The Llama Who Had No Pajama
Bibliography: Hoberman, M.A. (1998). THE LLAMA WHO HAD NO PAJAMA: 100 FAVORITE POEMS. Florida: Harcourt. ISBN 9781415668382
Plot Summary: The book covers everything from centipedes to whales, swinging on swings to ice-skating in winter, and eating applesauce to celebrating birthdays. The delightful poems in this extensive collection convey the timelessness of childhood experiences.
Critical Analysis: Hoberman writes many different poems in one book. The poems have a variety of simple topics like animals, people, weather, comparisons, time, fun, and many more activities that children can relate to. The poet’s use of rhythm and rhyme in the poem, “Snow” plays out like a song as the reader enjoys each line and stanza. The illustrations are colorful and so well drawn that the reader can almost tell what the poem is saying without even reading it. The illustrations are very child-friendly and cheerful.
The poems would be great for children in kindergarten to third grade. The simpler poems are great to start introducing poetry to lower grade students. Many of the illustrations are very realistic, particularly the bugs for those students who love science and animals. These attributes would encourage the student to want to pick up the book and not put it down.
Review Excerpt(s):
“Although perhaps best taken in small doses, this collection of some forty years of Hoberman verse is a charmer. The poems--peppy verses immediately identifiable as Hoberman's by their use of alliteration and repeated words and lines--seem to cover every subject under the sun; all are dependably child-centered. Further bonuses are Fraser's delicate yet merry watercolors and the varied, imaginative page design. Ind.”- Horn Book
“K-Gr 4--Hoberman's poems, accompanied by Fraser's illustrations, have been delighting children for 40 years. Now, many poems from their out-of-print books are available in this satisfying collection. The selections are mostly humorous, sometimes contemplative, and deal with animals, family, play, and plain silliness. Hoberman's rhythms are lively and agile, and her imagination and sense of humor are still in tune with young readers. Fraser's simple but detailed gouache and watercolor illustrations exhibit the same qualities. The layout is masterfully varied and never overwhelms the poems. There is a table of contents as well as an index of first lines. Good for beginning or experienced readers of poetry, this should indeed become a favorite.--Nina Lindsay, Vista School, Albany, CA”- School Library Journal
Connection: *Students can create their own poem and then keep creating more, making a collection of poems that they can put together into a book.
*Students can find rhyming words within the poems.
Other books that are similar:
Archer, Micha. WONDER WALKERS. ISBN 978-0593109649
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