GENRE 3 POETRY: THE GREAT FROG RACE AND OTHER POEMS

BIBLIOGRAPHY
George, Kristine O’Connell. 1997. THE GREAT FROG RACE: AND OTHER POEMS. Ill. By Kate Kiesler. New York: Clarion. ISBN 0395776074

PLOT SUMMARY
This is a collection of poems about everyday life. Each poem is about some ordinary object or a simple moment in one’s life. The setting is in the countryside in an unidentified time in the past. Some poems seem to reflect life in the 1950’s. The poems appear to be a collection of childhood memories.

CRITICAL ANALASYSIS
The author uses poetry to describe living in the country. The simple things in life are described using beautifully written text. Most of the poems have a rhyme and rhythm to them. The poem titled “Egg” is in concrete form, and the words form the shape of an egg. The poems go together nicely in the book, but they could also be read out of order and still be enjoyed. The illustrations that go along with the poems are done in beautiful oil paint. They completely capture the time period of the book, and are a great addition to the poetry.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal"Grade 3-6. Atmospheric paintings and crystal-clear imagery uncover the magic and dreams of ordinary things, from polliwogs to a spring wind to a garden hose."

From Booklist"Gr. 4^-6, younger for reading aloud. Outdoors at night under a full moon, children gather to watch captured frogs race. A girl sniffs the air in September: "It smells / Spicy. Sharp. / Like freshly sharpened pencils." The words capture children playing out their lives: throwing water balloons, hovering over pollywogs in a shallow pond, listening to Canada geese flying overhead. Both the picture-book format and the poetry in this collection are wonderfully enticing."

CONNECTIONS
Read other poetry books
Students can create their own poems