Poetry Friday

I am very excited that J. Patrick Lewis will be coming to Fundamentals, a local independent bookstore, next Friday!  Because of this excitement I will be highlighting a poem from his book Face Bug. 

Goodreads Summary:  In this ingenious picture book, Children's Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis invites you to visit the Face Bug Museum. There, readers can meet fourteen bugs in Lewis's sly, humorous poems; gaze upon giant close-ups of the creatures' faces in Siskind's photographs; and follow the antics of two beetle friends in Kelly Murphy's artwork. This is a trip to a museum--built by bugs, "fo"r bugs--unlike any other. It is also a poetry collection, macro-photography book, and illustrated story--all in one. Includes end notes with photographs of the entire bugs and further information about these creatures.

What I Think:  My son is a budding entomologist and loves to read anything about insects.  Most of the books he reads about insects are, of course, nonfiction.  With this book, budding entomologists can read about bugs in the form of poetry, which is refreshing to me.  I love the fact that my son reads nonfiction, but I also want him reading a variety of text and this book is the best of both worlds!  Plus, I do love the humorous poetry of J. Patrick Lewis!  And the photographs by Siskind are wonderful, if not a little creepy for those of us who are not bug lovers!

Since I have been hearing so many cicadas lately I will share a poem about them from this book!

Dogday Harvestfly Cicada
     Tibicen canicularis

Bug's one ugly
Nut to crack.
Is that Bugly's
Front or back?

What?! Two faces
On this mutt?
Creepy. Never
Mind his butt.

Front or top view,
What the heck?
He's a head-on
Insect wreck.

Go on, touch him-
All he does
Is ask, "Who's there?"
In wonder-buzz.


Tara has the Poetry Friday roundup this week at A Teaching Life.