Thursday, April 5, 2007

Giant Children

Bibliography:
Bagert, Brod and Tedd Arnold (ill.). 2004. Giant Children. New York: Scholastic,
ISBN 0439623529

Introduction:

Brod Bagert was born on November 22, 1947 and raised in the City of New Orleans. He began writing poetry in third grade by writing a poem for his mother. He writes poetry as entertainment to be recited in character to an audience. I encourage you to visit his website as it is informative, fun, and enthusiastic. Brod’s homepage offers the following advice on poetry:

"Poetry is like music, everything begins with sound.
To understand poems, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To become a poetry lover, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To learn to write poetry, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To develop voice as a writer, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To develop personal eloquence, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To woo the person you love, RECITE THE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To rear strong children, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To solve the problems of the world, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD."

http://www.brodbagert.com/html/about.html

Giant Children is a book of poetry intended for children ages 4 - 8 but readers of all ages will enjoy the twisted sense of humor that is tucked inside the pages. This book depicts school age children and their siblings, classmates, school life and the many things that they encounter in life.


The colored pencil and watercolor washes illustrations are imaginative, bright and colorful. The children have bulging eyes resembling ping pong balls with a black dot in the center. Squiggly lines can be seen throughout each picture. The illustrations are expressive and lifelike to children and their behaviors. The tooth that has been taped to the letter to the tooth fairy is an added touch of humor.

Brod Bagert is one of my top five poets. I love humor, entertainment and fun. His poems are imaginative and remind me of similar experiences of my own with my children as well as children I have worked with in the school system. I plan to purchase many of his poetry books to add to my collection. His works can definitely be used to capture the interests of the teens and young adults. The poems in Giant Children are written in a variety of styles and ideas.

Samples of Brod Bagert’s work include:


Stinky Boys
by Brod Bagert

I hold my baby brother,
All powdered, sweet, and pink.
But when he makes a funny face,
His diaper starts to stink.

And that’s when I remember
The baby brother rule:
Someday he’s going to grow up
Like those stinky boys at school.



Jaws
by Brod Bagert

When the turtle bit my brother,
He made an awful sound.
He ran around the house,
He fell screaming to the ground.


So I whispered to the turtle,
“I’d like to be your friend.
Especially if you promise me
You’ll bite my brother again.”

My daughter selected the following poem to try out for UIL, this poem along with her tone of voice and dramatic act, placed on her the UIL Oral Reading team.

A Letter to the Tooth Fairy
by Brod Bagert

Dear Tooth Fairy,

I look under my pillow and what do I see?
My tooth on the bed looking back at me!

When a kid loses a tooth, the Tooth Fairy pays,
But my tooth has been waiting for three whole days.

Now listen, Tooth Fairy, this is not very funny.
Come get this tooth and leave me some money.
Sincerely,
Me

Professional Reviews:

From Publishers Weekly


This deliciously over-the-top poetry collection explores the nerve-wracking world of school-age children. The narrator of the opening titular poem is the classroom hamster: "Pages turn at giant speed/ As giant children learn to read." Bagert's (Chicken Socks: And Other Contagious Poems) uncomplicated style of verse addresses such diverse topics as sibling feuds and wild imaginations, monster trucks and the Tooth Fairy, as it humorously handles the more anxious side of growing up, including the mixed blessing of landing the lead in the school play. Arnold's signature style seems particularly well suited to the stage-frightened fellow waiting in the wings ("So here I am on stage,/ And the play's about to start./ My life was so much simpler/ Before I got this part"). The squiggling lines seem to indicate the actor's nerves gone haywire. Bagert delivers the requisite gross-out with "Booger Love" (complete with warning label that the poem "not, under any circumstances, be recited to a grown-up!"). The characters' pop-eyes sitting atop oversize heads help express the ever-changing emotions of childhood. Arnold selects just the right moment in each poem to dramatize and his exaggerated portraits help readers focus on the hyperbole of the poetry. A funny peek at the pleasures and (growing) pains of childhood. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-Colored-pencil art with watercolor washes provides simple yet hilarious interpretation of Bagert's mixed bag of poems. Bookended by selections narrated by a class hamster (thus the title verse), the poet explores home and school life, from a teacher in a hula skirt and baby brother's diapers to imagination and dreams. Of the 23 offerings, few miss the mark as entertainment or food for thought. Be aware that "Booger Love" explores every possible nasty application. Kids will automatically memorize these offerings and soon believe a line from "The Buffalo in the Library," "-poetry is the food I need/To feed my hungry head."-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.



Brod Bagert’s additional works of many include:

Rainbows, Head Lice, and Pea-Green Tile: Poems in the Voice of the Classroom Teacher
(Maupin House Publishing)
Chicken Socks: And Other Contagious Poems (Boyd Mills Press)
Let Me Be... the Boss: Poems for Kids to Perform (Boyd Mills Press)

Extension:

In the classroom or the library, have children discuss similar experiences they have had at school or home.
Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4 children to encourage open discussion of their similar experiences with family, friends, or school life. Encourage laughter, fun and fellowship. After the open discussion, children can each write a poem reflecting their experience. Show the illustrations, pointing out the children’s characteristics such as the baby brother’s drooping diaper and the sister’s puckered mouth in “Stinky Boys”. Encourage funny illustrations to go along with their poem. Display these on a bulletin board.

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