Chatter, Sing, Roar, Buzz: Poems about the Rain Forest(Poetry)

Bossy scarecrows, three-headed zebras, and mysterious school lunches, it's all in the world of poetry. Striking photos pair with well-crafted wordplay in these themed introductions to rhyme and rhythm. Poems in various forms celebrate everything from sitting in class to sailing through space!

About the Author :
Laura Purdie Salas is the author of more than 100 books for kids and teens. Her work has received the Minnesota Book Award and other honors, including Bank Street Best Books of the Year, and NCTE Notables. She and her husband live in Minnesota and have two monsters of their own, Maddie and Annabelle. When Laura's not reading or writing, she likes to dance, play games, and work with the Minnesota Brass drum corps (which involves a lot of Counting, following Patterns, and creating Shapes on the field). She tries to eat More vegetables and Less brownies, but that is hard! Learn more about Laura at laursalas.com.

Review :
Bright, bold colors frame beautiful animal photographs that make this book enjoyable. The information in English and Spanish is very simple and child friendly. This title is excellent for the child who begins to ask questions about the movement of animals--why some move faster than others. This title is part of the series "A+ Books" by Capstone Press and will come in handy not only in the classroom but also at public libraries. This particular title will make children aware of the fast and slow concepts by depicting animals from around the world what fit the categories. One page shows a cheetah juxtaposed with a sloth, others show a falcon with a snail and a hare with a tortoise. At the end of the book, "How Fast?" provides limited information about the speeds at which some of the animals mentioned in the book move. There is an index, a small glossary, and a search engine that will lead the child to safe internet sites relating to the book.-- "Children's Literature Comprehensive Database" Salas uses a variety of poetic forms, which are detailed at the conclusion of the book, in this title exploring the rain forest, its inhabitants, and the threats to this delicate and unique ecosystem. Informational tidbits appear in sidebars, while vivid, striking photographs fill the pages.-- "Book Links, "Exploring Science and Poetry"" The short, simple selections in these collections are of reasonably good quality. Salas's language flows naturally and none of the poems feels awkward or forced. The author is sensitive to rhyme and meter, consonance and alliteration, and uses a variety of poetic forms, which she defines at the end of each book. The poems in Chatter include information about the rain forest and briefly describe unfamiliar terms and interesting facts in sidelines. All of the selections are accompanied by bright, artistic photographs. The images fill the pages but careful placement of the text and use of colored type make the layout clean and attractive. The photographs, which are printed on glossy pages with rich color saturation, come from a variety of sources but are similar in style and quality. The poetry and illustrations in these books are similar in quality to Jane Yolen's Count Me a Rhyme (Boyd Mills, 2006). Yolen's book, however, does not offer the added factual information about poetry and nature.-- "School Library Journal" This collection of poems about the rain forest gives young readers a visual and verbal introduction to the plants, animals, and general habitat of the area. Sixteen poems in varying styles--diamante, short free verse, haiku, and cinquain--make up this easy-to-read collection. Photographs that directly describe each poem are also included on each two page offering. Lemurs, toads, rivers, and people highlight some of the specific topics that the poems deal with throughout the text. The final pages of the text focus on the typical offerings of any good picture book that deals with a topic that can be of research interest to younger readers: a glossary, Internet sites related to rain forests around the world through the use of "Fact hound," and finally, two additional books that may be of interest to students researching this topic. It also offers a unique two page set-up of the definitions of poetry and poetry types: all of the poetry types noted earlier are defined, as are common terms like alliteration and rhyme. This text is a nice, basic addition to any school library.-- "Children's Literature Comprehensive Database"