miriamreads's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Sassy and great fun for a kids poetry book. It was surprisingly poignant at points, there were a few that reflected adulthood beautifully.
Sassy and great fun for a kids poetry book. It was surprisingly poignant at points, there were a few that reflected adulthood beautifully.
kathrynwilliams's review against another edition
4.0
Read aloud with the kids. There were several poems in here that I'm still thinking about and several that made us laugh. My kids especially loved the Island where everyone is called Toby.
aotrejo's review against another edition
4.0
It's witty like the Stinky Cheese Man (and the illustrator) and a care-free attitude towards the English language like Dr. Seuss. This is definitely one of my favorite reads of 2018.
bethgiven's review against another edition
5.0
This clever book of poetry made me think, laugh out loud (several times!), and consider who I could gift it to. I love that the poems are written for kids and their parents to enjoy together; my seven-year-old was in stitches over "Hey, Kids! Get Your Parents to Read You This Poem!" and my four-year-old giggled all the way through "If You Ever Have to Memorize a Poem of Twenty Lines or Longer and Deliver It to Your Class, Then This Is a Pretty Good Choice." Interspersed with all that silliness are some really touching and beautiful poems, like "The Valleys Shape the Mountains":
The valleys shape the mountains.
The shadow shapes the crescent moon.
The chill of late December
Shapes the warmth we feel in June.
So next time that you're crying,
Just remember this small rhyme;
Your sadness shapes the happiness
You'll feel again in time.
I think the balance is perfect. The serious poems don't get overly didactic, and the kids will actually think they're getting away with something (there IS a little bit of name-calling in this book between the author and illustrator). Mostly, though, this book doesn't moralize; it's just silly and creative and fun.
As an adult, I was just delighted by this book, and I could tell my kids really enjoyed it, too. Rarely do I see a book that is a genuine hit for all ages, but this one really is.
The valleys shape the mountains.
The shadow shapes the crescent moon.
The chill of late December
Shapes the warmth we feel in June.
So next time that you're crying,
Just remember this small rhyme;
Your sadness shapes the happiness
You'll feel again in time.
I think the balance is perfect. The serious poems don't get overly didactic, and the kids will actually think they're getting away with something (there IS a little bit of name-calling in this book between the author and illustrator). Mostly, though, this book doesn't moralize; it's just silly and creative and fun.
As an adult, I was just delighted by this book, and I could tell my kids really enjoyed it, too. Rarely do I see a book that is a genuine hit for all ages, but this one really is.
bookmarked_north734's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Many of the poems were great, but not all of them. I liked that the illustrations were fairly simple and didn't take too much away from the actual poems. This is a great book for intermediate readers as an introduction to poetry, or as a re-introduction for adults who love sarcasm and other related types of humor.
melissapalmer404's review against another edition
4.0
Book #52 Read in 2018
I'm Just No Good at Rhyming
This book reminded me of the book Where the Sidewalk Ends. It had short, funny poems along with illustrations that will appeal to young readers. This would make a good read aloud in an elementary classroom. I borrowed this book from the public library.
I'm Just No Good at Rhyming
This book reminded me of the book Where the Sidewalk Ends. It had short, funny poems along with illustrations that will appeal to young readers. This would make a good read aloud in an elementary classroom. I borrowed this book from the public library.
nycitybookworm's review against another edition
5.0
I got this book at Bookcon. It is a super quick read. Has many funny poems that cover just about everything from food to parents and some story of a snail that saved San Francisco. The illustrations that go along with the poems are beautiful. It is a great addition to either a classroom or a home library.
shighley's review against another edition
5.0
What can you say about a book that makes you laugh, groan, and cry? The clever, imaginative poems just kept coming and coming; I wonder how long it took to write all of them. (There may be a couple I need to go back to fully understand.) My favorite has to be "Let's Meet Right Here in Twenty-Five Years."