Brod BagertRezensionen

A bit heavy-handed with the message.

Note: I received a digital review copy of this title through NetGalley.

Independent Reading Level: Grades K-2
No Awards Given

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The author-illustrator duo of Tedd Arnold and Bret Bagert have joined forces to bring us a comical collection of irreverent poems that examine the world the way only a child can. Stage fright, boogers and unpleasant smells, among other outrageous topics and characters (including the Giant Children of the title), take center stage in these poems that will have readers laughing out loud!

Giant Children is a hilarious book of poems about school aged children. The poems include topics about class pets, stage fright during a school play, stinky boys and boogers. The simple rhymes written by Brod Bagert along with the humorous illustrations by Tedd Arnold combine to create an engaging romp through common childhood experiences. This is a frequently requested book of poetry in my elementary school library. I highly recommend!

Giant Children is a collection of witty, rhyming poems. The subjects are very relatable and kid friendly, including stinky diapers, boogers, and letters to the tooth fairy. The illustrations have Tedd Arnold's signature look of big googly eyes and scribble texture. The fun cartoon feel of the illustrations enhances the sarcastic humor of the poetry.

shows off poetry to the students.

This book would be great in class because it is a collection of poems. Teaching poetry throughout the year can be very important to the students because they don't ever touch base on it enough in class.

Main message- Children don’t always like going to school and have school fever, but school fever has a different meaning after reading this book. School isn’t really all that bad.

There are a couple reasons I liked this book. One reason I liked this book is it rhymes. Another reason I liked this book is the illustrations enhanced the poems.

Bagert uses different rhymes throughout his book. For example, he will rhyme the last word of the second and fourth line of each stanza. Line one is “Something strange is happening,” line two is “It’s more than just a hunch.” Line three is “They’re mixing magic potions” and line four is “And it’s getting in our lunch.” He also will rhyme the last word of the first line and the last word of the second line in each stanza and the last word in line three will rhyme with the last word in line 4. For example, line one the last word is ocean which rhymes with motion is line 2, the last word in line 3 is mean which rhymes with machine which is the last word in line 4. This use of rhyme helps to make the book humorous.

I also like the illustrations in this book. The pictures help give meaning to the words in the book. For example, the poem called, “Superhero Wanted,” the illustrations have a picture of a superhero swooping down to save the kid who is being bullied. The illustration helps draw a picture of what is going on in the poem.

A lively book of poems that go through the school day. There are poems for every subject you will do through out the day. Even poems for the arts, library, recess and music times. Definitely one that I would want in my class.

Age 4-8
Source Pierce College ECE Library

This is a lovely book of poems regarding poetry, kids, the library, numbers, animals, birds, shadow, taking turns, and many.
Ages:3-8
source: pierce college library

This book includes many poems. They all revolve around the normal events in a child's life. They are fun poems that go nicely with the fun, bright illustrations.

Like Alan Katz, Brod Baggert writes poems to which elementary students can relate--fighting at recess, keeping secrets or taking tests. What parent hasn't heard their own children complain about there being "nothing to do"--even on summer vacation! These poems are perfect for introducing poetry to elementary students, or for filling in a few minutes between transitions. The colorful illustrations add to the book's appeal.

Goblins. Boogers. Stinky boys. These are the things of childhood, and they're all here in this outrageous collection of poems that look at the world through a child's eyes.

Poetry book with short poems that children will enjoy. The poems talk about children and what they do at school. Children ages 4-8 will enjoy reading them. Pictures are made with acrylic paint and watercolors.

Summary: This collection of children's poetry is random and fun. These stories are all told from a child's perspective and are very relatable to young children and their wild imaginations. The use of rhyme, repetition, metaphor, similes, and many more tie the stories together and create silly messages within each poem. It is a collection that all children and even adults will enjoy.

