Animal Tracks: Wild Poems to Read Aloud

by Charles Ghigna, John Speirs (Illustrator)

Overview

A rollicking follow-up to the award-winning Animal TrunkCharles Ghigna guides young readers to make delightful discoveries about the amazing world of animals with his unique, humorous verse. Chock full of puns ("I'm Not Lion"), wordplay ("Ducks Quack Me Up"), and more, the poems, and the cast of critters that cavorts in each one, are brought boldly to life by John Speirs's hilarious artwork. Perfect for reading aloud, Animal Tracks is a playful way to enhance learning about language as well as a charming way to introduce animals. This collection is a winning combination of facts, fantasy, fun, fur and feathers-perfect for reading aloud-provided you can stop giggling long enough! Praise for Animal Trunk: A Parents Choice Award Winner "This animal kingdom primer is a stunner… lively collection will have children clamoring for repeat performances until they can read all the rhymes solo." -Publishers Weekly Author Bio: Charles Ghigna, known as "Father Goose," has published over 30 books of poetry for children and adults and has received numerous awards for his work. A former poetry editor of The English Journal for the National Council of Teachers of English, he currently speaks around the world promoting an appreciation for children's literature. He lives in Homewood, Alabama. John Speirs has illustrated numerous children's books, including Abrams' The Little Boy's Christmas Gift. His work has been exhibited with the England-based Royal Society of Portrait Painters and Fine Arts Society. He lives in Richmond, England.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780810948419
Publisher:	ABRAMS
Publication date:	04/28/2004
Pages:	36
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 10.75(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

Editorial Reviews

For a lighter take on the environment, clever poems about an array of animals abound in Animal Tracks: Wild Poems to Read Aloud by Charles Ghigna, illus. by John Speirs, a companion to Animal Trunk. Zany watercolors portray such scenes as a trio of fierce four-legged fighters up against the ropes of a boxing ring with a lone human spectator, clad in a wool sweater, in "Do Not Bully a Bull" ("Do not badger a badger./ Do not bully a bull./ Do not beep at the long-horned sheep,/ Especially while wearing wool"). Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly - Publishers Weekly

Gr 2-4-Rhyming quatrains and couplets that describe pigs, hippos, penguins, turtles, butterflies, hummingbirds and dogs are mingled with punny poems ("-I will always BEE yours./I will never have any EGRETS./You are my one and only GULL./OWL always love you") and nonsense rhymes. A few are just too ridiculous and forced ("-Is this stuff all well known?/I've never seen a shark who made a loan./This, too, sounds rather rash,/I've never seen a cow who carries cash-"). Charming watercolor-washed pencil drawings of cartoon-style children, birds, and animals (some clothed) add significant appeal to the collection. An appended index lists each animal mentioned in the poems. A supplementary purchase where silly poetry is in demand.-Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal - School Library Journal

Not wild in the sense of ferocious, these simple read-aloud poems on animals and nature feature oddities and clever puns, i.e., titles such as "Ducks Quack Me Up," "I Wouldn't Pet on It," and "A Batch of Beasts." Playfully illustrated with expressive watercolors, there are 32 poems like "Hey, big old frog / On that small log. / Now don't you cough / Or you'll fall off. / You coughed! Oh no! / I toad you so." The nature elements are expressed at a child's curiosity level and should encourage questions. From alligator to worm, the one-page index of 108 entries isn't listed by poem titles, but by all of the animals mentioned, making it much more useful for teachers and adults. Lively and fun as promised, as the blurb says, "EWE will love this book-I'm not LION." (Poetry. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews