Spring Reading 2014 If It Rains Pancakes

Brian Cleary has a way of making things fun. His book series like Words Are Categorical help students learn about the parts of speech and other topics in a humorous way. This latest book is filled with examples of haiku and lantern poems that are sure to tickle the funny bone while stimulating the brain. Cleary explains that haiku are traditionally about nature, but that he has chosen some other subjects for his poems including pets, sports, and food. He does the same with the lantern poems. The explanations are clear and easy to understand and the poetry is about things that appeal to young readers. (There really ought to be more poems about pizza and pancakes in the world.) This is the perfect book for a lesson or unit on poetry, or for a poem a day to read aloud. And Cleary points out that, "Poetry's not just a spectator sport." Once you enjoy his poems, you may just be inspired to write a few of your own. I did.

If poems were fruit,
These would be sweet, sweet berries
I could eat all day.

(How's that, Mr. Cleary?) To find out more about his other books and about the author himself, check out his website. There are some cool activities to try out, including creating your own rebus poem.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley. The book will be published on May 1, 2014.