Keep a Pocket in Your Poem: Classic Poems and Playful Parodies

by J. Patrick Lewis, Johanna Wright (Illustrator)

Overview

Thirteen classic poems by poets such as Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson, and David McCord are paired with parodies that honor and play off of the original poems in a range of ways.

For example, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is paired with "Stopping by Fridge on a Hungry Evening" to hilarious effect, whereas the combination of Emily Dickinson's "'Hope' is the thing with feathers" with Lewis's "'Grief' is the thing with tissues" is profound, and both David McCord's "This Is My Rock" and Lewis's "This Is My Tree" hum with a sense of wonder. This playful introduction to classics will inspire imagination and wonder even as it tickles funny bones.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781590789216
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	03/28/2017
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	657,454
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	630L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 9 Years

About the Author

J. Patrick Lewis is the 2011 winner of the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children and was the U.S. Children's Poet Laureate (2011–2013). His many books include If You Were a Chocolate Mustache, Face Bug, and Please Bury Me in the Library. He lives in Westerville, Ohio. jpatricklewis.com.

Johanna Wright has illustrated the Top-Secret Diary of Celie Valentine series published by Boyds Mills Press as well as her own picture books The Orchestra Pit, Bunnies on Ice, and The Secret Circus. She lives with her family in Portland, Oregon. johannawright.com

Editorial Reviews

01/16/2017
Former Children’s Poet Laureate Lewis gathers 13 poems, then pairs them with parodies that take the original works in unexpected directions, accompanied by Wright’s smudgy, naïf artwork. Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” becomes “Stopping by Fridge on a Hungry Evening” (“Whose mold this is I think I know,” it begins); Sandburg’s “Fog” inspires Lewis to write about hail; and an excerpt from Dickinson’s “ ‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” takes a somber turn: “Grief is the thing with tissues.” Readers who take Lewis’s introductory suggestion to write their own parodies may learn how writing a good one requires a solid awareness of the source material, something Lewis clearly demonstrates with his clever, funny, and visceral responses. Ages 5–10. Illustrator’s agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

★ "With a mix of humor, wit, and whimsy, Lewis' latest poetry collection contains classic poems paired with his original versions. The illustrations...add to the whimsy brought to the classic poems. Whether you're sharing the joys of poetry by reading it aloud, introducing readers to poetry, or demonstrating how the classics can serve as inspiration for creative writing, this collection will meet your needs. Lewis' collection belongs in every library and poetry lover's collection. Highly Recommended." — School Library Connection, starred review

"Kids bored by the usual collections of classic poems will appreciate this chuckle-worthy take, which pairs familiar verses with sometimes silly, sometimes thoughtful, always clever parodies. The varied selection of poems is well matched by Wrights multimedia illustrations...From short to long, and covering a broad scope of topics, these poems poking gentle fun at the form should find easy appeal, maybe even among kids reluctant to read poetry." — Booklist

"Poem and parody face each other, nestled in colorful illustrations...A charming introduction to the carefully selected original poems and the delightful turns of phrase they have conjured up. ...Encourages young writers to try their hand at some spoofing of their own." — School Library Journal

"Former Children's Poet Laureate Lewis gathers 13 poems, then pairs them with parodies that take the original works in unexpected directions, accompanied by Wright's smudgy, naïf artwork. Readers...may learn how writing a good (parody)...requires a solid awareness of the source material, something Lewis clearly demonstrates with his clever, funny, and visceral responses." — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

01/01/2017
Gr 3–6—Poetry is personal to both writer and reader, and here a former children's poet laureate selects a baker's dozen of classical poems and proffers the parodies that flew into his mind as he "tinkered" with their tempos. So while Robert Frost's little horse "shakes his bells" stopping by a wood, Lewis finds a "Fridge on a Hungry Evening" and does more. And while Rose Fyleman thinks "mice are really nice," Lewis is sure that "rats are really brats." Poem and parody face each other, nestled in colorful illustrations that often spill across both pages. Carl Sandburg's fog ("on little cat feet") leaves paw prints, while Lewis's hail stomps "furious hooves." A chatty introduction explains Lewis's intent and encourages young writers to try their hand at some spoofing of their own. This is simpler than his previous collection Edgar Allan Poe's Pie: Math Puzzles in Classic Poems and perhaps takes on a more popular subject. VERDICT A charming introduction to the carefully selected original poems and the delightful turns of phrase they have conjured up. A fun title for classroom use.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

2016-12-06
A dozen classic poems, with Lewis' playful revisions on the opposite pages. The title poem is a reworking of Beatrice Schenk de Regniers' "Keep a Poem in Your Pocket," which touts the importance of imagination. The revision exalts the value of memories triggered by little objects—"red hawk feather, / silver penny, pinkie ring"—found in a pocket. Langston Hughes' "Winter Sweetness" describes a snow-covered house as made of sugar. The revision, "Winter Warmth," compares a book to a cup of hot cocoa on a frigid day. An excerpt from Jack Prelutsky's "The Goblin" begins, "There's a goblin as green / As a goblin can be." Lewis begins "The Ogre" this way: "There's an ogre as wide / As a flatbed truck." He counters Robert Louis Stevenson's two-line "Happy Thought" with a "Sleepy Thought"; David McCord's "This is My Rock" becomes "This is My Tree." Perhaps the cleverest revamping is that of Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." In Lewis' hands it becomes "Stopping by Fridge on a Hungry Evening." (Said refrigerator is full of algae and mold and rotting food.) Lewis' poems are a mixed bag—some come off poorly by comparison to their originals—but the book could provide wonderful inspiration for young would-be poets. Wright's illustrations, in acrylic paint and ink on canvas, add much color, notably including the multiracial cast of children she depicts. Clever. (Picture book/poetry. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews