmvTnkhDPQKC8CziHWw

Here is Angela Giono's helpful readers guide:

Franco, Betsy. 2011. A Dazzling Display of Dogs. Ill. by Michael Wertz. New York: Random House. ISBN: 978-1-58246-343-8

Recommended Age Levels 9-12

SUMMARY OF BOOK
This book is a colorfully illustrated collection of thirty-four witty poems including a haiku about dogs and their antics. It includes such poems as: Lottie on a walk, a garbage eating pooch, a bubble catching dog named Petunia, a dog from the pound, Houdini the escape artist, and a dog peeing on the morning paper. These poems are told through the dog’s perspective. Such as in Circling Poem 2 Coco Circling on the Rug the words are in the form of a circle so the reader can experience what Coco does trying to get comfortable on a rug.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
“Starred Review. Grade 1–5—This follow-up to A Curious Collection of Cats (Tricycle, 2009) is dazzling indeed. Each of the 34 poems features a different animal, most of them engaged in true dog behavior. From farting in the car to wheezing and snoring while sleeping, these pups are funny and lovable even when they're being annoying. The verses and the book's design are beautifully matched. In "Emmett's Ode to His Tennis Ball," the text is enclosed in a circle held firmly in the dog's mouth. It begins, "Slobbery, sloppy, slimy, sphere—oh, tennis ball, I hold you dear…." Like the poems, the pictures are funny and dynamic. The pages are definitely full, yet careful use of color, typeface, and detail means they never look chaotic. A note says the pictures were started in pencil and then finished using monoprints and Adobe Photoshop. Overall, a delight for kids, their adults, and maybe even their beloved canine companions.—Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL 
(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.” -SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

“The creators of A Curious Collection of Cats (2009) offer another volume of concrete poems filled with playful action. Elementary students will pick up the wry wordplay, but younger children will have trouble deciphering the words amid the packed, digitally touched artwork. The poems do capture familiar scenes with pets, such as a dog playing with a tennis ball (“sloppery slippery slimy”) and the pitfalls of car trips with a pooch: “The very worst part / without a doubt / is when Cassandra / makes a fart.” Both silly and on-target, the slapstick rhymes are good choices for family sharing. Grades K-3. --Hazel Rochman.”-BOOKLIST

AWARDS/HONORS RECEIVED
• 2011 Green Earth Book Award Winner
• 2011 Indie Kids’ Next List
• Printz Honor Title
• Edgar Award Nominee

QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE READING
Invite students to discuss the following questions prior to reading A Dazzling Display of Dogs:
• Show the cover of the book ask, what do think of or what pictures come to your brain when you hear dazzling display? Once, answers are shared discuss how the illustrations on the cover either prove or disprove students’ predictions.
• Have you ever heard of poetry? What poets or poems have you heard? Have you created your own poetry?
• Prior to reading give students an example of a Haiku poem. Do you see a pattern in the poem? If so what is it? This pattern of poem has a name does anyone know what it is? Does anyone know the origin of the Haiku?
• Imagine what life is like for a dog. What do you think dogs like about being a canine? What do they dislike? Would you want to be a dog?
• If you were a dog what dazzling display would you write your poem about?
• Share a story about a dog past or present. What made that dog special or unique?

SUGGESTIONS FOR READING POEMS ALOUD
• “Saltwater Mutt”- Invite students to participate in the chorus. You read the words or letters on the dog and they read “romping in the waves.”
• “Tonka at Dog School,” Students to volunteer for a line-around. Each student will say a dog’s line. Be sure everyone gets a turn to shine.
• “Circling Poem 1&2,” Have children act out the poem. One person is the reader the other is the dog. Be sure to take turn.
• “Letting Gwen in and Out,” Divide the class into groups. Read the poem in a back and forth way. There is various combinations to reading this poem so experiment.
• “Pug Appeal,” Read the students first and then have them repeat with you in unison.
• “Tigger On His Back,” Perform in two voices-Suggested by the author

FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES:
Music
• Develop a singing poem from one of the thirty-four given. Perform in music as well as library classes for Don’t Step in the Dog Poop Day-April 25th, International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day-February 23, National Dog Day-August 26th, or Adopt-a-dog Month-October.

