Module 1: African American Poetry Book Review- Nikki Grimes

WHEN GORILLA GOES WALKING by Nikki Grimes

(Grimes, Nikki. 2007. WHEN GORILLA GOES WALKING. Ill. by Shane Evans. New York: Orchard Books. ISBN 9780439317702)

Nikki Grimes offers a good mix of many different types of poems in this poetry book about a girl named Cecilia and her beloved cat, Gorilla. The nineteen poems included in this book seem to be arranged in chronological order, following Cecilia’s journey from first getting Gorilla through a series of adventures and experiences with the cat. The poems vary in both length and style, and while many of the poems rhyme, not all of them do. For example, the poem IN THE MIRROR packs a powerful punch in a short poem that does not rhyme:

IN THE MIRROR by Nikki Grimes

Gorilla gazes
into a puddle. Does she
know she’s beautiful?

Many of the poems in this book convey Cecilia’s love and affection for her cat in a way that animal lovers of all ages will easily relate to. Grimes skillfully uses a combination of rhythmic language and imagery in some of the poems. For example, in the poem GORILLA, Grimes states, “She has no tail./ She’s rain-cloud gray./ I love that cool cat/ more each day.” Some of the poems are humorous and upbeat like the poem JEALOUS, in which the jealous and demanding nature of Gorilla is described so perfectly that cat lovers of all ages will laugh out loud. On the other hand, some of the poems take on a significantly more emotional and sad tone, such as COMFORT, which describes the day Cecilia’s best friend (also named Cecilia) moves away:

COMFORT by Nikki Grimes

My best friend
packed my heart
and moved away.
Gorilla raised a paw
and pet me.
I think I cried
a dozen times
that day.
Gorilla drank my tears
and let me.

Grimes also injects a hint of culture into some of the poems by describing Gorilla’s collar that is painted like an African flag in PAINTED COLLAR and mentioning Gorillas’ affinity for “soul food” in LITTLE MISS FUSSY.

Shane Evans’ colorful illustrations will engage children and offer a variety of humorous depictions of Gorilla and her emotions. The illustrations skillfully offer readers entertaining visual extensions of the poetry without overpowering the language in the poems. The front cover of the book, which features a close-up illustration of Gorilla with shiny silver whiskers and a shiny silver tag on her collar announcing the title of the book, will attract readers to pick up and explore the book.

WHEN GORILLA GOES WALKING would make a perfect introductory book to poetry for children due to the variety of poems included in the book and the fact that it will appeal to the millions of children who enjoy reading books about pets. The poems are basic enough to be accessible to even young children, yet the word choice leaves room for many layers of meaning. Cecilia’s love for Gorilla can easily be felt throughout all of the poems in the book. However, as young readers read and reread the poems in this book, they might also discover that Cecilia’s descriptions of her cat could also be reflections of some of Cecilia’s own qualities.

INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES:
*Prior to reading this poetry book, invite children to write or draw what they like about their own pets or pets they wish they could have. As a group, discuss pets and why they can be important to their owners.

*Ask children to brainstorm a list of qualities about cats and to share personal stories and experiences they've had with cats. Then, tell them that they are about to meet a very cool cat named Gorilla before sharing the poetry with them.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:
*Have children create a card for a pet they know (either their own pet, a friend’s pet, or a class pet). Encourage children to use words in their cards (possibly in the form of poems) that convey how they feel about the pet.

*Ask children why they think Cecilia named her cat Gorilla. Discuss as a group why Gorilla might be a fitting name (or even a not-so-fitting name) for this cat (refer back to the poems as needed for descriptions of Gorilla's qualities).

Module 1: Poetry Book Review - Hopkins Anthology

HOOFBEATS, CLAWS & RIPPLED FINS: CREATURE POEMS edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins

(Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2002. HOOFBEATS, CLAWS & RIPPLED FINS: CREATURE POEMS. Ill. by Stephen Alcorn. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0688179428)

In this unique anthology, Lee Bennett Hopkins compiles 14 poems inspired by Stephen Alcorn’s fascinating animal portraits. Alcorn’s illustrations are highly detailed with intricate details and borders. The artwork makes use of a unique technique that incorporates astounding detail, begging readers to intently pore over the amazing representations of some of children’s favorite animals. Paired with the intense illustrations are engaging and equally intense poems. In fact, this anthology offers readers of all ages an interesting combination of poetry and art. The illustrations could stand alone to tell each animal’s story, but so could the poems. Together, the language and art make a powerful statement that will captivate readers.

Each double page offers a poem paired with a corresponding illustration for a specific animal. Each double page uses a different rich, earthy color as a background for the poem’s text. This anthology includes poems by some of the more familiar children’s poets, such as Kristine O’Connell George and Karla Kuskin. Some of the poems rhyme and some do not, contributing to a good mix of different styles of poetry. There does not appear to be any particular order to the arrangement of the poems, but a table of contents at the beginning of the book offers some organization.

The language focuses on the animal’s movements and qualities, making the poems deeper and more complex than some other animal poems. The moods of the poems vary from lighthearted in HERE’S FROG to more thoughtful in FULL MOON AND OWL. Some of the poems make interesting and playful use of the layout of the words on the page. For example, HERE’S FROG uses arches to arrange the words on the page, resembling either the rounded back of a frog or the arch he makes when hopping. Similarly, the poem PORCUPINE playfully displays its words in the shape of sharp quills. Font sizes also play a role in many of the poems, with larger fonts emphasizing and giving more power to important words. For example, in CAMEL, the words “lumpy,” “bumpy,” “fantastical,” and “bombastical” are typed with a larger font size. Additionally, the color of the text and the separation of text into columns make an interesting visual representation of an indecisive cat’s movements and behaviors in IN AND OUT. Sophisticated descriptions of the animals’ movements are consistent throughout the anthology and will have readers feeling the experience as if they are the animal they are reading about.

The unique look of this anthology combined with its high interest animal poems will appeal to children and adults alike. The poems are generally easily understood, yet the language used is interesting enough to captivate children and entice them to read and reread this collection.

INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES:
*Before sharing the poem with children, select one of Stephen Alcorn’s animal portraits to show them. Ask the children to help you brainstorm a list of characteristics for that animal, striving for a variety of interesting words and phrases.

*Or, spark children’s interest by playing an animal guessing game prior to sharing the poems. Call out one word characteristics of an animal one at a time until students guess which animal you are thinking of. Give children a turn to think of their own animals for others to guess, too!

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:
*After sharing the book with children and reading the poems out loud, have students select a favorite animal. Invite students to draw portraits of their own favorite animals and brainstorm a list of words and phrases that could describe the movements and qualities of their favorite animals. Students could then be encouraged to transform the words they chose into their own poems. Volunteers could share their creations with the class.

*Each individual animal poem in this anthology would also pair well with a nonfiction book about each specific animal. For example, the poem EASY LIVING would pair well with a book about cows, such as Julie Murray’s COWS. Or, the poem SHE LIKES TO HIDE would pair well with Adele Richardson’s FISH. After reading and discussing a poem, children might like to learn more about that particular animal and compare the poem’s representation of the animal’s qualities with actual facts about the animal.

*Since this anthology can leave readers feeling like they are the animals in the poems, it might be fun to encourage young children to create physical movements to represent some of the animals portrayed in the book. For example, children could try strutting like a rooster or ambling like a camel, using the words in the poems as guides!