by Alicia Rudnicki,
Library Mix

My Life As a Chicken,  as told to Ellen A. Kelley, Harcourt, Inc., 2007, ISBN 978-0-15-205306-2
Available at Powell's Books

Pauline is a hard-working hen who is dismayed by her life of "cluck 'n' lay, night and day." But it isn't until she overhears the farmer planning to bake a chicken pot pie that she flees the coop.

Pauline tells her story of life-changing misadventures in rhyme, using interesting vocabulary that will pique young readers' interest.

Perils of Pauline
The brave hen encounters hungry predators on land and sea, including a  crew of pirate cats. Pauline waits in the crows nest of their ship until the "scalawags" fall asleep.

"I tiptoe aft, steal a raft/ brave the waves,/ and sail my craft."

Illustrator Michael Slack invents a clever raft for Pauline,  a black pirate's hat complete with skull and crossbones on which she sails into further trouble.

"Pauline, prevail!" she squawks whenever danger looms. And prevail she does with the help of author Ellen A. Kelley who resolves Pauline's plight by ending the story in chicken paradise — a friendly petting zoo.

by Alicia Rudnicki, Library Mix

Pets and poetry form a winning combination in Dogku and A Curious Collection of Cats.

Homelessness is a compelling topic gently brought into focus by Andrew Clements delightful stray dog story Dogku. Completely written in haiku, it is an excellent introduction to that poetic form.

Betsy Franco refers to her book, A Curious Collection of Cats, as containing “concrete poems,” because they are part of the art shapes, such as one poem that forms the tail of twitchy, itchy cat. This makes the poetry more enticing and less abstract to young readers.

Dogku, by Andrew Clements, Simon and Schuster, 2007, ISBN 978-0-689-85823-9, Available at Powell's Books

Mooch is a nameless mutt until he wanders forlornly up to the open back door of a suburban home where a friendly looking mom takes pity on him.

Traditionally used to express thoughts about nature, the 5-7-5 syllable form of haiku has expanded to many other subjects in recent years. Each page of Mooch’s story is told as a haiku.

After mom feeds and bathes him, the children wake.

“Morning brings children./ Hugs, licks, barking, and laughing./ Warmer than sunshine.”

While the children are at school, Mooch happily accompanies the mother as she drives around town to accomplish errands.

“Nose out the window,/ ears flapping, hair pushed straight back./ Adventures in smell.”

It is difficult for Mooch to sleep through the long afternoon awaiting the return of the children. What is even more difficult is his worry that the family won’t keep him.

But all is well at the end when dad returns carrying a surprise for children and dog alike.

“A new doggy bed!/ Food, a bowl, a squeaky toy!/ Mooch has found his home.”

Tim Bowers vibrant illustrations add extra warmth to Clements’ heart-tugging story.

A Curious Collection of Cats: Concrete Poems, by Betsy Franco, Tricycle Press, 2009, ISBN 978-1-58246-248-6, Available at Powell's Books

Thirty-two poems, some rhyming and others written in free verse, describe the many whimsical traits of cats.

In “Her Royal Highness,” a cat wearing a crown curls up on a pile in a laundry room bright with rosy sunshine. The folded edge of each item in the pile contains a line of the poem: “ Sunbeams catch the cat/ Curled up on her/ Throne of / Folded laundry.”

Similar to Clements, Franco has a gentle way of approaching sad topics, such as the death of a pet. In “A Tree for Samantha,” the poem concerns an oak tree that the author plants to commemorate a favorite cat that knew how to soothe her when she was having a bad day.

Each line of the poem starts at the base of the tree’s trunk and stretches upward on one of its branches. The poem concludes by Franco writing, “The oak is strong, and it will make good climbing when it grows,/ But it will never guess I’m sad and kiss me on the nose.”

On the next page, the mood lifts with the humorous “Pascal’s Tongue,” in which all the words of the poem form the tongue.

“If you’ve/ Ever attempted to lick your neck clean./ I think you’ll understand what I mean./ When I say my cat’s tongue is especially long./ Go ahead. Lick your neck. Prove me wrong.”

Franco’s Curious Collection is a treat for bedtime reading and a purr-fect teaching tool for discussions about feelings, pets, and vocabulary as well as the art of poetry.

by Alicia Rudnicki, Library Mix

Don’t Pop Your Cork on Mondays: The Children’s Anti-Stress Book, by Adolph Moser, Ed.D., Landmark Editions, 1988, ISBN 0-933849-18-4
Available at Powell's Books

Less than a decade before his Captain Underpants series made author-illustrator Dav Pilkey wildly popular, his wacky art brightened the kid’s self-help book ,Don’t Pop Your Cork on Mondays: the Children’s Anti-Stress Book.

Written by psychologist Adolph Moser, Don’t Pop Your Cork is still one of the best books on the market for helping parents support their children in understanding and moderating difficult emotions, including anger and frustration.

Lions, monkeys, and bulls, oh my!
Dr. Moser playfully wrote, “Some people who are under stress growl and snarl like lions. Others act like monkeys and ‘go bananas.’ Still others lose control and act like bulls. They smash everything in sight.”

Pilkey had a field day creating lions, monkeys, bulls, children and parents losing their cool whether by shouting, crying or becoming so quiet they turn into turtles who “crawl into their shells.”

Some books don’t grow old. This one still has youthful goofiness combined with adult wisdom. It presents the opportunity for a gentle approach to discussing problems that may be occurring at school or home.

Don’t Pop Your Cork contains numerous specific calming techniques children can easily remember. These include (1) shaking your tension away, (2) tightening and then relaxing muscles, (3) taking deep breaths, and (4) visualizing peacefulness.

Childhood learning struggles
In the “Meet Dav” section of his website, Pilkey says he didn’t get good grades in school. He had “reading problems, and I didn’t learn the same way that most of the other kids in my class learned.”

But when he felt discouraged and like a failure, Pilkey says, he could count on "a lot of encouragement and support from my parents.”

Pilkey was in his early twenties and not far away from those difficult childhood experiences when he illustrated Don’t Blow Your Cork.

His new graphic novel, The Adventures of Ook and Gluk, Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future, will be published this August and is likely to please teachers of frustrated, reluctant readers everywhere.

Humor relieves tension
It’s possible to say that, similar to Dr. Moser, Dav Pilkey specializes in helping children overcome stress. Humor is a great tool for calming children, and all of Pilkey’s books are winners at making kids laugh.

Working with a different illustrator, Dr. Moser went on to write a whole week’s worth of children’s books on topics ranging from self-esteem to grief management.

All are still available from online booksellers. But you can also find them and Pilkey’s books at the library—a cool, soothing place to go when recovering from popping one’s cork.