I chose this book of poetry because Alan Katz visited our school a few years ago. He was very engaging to students, who found him to be hilarious! His poems speak to children of all ages and inspire them to write about the things of every day life that they know--teasing siblings, watching TV, faking sickness to get out of school, picking noses... When beginning a unit of poetry at any grade level in elementary school, this book is a great springboard.

Summary: A collection of odd poems
Review: I was not impressed or found any of these poems funny. I normally find the humor in them but this book had odd poems but not like, Where The Sidewalk Ends, which is funny and weird.

My personal poetry development ended in elementary school because I had all I needed; Ogden Nash and Shel Silverstein. I never had the patience for flowery verses, but quick and dirty humor was my favorite. Katz and Koren seem to have inherited Nash and Silverstein’s knack for humor in verse and the gesture sketches to bring them to life. It consists mostly of goofy short poems about the trials and tribulations of being a kid, from homework to sisters to grownups. The verse, though clever and creative, is simple enough to be easily understoon and often successfully captures the rhythms and intonation of a child.