Is it wise to teach the lessons of the alphabet, friendship and independence through poems?
Alphabet Forget those childhood school poems that began ” ‘M’ is for the Mother who loves me so.” Harley explains the form clearly in a poem acrostic of “word in edgeways,” and her examples, each one accompanied by a photograph of an African animal, are striking. The water buffalo’s poem is based on “watch fully,” and even individual lines may be based on puns, “Like he charges too much.” She shows the animals acting as such, not as charming book characters. The last three lines about a hunting lioness are “Even / Sunlight/ Shivers.” There are pages at the back to explain more about acrostics, animals and the photographs. A winning trifecta. Friendship Tiny, an elephant, and Hercules, a mouse, are best friends. Like all friends, sometimes they take turns suggesting what to do and manage to surmount their differing sizes and skills. (Their knitting projects are a great example.) My favorite story is of their arranging Hercules’ Uncle Roy’s 103rd birthday party. Schwartz’s drawing shows
Alphabet Forget those childhood school poems that began ” ‘M’ is for the Mother who loves me so.” Harley explains the form clearly in a poem acrostic of “word in edgeways,” and her examples, each one accompanied by a photograph of an African animal, are striking. The water buffalo’s poem is based on “watch fully,” and even individual lines may be based on puns, “Like he charges too much.” She shows the animals acting as such, not as charming book characters. The last three lines about a hunting lioness are “Even / Sunlight/ Shivers.” There are pages at the back to explain more about acrostics, animals and the photographs. A winning trifecta. Friendship Tiny, an elephant, and Hercules, a mouse, are best friends. Like all friends, sometimes they take turns suggesting what to do and manage to surmount their differing sizes and skills. (Their knitting projects are a great example.) My favorite story is of their arranging Hercules’ Uncle Roy’s 103rd birthday party. Schwartz’s drawing shows
