(Cover compliments of Titlewave)
Bibliography
Worth, Valerie. Animal Poems. Ill. by Steve Jenkins. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. 2007. ISBN 0-374-38057-0.
Review
Worth’s insightful free-verse poems about 23 animals pair perfectly with Jenkins’ vivid paper-cutting illustrations. The sparse-looking poems, rich in vivid metaphors and not a wasted word offer acute observations and thoughtful insights on each animal subject. Especially notable is her mastery of extended metaphors as seen in the mole’s comparison to a miner seeking treasure. From the light-hearted look at the ability of a baby kangaroo’s privilege to “Return headfirst/To the delectable/Pocket of the dark” to the somber look at the elephant’s role in the circus, Worth’s snappy word choices succinctly capture a clear image and subtle message of each animal. Jenkin’s layered paper collages compliment Worth’s layers of insight. Fringed paper softens the camel while translucent paper gives an ethereal quality to the jellyfish. Rich in varieties of textures, sizes, and muted color shadings, the paper collage animal images appear on some spreads to nearly pop off the page. The solid color backgrounds create an uncluttered feel to the book. Published post-humously, this book reflects the rich free-verse style of a remarkable poet to be enjoyed by all ages of readers.
Honors
Parent’s Choice Silver Honor 2007
"Starred Review"
School Library Journal, Book Links, Booklist, Horn Book, and Publisher’s Weekly
Sample poem
Star-Nosed Moles
Shovel-pawed,
Pick-clawed,
Snouted with stars
For lamps to
Lead them keen
Along unlighted
Shafts, the moles
Fatten their
Fortunes mining
The common soil:
Tunneling shallow
Clay to put
Their portly way
Among the roots
Of grass—where
Succulent insect-
Nuggets shine.
And worms unwind
Their sumptuous
Veins of ore:
Luxurious fare,
And proper to
Those velvet-coated
Appetites, their taste
For treasure fed
On all the buried
Wealth of earth:
The golden beetle-
Grub, the silver
Eggs of ants.
Connections
(For upper middle-high school age)
In collaboration with a science unit, after reading the poem Star-Nosed Moles, have students draw an animal name out of a bowl. Conduct a short research lesson on the animal in the library using print and electronic resources. The following day, have the students create a poem based on an extended metaphor about their animal.
In a modeled lesson, help younger students explore the poem Star-Nosed Moles; research the subject of mining breaking down the images and vocabulary in the poem in order to shed new light on the metaphor. On the board create a two-column chart comparing the similarities between a mole and a miner.
In a collaborative lesson with the art teacher, engage students in studying paper collage as a medium for illustrating books. Students can create their own handmade papers and ultimately create their own animal artwork.
Related reading
Have students explore the collage work of Steve Jenkins through his award winning books What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?, Actual Size, and others. See his books at http://www.stevejenkinsbooks.com/books.html
Have students read other poetry books by Valerie Worth including All the Small Poems and Fourteen More and Peacock and Other Poems.
