A Dazzling Display of Dogs

Concrete Poems by Betsy Franco

Illustrations by Michael Wertz

 

1. Bibliography

Betsy, Franco. 2011. A Dazzling Display of Dogs. Ill. Michael Wertz. New York: Tricycle Press. ISBN: 9781582463438

2. Plot Summery

A Dazzling Display of Dogs is a collection of concrete poems inspired by dogs.  .  The book consists of 34 poems that are written from the perspectives of dog owners and dogs. Each poem contains a different anecdote on something that a dog enjoys doing or is important to a dog.  A few of the titles are “My Pal, Jazzy”, “Baloo Got Out”, “Fast Al”, “The Retired Greyhound”, “Apollo At The Beach”, and “The Words Waffle Hears”.  There is also one Haiku included in the collection called “Dog Haiku.”  The poems are artfully weaved in and out, up and down, and around the pictures.  One such example is “Emmet’s Ode To His Tennis Ball”.  The poem is written inside the tennis ball, which is in the dog’s mouth.  The poems and pictures are fun and inviting.  Readers of all ages will enjoy these clever canine poems.

3. Critical Analysis

A Dazzling Display of Dogs is a humorous book of concrete poetry that is inspired by the subject of dogs.  Each poem is different and contains its own rhythm and movement.  The author often uses alliteration and rhyming words in her poems.  Some of the poems have the same set of syllables throughout the poem creating an even rhythm, but most of them do not.  Many of the poems are written inside the illustrations about subjects dogs enjoy.  Some of the poems are written from the dog owner’s perspective.  One example might be the poem “Letting Gwen In And Out”.  In this poem the writer uses the words “In and Out” repeatedly to help the reader identify with the actions and frustration of having to let a dog out and back in the house all the time. 

The Illustrator used pencil and paper, monoprints, and Adobe Photoshop to create the pictures.  The illustrations are colorful and match the words of each poem.  The words of the poem flow across the page, up and down, and sometimes around the images.  One example is the image drawn for the Circling Poem I titled “Perkins’s Tail”.  A Dalmatian is shown going in circles chasing his tail and the words of the poem are Perkins’s tail.  In the poem “Miss Olive’s Teddy Bear”, the words of the poem are written inside a teddy bear and Miss Olive, the dog, is shown sleeping with a bear at the bottom of the page.

Each poem is clever, exciting, and fun.  I enjoyed sharing this book with my friends and family.  Readers of all ages will enjoy reading Betsy Franco’s delightful dog inspired poems.

4. Review Excerpts

Starred review, School Library Journal, January 1, 2011-"This follow up to A Curious Collection of Cats (Tricycle, 2009) is dazzling indeed ... a delight for kids, their adults, and maybe even their beloved canine companions."

Review, Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 2010-"34 vividly illustrated concrete poems. Franco delves into her arsenal with cinquain, haiku, rhymed and free verse, as Wertz employs boldly colored multimedia collage"

Review, Booklist, December 15, 2010-"... volume of concrete poems filled with playful action. Both silly and on-target, the slapstick rhymes are good choices for family sharing."

Review, Horn Book Magazine, January/February 2011-"The combination of the funny poems and the goofy dogs will make this a great gift book and a sneaky way to inject a little poetry into someone's life."

Review, Publishers Weekly, November 29, 2010-"Franco and Wertz persuasively convey canine behavior ... as well as the trials and treasured moments familiar to many owners. Dog lovers won't want to miss this clever, jubilant gem."

Booklist-The creators of A Curious Collection of Cats (2009) offer another volume of concrete poems filled with playful action. Elementary students will pick up the wry wordplay, but younger children will have trouble deciphering the words amid the packed, digitally touched artwork. The poems do capture familiar scenes with pets, such as a dog playing with a tennis ball (“sloppery slippery slimy”) and the pitfalls of car trips with a pooch: “The very worst part / without a doubt / is when Cassandra / makes a fart.” Both silly and on-target, the slapstick rhymes are good choices for family sharing. Grades K-3. --Hazel Rochman

5. Connections

Have the students write their own poem about a pet they own or would like to have.  When finished let the students share their poetry with the class.

Read other poems by Betsy Franco and look at her writing style.  Find and discuss some similarities and differences in the poetry in her books.

A Curious Collection of Cats by Betsy Franco ISBN:9781582462486

Messing Around on the Monkey Bars: and Other School Poems for Two Voices by Betsy Franco ISBN: 978-0763631741

Bees, Snails, & Peacock Tails: Patterns & Shapes… Naturally by Betsy Franco ISBN: 978-1416903864

Math Poetry: Linking Language and Math in a by Betsy Franco ISBN: 978-1596470729

Fresh Way

Read the haiku title "Dog Haiku" that is in A Dazzling Display of Dogs. Discuss what a haiku is and teach the students how to write haiku's.  Read other haiku books and have the students write their own.  The following books contain haiku poetry.

If Not for the Cat by Jack Prelutsky ISBN: 978-0060596774

The Hound Dog's Haiku: and Other Poems for Dog Lovers by Michael J. Rosen ISBN: 978-0763644994

Haiku! Gesundheit : An Illustrated Collection Of Ridiculous Haiku Poetry by Ross Venokur ISBN: 978-0689840449

Haiku Picturebook for Children by Keisuke Nishimoto ISBN: 978-0893469160

These website links have good resources for writing haiku’s and for learning about poetry. 

http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poetryclass/Haiku.html

http://www.kidzone.ws/poetry/haiku.htm