Genre 3 - Poetry
"Read one book of poetry written by Calef Brown, Betsy Franco, Marilyn Singer or Charles R. Smith, Jr."
Plot Summary
Flamingos on the Roof is a playful collection of miscellaneously humorous poems. The only theme shared between them is that of randomness and absurdity. Each poem is presented by itself on the left side of a two page spread, and accompanied by an illustration filled with bold lines and colors to the right. Topics such as weather, insects, dancing, mythology, bowling, skating, eating, driving, camping, and animals are all represented within the collection.Critical Analysis
The poems in this collection take various forms and generally have irregular rhyming schemes, which makes them a bit awkward to read aloud at first. Because of the irregularity in the rhyming poems, approaching poetry from this level may not be as intimidating to potential poets as immaculately rhymed verses would be.Other poetic devices such as alliteration and assonance are used periodically throughout the book. Overall this volume of poems is a fun reading experience, but not thematically or otherwise linked. Because Brown does both the illustrations and poems himself, they go together quite well as a unit on each two-page spread.
Connections
- Compare with books by other nonsense poets like Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, or Ogden Nash
Where the Sidewalk Ends
by Shel Silverstein
The New Kid on the Blockby Jack Prelutsky
The Best of Ogden Nashby Ogden Nash
- Latch onto a favorite theme in any one poem, and find other collections of poems on the same theme.
Weather: Poems for All Seasons
by Lee Bennett Hopkins
insectlopediaby Douglas Florian
Awards/Reviews
From Publishers Weekly:Brown (Polkabats and Octopus Slacks) angles for the Silverstein or Prelutsky mantle in this collection of zany rhymes and funky folk-boho paintings. . . Brown's volume constitutes an uneven variety show, unified by a hearty salute to eccentricity.From School Library Journal:
These 29 nonsense poems, written in a variety of rhymed meters, are deliciously loaded with alliterative and assonant sounds and filled with delightful doggerel. Brown's playful verses are foolish ("Life is a dream/with a nautical theme/in a barnacle built for two."); preposterous ("Light bulbs on a birthday cake./What a difference that would make!"); exhilarating ("Boogie to the banjo./Bop to the bongo./Freeze like an igloo./Stomp like a buffalo" in the "Combo Tango"); and filled with wordplay ("Allicatter Gatorpillar/by and by/my oh my!/Allibutter Gatorfly!"). The author's strong command of poetic form and his way with words make creating nonsense rhyme look effortless. Full-page, flat acrylic illustrations, most painted in harmonious jewel tones, face single-toned pages of text in a variety of colors. The style is abstract with a folk-art quality, often cartoonish, and always whimsical. The characters have humorous, stylized features and varied skin tones, ranging from pale blue to light green to burnt umber. Packed with amusing details, the paintings consistently expand upon the text. Read aloud, these poems are sure to delight listeners. They also provide a great impetus for inspiring youngsters to write nonsense poetry of their own.-Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OHFrom The Horn Book:
In Calef Brown's world, everything is whimsically surreal. . . Using a variety of poetic forms, Brown takes something familiar and twists it ingeniously to become something new. . . Brown's imaginative wordplay is matched by his acrylic paintings depicting people and places in unusual hues. He also incorporates many quirky details to discover . . . and other surprises. Silly it may be, but all the best kind, prompting the reader to see the world (slightly) askew and to delight in it.From Booklist:
Brown's lively nonsense rhymes blend the mythic and the contemporary, as do his acrylic illustrations, part folk art, part postmodern. The wry mockery of the haikus will appeal to older readers, but even preschoolers will enjoy acting out poems such as Combo Tango . . . Words and pictures manage to be both clear and weird, an enjoyable mix. --Hazel Rochman
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