LS 5603 Poetry - bow wow meow meow

Bibliographic Data:
Florian, Douglas. 2003. Bow Wow Meow Meow: It's Rhyming Cats and Dogs. New York: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 0152163956

Plot Summary:
This is a short picture book of poems about various types of cats and dogs, ranging from lions to bloodhounds.

Critical Analysis:
Douglas Florian both wrote and illustrated this fun poetry book about different types of cats and dogs. There is only one poem per page and each simple square painting of a cat or dog faces the poem it corresponds with. This makes the reading of the poetry and understanding of the illustrations simple.

Two concrete poems, "The Poodles" and "The Ocelot," are imaginative and creative. "The Poodles" is written in circles as the poem mentions the "oodles and oodles of curls" of a poodle's fur. "The Ocelot" is one simple line in the shape of a question mark. It works okay on its own, but in this concrete form, the short poem has life.

The Ocelot

Why ocelots have lots of spots puzzles ocelot.

The majority of the poems use simple rhymes that easily could appeal to children. The variety of cats and dogs contained in the poems also creates more interest to a child that may have a Dalmatian or a Siamese cat. Personally, I liked "The Manx" because my cat is half Manx and although she has a tail it is quite short.

The Manx

Who always yanks
The tail off the Manx?

Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal: "The language has flair, and the writing is zany and creative. The watercolor paintings in primarily pastel colors are great fun, revealing an attribute or the character of each animal. This is a delightful selection to read aloud to younger children, and it offers older students models of simple poems that really work."

Connections:
A good way to interest students interested in poetry is to read what they know and are interested in. Since several students may have a cat or a dog, Bow Wow Meow Meow: It's Rhyming Cats and Dogs could be a great starting point for students reluctant to read poetry.

If you have $1,500 to spare "The Poodle" as well as other paintings by Florian from various children's books are for sale. http://www.storybookart.com/dflorian.html