Doodle Dandies Poems That Take Shape by J. Patrick Lewis images by Lisa Desimini

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lewis, J P. 1998. Doodle Dandies Poems That Take Shape. Ill. by Lisa Desimini. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780689810756

2. PLOT SUMMARY
J. Patrick Lewis publishes a compilation of his poems about different themes or objects. His humor and cleverness shines throughout each poem Lisa Desimini does an outstanding job of illustrating the poetry in different shapes. Both the poems and illustrations capture the essence of the objects and with concise language.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
It’s exciting to see poetry that will pique your imagination. Lewis’ powerful but few words give such concise pictures to the reader. Each poem has its own unique rhythm that creates a visual and often humorous image. The play on words lets you imagine and create your own images that remind you of more in-depth thoughts and emotions. When you first read this book you think of young readers but surprisingly adults will like it too for the imagery, rich language, and emotions each poem possesses.
Lisa Desimini does such great work relating the illustrations to the topic, it is as though the poems were written for the illustrations. Her use of mixed media makes each poem pop out at you. The poem Giraffe is shaped like a giraffe and written in yellow and orange. The upper background is full of rich hues of greens shaped like leaves and allows you to think of the giraffe eating the leaves off the tops of trees. The floor is like the grassland found in Africa with hay-like blades sticking up. The giraffe’s legs are shadowed in the grass looking like the last words “on wooden Stilts, Stilts, Stilts, Stilts.” Each poem is magnificently illustrated. This is a must have book for all willing to share the beauty of poetry. It easily lends itself to teaching the elements of poetry.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Cherie (BookHive (www.bookhive.org)) The poems will spark your imagination, as you watch the words bend and twist on the page.
Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature)
In this collection of poems, the placement of the words and associated pictures form a whole--neither would be that effective without the other.
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, 1998) Desimini's mixed-media images contain a measure of sophisticated giddiness to give the poems an added fillip.

5. CONNECTIONS
• Challenge students to write poems about their favorite object and then illustrate them in that shape.
• Discover other poems to illustrate into shapes that would represent the poem.
• Provide many poetry books and have students compare and contrast what they like and dislike about each book. Hint: it gets kids to read more poetry books!
• Have students use a poetry website to find birthdays of different poets born on their birthdays. Then students can read about the poet and study more poems written by the poet that celebrates their date of birth.
• Read the poem first, then have students guess what the picture will look like.
• Pick out poems to introduce a unit of study using the book Doodle Dandies. For a unit on seasons you can read: Winter, First Burst of Spring, Synchronized Swim Team, and Umbrella. For a unit on animals you could read: Dachshund, Giraffe, The Butterfly is…, Big Cat, The Oyster Family, Creep and Slither, The Turtle and How Many Humps?

J.Patrick Lewis’s work has been compared to Shel Silverstein and John Ciardi. Pick up some of their books and compare and contrast their works.

Written by Shel Silverstein: A light in the Attic,Where the sidewalk ends, Falling up, A giraffe and a half, Who wants a cheap rhinoceros? Lafcadio: the lion who shot back.

Written by John Ciardi: You know who, I met a man, Doodle Soup: poems Echoes: poems left behind, The inferno, How does a poem mean? Fast and slow: poems for advanced children and beginning parents, The reason for the pelican.