Argument: In this collection of poems there were many reasons why I enjoyed this book and why I recommend it to teachers to use in their elementary school classrooms. First, these books have amazing illustrations. The images are exactly how children would picture it in their minds and it really emphasizes the fun phrases and meanings in each poem. The children in the illustrations also look so unnatural it will keep readers engaged and laughing. The illustrations truly add to the overall humor in these short poems. The second reason I enjoyed this collection was for its author point of view. Each story is told from a child's point of view and written for children. It is relatable and fun and reaches all children on different levels with different messages. For example, on page 4 one poem states, "I'm standing on the stage, the play's about to start, and the only sound I hear is the pounding of my heart". This is written from a child's point of view and the readers can relate to the feeling of being nervous with stage fright. The last reason I enjoyed this book was for its tone and expression. Each poem has an attitude or tone and uses various forms of emotions. For example, on page 20 the poem states, "And then what would it eat? The problem's plain to see: A dinosaur canary might decide to chomp on me!" This poem is written to make the readers fearful for the author. Not only will children be able to enjoy the attitude and tone while reading but they will be able to apply it to their own writing.
The main message of this collection of poems is to connect with children on multiple levels. Whether the topic is school or imaginative play all children will be able to relate to this book. It was written in a child's point of view for young children.

Local poet, Brod Bagert, captures local color in this series of poems about the Big Easy. Brod cleverly depicts our city's oddities and invites his audience to learn - about the unusual way directions are given in New Orleans, to ask our founder "What were you smoking?" when situating our city on silt-filled, mosquito infested swamp bed. The title piece is a must read.

Brod travels nationwide, and reads his works to audiences of all ages. A study of his poems followed by an author presentation would be a grand-slam unit. And yes, I believe that social studies potential abounds.

Incidentally, Brod has written an arts-integrated poetry curriculum called "The Muse Project" which I believe he is in the process of pitching to publishers.

Brod and his wife live in Mid-City, New Orleans.

I had just read this book because Brod lives down the street from me, and I thought of it when we the class read My Name is Mina. Brod's powerful depiction of middle school girls and boys is so believable. He humorously captures the cares and quandaries that plague youths in puberty.

Let kids read these poems aloud. Enjoy the laughs. Bridget the generation gap. Repeat.

Not really much in the way of literature, but, oh my goodness, it's about Mardi Gras.

Book on poetry awesome to use for inferences.

The students would like this book because it is about school and being ready for summer vacation.

Summary
This is a book filled with humorous poems for children. It broadens their imagination by encouraging them to explore their world. With poems about embarrassing moments and fun adventures, it is sure to be a favorite.
Personal Reflection
My favorite poem was “Night Pictures.” This is a poem about constellations. A child sees the constellations and does not understand the reason for their names. She claims they do not look like the things they are named after.
Classroom Extensions
1. Use the poem “Paleontology” to teach the children about paleontology. Give each child a Chips O’ Hoy cookie (soft kind) and ask them to dig out all of the chocolate chips with a spoon. Explain this is similar to how paleontologists dig for dinosaurs.
2. Use “The Easter Kitchen” to talk about Easter. Then with protective sheets for everything, dye eggs.

Energetic, exciting poems for kids! Colorful pictures, too! I will use this in poetry exploration for kids ages 4-7.

this book is full of funny little poems sure to brighten your day! pretty and vivid pictures go with every poem.

Summary:

This is a collection of poems by Brod Bagert. The poems range from stage fright, to brother/sister relationships, conquering fears, and love of poetry. It is geared towards elementary aged children. There are a smattering of topics, which could be interesting to all students.

Personal Response:

This is a wicked funny collection. Although all the poems are lyrical, and all rhyme, I can see how they would be a welcome collection in a classroom. The majority of the poems are interesting,because they are reality based. I think this would be helpful, in introducing poetry to children, because they can identify with the subject matter.

Classroom Extension:

Although April is National Poetry Month, I think that poetry should be used throughout the school year. This collection can be used to talk about things that are happening at school. When students audition for their school choir, or a play, the peom "Heart Stopper" can be a great way to open up communication about expectations and being prepared.

A few of the poems are based upon sibling relationships. These can be used to discuss how families are made up and how students deal with conflict between them and their siblings.

There are a couple of poems that can be used for encouragement, especially when a child feels as though they are not able to do an assignment or feel that they are too small for the job: Bad Words is about not using the words "I can't", and GIant Hearts is about how physical size doesn't matter, but the size of the heart and the need to succeed can override physical size. I think these poems could be used to encourage students and allow discussions about what may be going on either in the classroom or somewhere else in school.

Summary:
Is a book of collective poems for children. The poems are fun in language. Covers different topics: taking turns, play time, finger paints, and alphabet boogie are just some examples. The poems are playful and do have pictures.
Personal Reaction:
Book has many poems in it, can use some at a time to help with different themes. It is was ok, not my favorite but still had some real good poems within the book/
Extension Ideas:
1. Use the poems in themed units to help bring poetry to the classroom.
2. Have kids create their own fun poem.