Writing
• Students write a poem review of one of the poems in the book. This is strictly opinion, thus it may include positives and negatives. They may also discuss the illustrations. Post on the library website.
• Students will participate in A Dazzling Display of Dogs illustrated poem contest. Display the participant’s work at parent-teacher conferences.
• In this poetry collection, Mimsey Lou is missing. What types of things have you lost? Discuss what information a lost or missing, poster needs to include. For a fun activity have students make a poster for something or someone lost.

Science
• Students research report for one of the dogs from Crazy Combo. Students choose a combo-dog or the original breed. Include: personality, feeding, grooming, care, characteristics, and history of the breed.

Reading
• Have poetry Friday and share poems from A Dazzling Display of Dogs as well as other poetry.
• Have students volunteer to participate in R.E.A.D. (Reading Education Assistance Dogs). READ provides dog reading companion for children. The statistics and implementation specifics for this successful program are provided on the website.
http://www.therapyanimals.org/R.E.A.D.html

Math
• After reading the poem Bubbles, discuss how a sphere is the smallest area for its volume of any solid shape. Bubbles try to make the smallest surface. Students can make some basic geometric bubble shapes. The site includes a recipe for bubbles and activity ideas such as making cubical bubbles.
http://mathssquad.questacon.edu.au/bubbles.html

Social Studies
• Read Found at the Pound, discuss ASPCA information that are applicable. Such as the statistic 5 to 7 million animals enter shelters per year. Invite the local animal shelter to visit for show and tell. http://www.aspca.org/about-us/faq/pet-statistics.aspx

History
• In this poetry collection Miss Olive has a teddy bear. Read Miss Olive’s Teddy Bear. September 9th is Teddy Bear Day. Read the article by the Workshop Rail Museum about the history of the teddy bear.
http://www.theworkshops.qm.qld.gov.au/~/media/Documents/Learning%20resources/TWRM/Activity%20sheets/history-of-teddy-bear.pdf
For fun, do some of the games and or activities in the Teddy Bear Day website.
http://www.akidsheart.com/holidays/tbearday/tbearday.htm

RELATED WEBSITES/BLOGS
Becky’s Blog Spot
http://zero-to-eight.blogspot.com/
(Her blog gives various book reviews by an avid reader and is updated on a regular basis).

Poetry for Children
http://poetryforchildren.blogspot.com/2011/04/dazzling-display-of-dogs-by-betsy.html
(This blog includes connections for the poem and the opportunity to view other poets work).

YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggGt-PMUQKg
(This is a live performance of songs based on the book).

Betsy Franco Website
http://www.betsyfranco.com/
(This site gives future book, events, links, and blogging).

Poetry Foundation
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/betsy-franco
(Useful website that includes poetry, poets, poetry magazine and tour, as well as resources for children’s poetry)

RELATED BOOKS
Poetry Books
Franco, Betsy, 2009. A Curious Collection of Cats. Ill. by Michael Wertz, Tricycle Press.
Crawley, Dave, 2007. Dog Poem. Ill. by Tamara Petrosino, Woodsong.
Hempel, Amy (editor), 1999. Unleashed: Poems by Writers’ Dogs. Three Rivers’ Press.

