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.