They Only See the Outside
Author: Kalli Dakos
Illustrator: Jimothy Oliver
Magination Press
Ages: 8-12 years old
A collection of poems aimed at bringing the internal, external, Dakos skillfully focuses her freeform verses on the universal feelings and emotions shared by youth; well, in truth by all ages, all over the world. From the insecurities of body image to “a” goodbye, to the final goodbye, Dakos weaves humor and pathos into a wonderful collection of poems that will get children talking.
One day I asked my teacher
Where You Ever Fat Like Me?
a very important question
while she was marking
our arithmetic books
. . .
“Mrs. Danforth,” I said,
in a voice that was as soft
as a butterfly’s wing.
“When you were a child
where you ever . . . ever . . . fat like me?”
For the reflective child, the book provides ample opportunities to ponder and explore her feelings. For the loquacious child, look to engaging in prolonged conversations.
Classroom opportunities abound as a single poem can lead to a week’s worth of discussion and lengthy (or short) writing assignments exploring one’s feelings, or literature interpretation. The book is multifaceted and multi-use. As the child matures, so will the understanding of nuance. As the child grows, so will the child’s understanding. Quirky, cute graphics accent the text.
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More books for this Age Group can be found here.
My thanks to Magination Press for providing a Review Copy of this book. All opinions provided herein are my own.
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