Related Fiction and Nonfiction
Wordless Book
• Day, Alexandra, 1989. Carl Goes Shopping. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Easy Reader Picture Book
Clifford the Big Red Dog
• Bridwell, Norman, reprint 2010. Clifford the Big Red Dog. Cartwheel Books.
Fiction-- Age 9-12
• Martin, Ann M., 2007. A Dog’s Life: An Autobiography of A Stray. Scholastic.
• Wallace, Bill, 2005. No Dogs Allowed! Aladdin Books.
Fiction-- Young Adult
• Morey, Walt, 1997. Kavik the Wolf Dog. Puffin.
• Pearce, Jacqueline, 2005. Dog House Blues. Orca Book Publishers.
Nonfiction
• Osborne, Mary Pope, 2011. Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #24: Dog Heroes: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House #46: Dogs in the Dead of Night. Random House Books for Young Readers.
• Kehret, Peg, 1999. Shelter Dogs: Amazing Stories of Adopted Strays. Albert Whitman and Co.

Author
Betsy Franco is the author of over 80 books for both children and young adults. She has received numerous awards and recognition for her work.

Illustrator
Micheal Wertz’s work has been celebrated by Communication Arts, American illustrators. He has a “dog blog.” That contains 100 dogs in 100 days. Visit www.wertzateria.com

Used with permission from Angela Giono and Leslie Wilson.

Lemonade

Next, Chandra Burrell offers this very helpful readers' guide for Bob Raczka's newest book, Lemonade and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word. Check it out.

Bibliographic citation
Raczka, Bob. 2011. LEMONADE AND OTHER POEMS SQUEEZED FROM A SINGLE WORD. Ill. by Nancy Doniger. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 9781596435414

About the author and illustrator
Bob Raczka has written many books about art and art history for children. He lives in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

Nancy Doniger has illustrated several books for children and done editorial illustration for the New York Times and other publications. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Recommended age level: 8-12; grade levels: 3rd grade – 7th grade

Summary of book
There are 22 poems that stretch across different themes and they are in no particular order. Raczka makes you think and look at words in a different way since each poem only uses one single word to construct the entire poem. When you first see the poem each letter is under the letter from the main single word to create the poem. It is a poem puzzle that begs to be solved. Some poems are quick and easy while others make you ponder before you turn the page because you want to believe that it is easier than it looks. Then if you finally say I give up the answer is on the back when you turn the page. And truly each poem is simple and powerful because he takes a single word and creates many words that turn into a poem that has depth and layers. Raczka creates a book that showcases poetry in a different way which makes it fun and challenging at the same time.

Review excepts/awards
Starred Review from Booklist: “Doniger’s spare illustrations add quirky appeal without distracting from the inventive formations of type. More than just clever gimmicks, the poems leave room for moving lines with a depth that invites imaginative wandering: ‘A / silent / lion / tells / an ancient / tale,’ reads ‘Constellation.’ Sure to have wide classroom appeal.”

Horn Book Review: “The lemonade here is cool and refreshing, and it makes you want to do some squeezing yourself in this playground where poet meets Scrabble nerd.”

School Library Journal Review: “A clever, catchy, and challenging collection.”

Kirkus Review: “Fun as a prompt for poetic exploration.”

Questions to ask before reading book
Ask students to look at how the word lemonade is dropping into the pitcher. Now discuss why the author use the word “squeezed” in the title?
Look at the Table of Contents and pick out 2 words and have the student imagine what comes to mind when you say those words. Then allow the students to create a list. For example when I think about television I think square, TV shows, cartoons, music video, and cable.
Do you think it is easy or hard to write poems that only use a single word as the inspiration?
Talk about how Raczka gives an overview of how he discovers one word poems from another author and he gives the other author credit by showing one of his poems. Why is it important to give credit to others?

Suggestions for reading poem aloud
“Spring”- I sing/I spin/I grin
This is a great poem for the whole group to read together while doing exactly what it says to do in the poem.

“Snowflakes”
Have students use their hands to go up and down as they read the poem. When hands go up simulate new snow that is about to start again and hands come down they simulate the snow falling down which is a good way to incorporate movement while reading the poem.

“Playground”
Divide students into two groups and one group read the first three lines and the second group read the 2nd group of three lines. Also this poem could be read outside while on the playground so that students can act out the play as they read it.

