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June 22, 2007
“Mother Doesn’t Want a Dog:” Poetry Friday
Mother doesn't want a dog.
Mother says they smell,
And never sit when you say sit,
Or even when you yell.
-from “Mother Doesn’t Want a Dog” by Judith Viorst in If I Were in Charge of the World and Other Worries...
I love poetry, and one of my favorite parts of being a children’s librarian is sharing poetry with little people, which I try to do whenever possible. One of the ways I do this is through using poetry in my preschool storytimes. Most poetry is more sophisticated than your average preschooler, but I find that older preschoolers will happily listen to a poem they don’t understand as long as it has good music, is recited with some kind of expression, and is perhaps accompanied by a puppet or motions. One poem I’ve enjoyed using is “Mother Doesn’t Want a Dog” by Judith Viorst, of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day fame. Strangely enough, I stole the idea for using this poem from our current computer services librarian at WPL (Hi, Patti!) way back when we took a children’s services course together, years before either one of us worked at WPL. Here is what I like about this poem:
1. It uses simple, straightforward, concrete language. That works for preschoolers (and me).
2. It employs seemingly effortless rhyme and rhythm that is a pleasure to read aloud and listen to.
3. It is funny.
4. It gives me an excuse to use my dog puppet (nameless) and my snake puppet (Julius Squeezer).
The kids don’t jump up and down or cheer or anything when I recite this poem for them, but they listen, which is all I ask. It also amuses me, which is, in the final analysis, even better.
[Ed. Note: Today's roundup is over at A Wrung Sponge.]
Posted by adrienne at June 22, 2007 09:04 PM
Comments
Cute poem. I agree completely with that mother! My little guys like poems that are playful and sing song too. I think it's a practiced taste that develops with good exposure.
Posted by: cloudscome at June 23, 2007 06:37 AM