Pug: And Other Animal Poems

by Valerie Worth, Steve Jenkins (Illustrator)

Overview

In the follow-up to the well-received Animal Poems, Pug: And Other Animal Poems examines a wide range of animal behavior, from the fleetingness of a fly sipping spilled milk to the constant steely presence of a powerful bull; the greedy meal of a street rat to a cat's quiet gift of a dead mouse on the doorstep. Steve Jenkins's bright collage art brings these small moments to life.

A Margaret Ferguson Book

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466830356
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	03/19/2013
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	33 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 9 Years

About the Author

Valerie Worth (1933–1994) is the author of many books for children, including All the Small Poems and Fourteen More and Peacock and Other Poems, which appeared on Fanfare, The Horn Book's Honor List, and was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.

Steve Jenkins has written and illustrated many picture books, including Actual Size and the Caldecott Honor Book What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? He lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Editorial Reviews

In the late Worth’s follow-up to Animal Poems (2007), sharply observant and powerfully descriptive verses portray fauna in both wild and domesticated environments. Of a captive Bengal tiger, Worth writes, “Is it too wicked/ To wish/ He would break out,/ Fill the zoo/ With storms,/ Run his lightning/ Into the world?” Jenkins casts his typically precise and expressive cut-paper compositions against bright, spare backgrounds. With each poem, Worth expresses fascination and astonishment at each animals’ singular, sometimes alien existence. Toads are “Leathery/ Lumps of/ Earth with/ Gilded eyes,” while a cicada is “A fairy/ Tale come/ True: the/ Humped brown/ Gnome split/ Up the back,/ The silver-/ Caped prince/ Set free.” A resonant and soulful compilation. Ages 4–up. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

The sonorousness of the poems make them terrific readalouds, their compactness and engaging subject will appeal to reluctant readers, and their craftsmanship will draw established poetry fans.” —BCCB, starred review

“A vividly crafted collection of 18 animal poems with subjects ranging from pugs to geese to fireflies.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“A soulful compilation.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Jenkins again provides stunning collage illustrations for a posthumous collection of poems by esteemed poet Worth, following Animal Poems (2007).” —Kirkus

“Worth's poems remain a marvel and a joy.” —The Horn Book

“As with the highly regarded Animal Poems (2007), Jenkins' meticulous cut-paper collage images successfully catch the essence of Worth's concise, vivid poems about a startling variety of creatures.” —Booklist

From the Publisher

Gr 3–5—A vividly crafted collection of 18 animal poems with subjects ranging from pugs to geese to fireflies. As in Animal Poems (Farrar, 2007), the poet's undeniable expertise is elegantly expressed in Jenkins's collage art. Each entry is featured on a spread with a paper collage depiction of the animal that complements the singular focus and brevity of the free-verse selection. Each poem captures a brief moment or an unusual perspective: from the mysterious nature of the fox, to the quiet stillness of a dead mouse left on the doorstep, to the power and raw ferocity of the tiger. The art reflects the shifting moods of the work deftly, allowing both to compel readers. Whether read aloud or scanned silently, this lovely book shines with the same qualities as the previous collection. Poetry readers who are hungry for more might want to peruse The National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry, edited by J. Patrick Lewis (National Geographic, 2012), to continue the exploration of the creature kingdom.—Stephanie Whelan, New York Public Library

School Library Journal

Jenkins again provides stunning collage illustrations for a posthumous collection of poems by esteemed poet Worth, following Animal Poems (2007). This collection features 18 free-verse poems about the animal kingdom, including insects, fish, birds, wild animals and three pets: a dachshund, a prowling cat and the titular pug, shown in an appealing head-on view on the cover. Some of the animal subjects are less than engaging (a dead mouse left on the doorstep, a rat surrounded by garbage), but Worth finds tiny details and meaningful observations in each animal she examines, asking readers to accept any animal as a worthy subject for poetic examination. A few of the poems will be accessible to younger children, but most are more appropriate for children in upper-elementary grades or middle school; some will demand an adult's help in interpretation. Jenkins provides illustrations in his dazzling paper-collage format with impressive results, from a luminous firefly to a snarling tiger. There is no thematic flow or organization of the poems, so readers hop about the animal world in a slightly jarring manner, though the illustrations are captivating whatever the subject. Another welcome collection. (Picture book/poetry. 6-13)

Kirkus Reviews