Follow up activities (writing, art, science, etc.)
Poem Writing
Ask the students to be creative by picking their own single word and creating a poem using the single word chosen.
Example: Guidelines
Us Nine
In line
Legs in
Use Slide
I Glide
Line Ends

Art
In the book the illustrator used simple drawing for the poems. Ask students to visualize what their poem represents. Students will create their own simple drawing for their poems using different mediums.

Math
In the book the poems are in columns so have the students use the column method to create their poems. Once they are finish ask students to count the letters used in their poem. Then they can create a graph that shows which letters were used from least to greatest. The data would show which letters are used more when creating the new words from the single word.

Social Studies
In the book there are two different poems that focus on minivan and vacation. A great social studies activity would be for the students to pick a destination in the U.S.A. they would like to go on for their vacation. Now have the students find out fun facts about that destination. And for fun the students can try to create another single word poem using the destination as their inspiration. I chose to create a poem about Houston.
South Host
Sun
Too Hot
Oh No
Out

Science
In this book there are two poems that relate to spring and two poems that relate to winter. Have students create a graphic organizer to compare and contrast between winter and spring.

Related web sites/blogs
Helps students see possible word combination when trying to create one word poems. Type in a word and it gives possible words that come from the primary word.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/adam.bozon/anagramsolver.htm

The Booklist review talks about the constellation poem and this is a great to expand students’ knowledge about constellations and stars with this informative and useful website.
http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations.html

One of the poems is called “Creative” and Bob Raczka’s website has a link to his favorite place to look at art. That would be a great pair to read the poem then go to the link for The Art Institute of Chicago to look at the same great art.
http://www.bobraczka.com/

There is great factual information about ladybugs, earthworms, and many other kinds of animals. The first two are featured poems so it would be a great way to extend the learning and learn new facts.
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/

Related books (other poetry, related nonfiction, related fiction)
Other poetry books
Raczka, Bob. (2010). GUYKU: A YEAR OF HAIKU FOR BOYS. Ill. by Peter Reynolds. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 9780547240039.
Mordhorst, Heidi. (2005). SQUEEZE: POEMS FROM A JUICY UNIVERSE. Ill. by Jesse Torrey. Honesdale, Pa.: Wordsong. ISBN 978-1590782927
Singer, Marilyn. (2010). MIRROR MIRROR: A BOOK OF REVERSIBLE VERSE. Ill. by Josee Masse. New York: Dutton Children's Books. ISBN: 978-0525479017
Heard, Georgia. (2011). FALLING DOWN THE PAGE. New York: Roaring Book Press. ISBN 9781596432208

Related nonfiction
Relates to Pepperoni poem
Buller, Laura. (2005). FOOD- DK EYEWITNESS. New York: DK Publishing ISBN 978-0756611712
Relates to Flowers poem
Gibbons, Gail. (1993). FROM SEED TO PLANTS. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 978-0823410255
Relates to Bleachers poem
Cole, Joanna. (1998). THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS PLAYS BALL: A BOOK ABOUT FORCES. New York: Scholastic Paperbacks. ISBN 978-0590922401

Related fiction
Read the “Treehouse” poem and then can use this book to relate how fun and magical a tree house can be.
Mary Osborne. (2003). HIGH TIDE IN HAWAII –MAGIC TREE HOUSE. New York: Random House Books. ISBN 978-0375806162
Read the “Bicycle poem and then can use this book to talk about how important bike safety is because things can happen in a blink of an eye
Park, Barbara. (1996). MICK HARTE WAS HERE. New York: Yearling Publishing. ISBN 978-0679882039

Used with permission of Chandra Burrell.

All the Water in the World

My student Stephanie Gilbert created this lovely digital trailer for George Ella Lyon's new poetic picture book, All the Water in the World which is beautifully illustrated by Katherine Tillotson. Here is the trailer.








Used with permission of Stephanie Gilbert.