Advanced Children's Literature: Poetry

Prelutsky, Jack. THE BEAUTY OF THE BEAST: POEMS FROM THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. Illustrated by Meilo So. New York: Knopf, 1997.

An unusual collection of poetry that will be very appealing to many children. An exceptional bridge to extend or even begin poetry in Science class rather than relegating it only to the Language Arts curriculum. The book is very well organized with an Index of Authors and Titles. On first glance it appears that illustration is the most unique component of the book, but upon the reading one can see the writing is equally broad. There is of course, Seamus Heaney, Robert Frost, Ogden Nash, Eve Merriam, Jane Yolen and Carl Sandburg, but there is also Ted Hughes (rather than Langston), D.H. Lawrence, and John Milton. An intriguing collection of animal poems. Meilo So illustrates the book with movement throughout. Special favorites are drawings of mixed media of a trout leaping from a lake, a sloth haning from a tree, Zolotow's Raccoon digging in the trashcan finding a green bottle that once contained alcohol, wasps and bees flying from apple and pear trees, gold fish and koi. The table of contents says it best with chapters entitled, "In Trillions we Thrive," "Jubilant We Swim," "Wrapped in Coats of Fur," "Dragons in Minature," and "Hollow-Bones Singers." Unique and of the highest quality, the book will prove to be utilitarian rather than esoteric. Job well done!