Summary: This thirty-two poem collection of concrete poetry provides an opportunity for cat lovers to read poetry shaped as their favorite cat or cat body part. Franco uses things such as a cat's tail to shape the poems within the book. Wertz does a magical job making these poems jump from the pages. The illustrations appear to show the movements of the cats in the story. One poem per page allows readers to focus fully on the page they are reading.
Citation:
Franco, Betsy. (2009). A curious collection of cats: Concrete poems.
New York, NY: Tricycle Press.
My Impression: This is a creative book of poetry that cat-lovers are sure to enjoy. The concrete poems feature cats and cat parts that show creative genius on the part of Franco. Wertz will entertain readers with wonderfully colorful illustrations that show-off the poems within the book. Readers who are not "crazy" about poetry may change their mind after reading this book. One favorite poem is the "Princess" poem that uses arrows to show how the cat Princess paces around. Children will enjoy trying to follow the path of the arrows.
Professional Reviews:
Kirkus Review
"Franco's witty but uneven collection of concrete poems celebrating feline antics is accompanied by striking illustrations done in pencil and finished in monoprint and Photoshop. Atop rich, textured backgrounds, cats--each one bursting with personality--stretch, fight, perch, leap, rest and pounce. Each image is saturated in bright, often fluorescent colors, incorporating the text within them. One poem, for example, called "Prickles vs. the Golden Retriever," is printed on the spiked-up fur of a cat's back. It reads: "Prickle's [sic] fur / is sticking out / His back is arched. / His teeth are bared. / The dog he caught / in our backyard / is whimpering / and very scared." An orange cat, with angry, puffed-up tail, arched back and bared teeth, occupies a quarter of the page, towering over the dog, who has flattened himself to the ground; readers see only his head, with a single tear coming from his eye, and a stretched-out paw. Capturing the spirit of each verse, Wertz turns a collection of otherwise unremarkable visual poems into a true treat for the eyes. (Picture book/poetry. 6-10)."
Kirkus Reviews. (2009, March 15). [Review of the book A curious
collection of cats: Concrete poems, by B. Franco]
Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com
School Library Journal
"Gr 3-6-Franco understands the nuanced world of the fluffy, fractious, and faithful feline friend. Thirty-two unusual, concrete poems, one per page with a single exception, are matched by Wertz's monoprints. The words move in several directions and sometimes inhabit multiple objects. The poems are so embedded within the illustrations that it is hard to imagine them without the artwork; they are virtually inseparable. In a print of a cat licking its neck, its exceptionally long tongue is created out of words. Readers following the poem will find they are forced to turn the book to the side, and may crane their own necks, experiencing an odd identification with the activity of the cat. The poem "Princess" uses arrows as part of the illustrated content to keep readers on the language path as "Princess paces down and up" awaiting her supper. At times, the path isn't obvious, but youngsters delight in solving puzzles, and these are merely little challenges that prove fun to master. In "Hot Daze," a red devilish arrow points to the poem's beginning. Among the various subjects are fat cats, shy cats, a kitty who "sips from toilet bowl," and a polydactyl cat with "poofy fur" and "prissy looks." Cat lovers will recognize their felines stretching, purring, and napping. This collection would pair nicely with Sharon Creech's Hate That Cat (HarperCollins, 2008)."
Uses within the Library:
1. Read to the Principal: Students make prior arrangements to go to the principal's office to read selected poems for the day. Repeat the process until all thirty-two poems have been read and all students in the class have had a turn to participate.
2. Story Web: Have students sit in a circle with a giant ball of yarn that any kitty cat is sure to love. Have students hold an end of the yarn to begin the web. The first student tosses the ball of yarn to a child across from them as they tell the class their favorite concrete poem from the book. Each student after that will hold on to the yarn and toss across the circle. The process is continued until all students have had a turn and a web is created. Make sure to take a picture!
Book Cover: Book cover provided courtesy of the Mansfield Public Library.
Retrieved from http://www.mansfield-tx.gov/departments/library/
School Library Journal
"Gr 3-6-Franco understands the nuanced world of the fluffy, fractious, and faithful feline friend. Thirty-two unusual, concrete poems, one per page with a single exception, are matched by Wertz's monoprints. The words move in several directions and sometimes inhabit multiple objects. The poems are so embedded within the illustrations that it is hard to imagine them without the artwork; they are virtually inseparable. In a print of a cat licking its neck, its exceptionally long tongue is created out of words. Readers following the poem will find they are forced to turn the book to the side, and may crane their own necks, experiencing an odd identification with the activity of the cat. The poem "Princess" uses arrows as part of the illustrated content to keep readers on the language path as "Princess paces down and up" awaiting her supper. At times, the path isn't obvious, but youngsters delight in solving puzzles, and these are merely little challenges that prove fun to master. In "Hot Daze," a red devilish arrow points to the poem's beginning. Among the various subjects are fat cats, shy cats, a kitty who "sips from toilet bowl," and a polydactyl cat with "poofy fur" and "prissy looks." Cat lovers will recognize their felines stretching, purring, and napping. This collection would pair nicely with Sharon Creech's Hate That Cat (HarperCollins, 2008)."
Pfeifer, T. (2009, April 1). [Review of the book A curious collection of cats:
Concrete poems, by B. Franco]. Retrieved from http://
www.schoollibraryjournal.com
Uses within the Library:
1. Read to the Principal: Students make prior arrangements to go to the principal's office to read selected poems for the day. Repeat the process until all thirty-two poems have been read and all students in the class have had a turn to participate.
2. Story Web: Have students sit in a circle with a giant ball of yarn that any kitty cat is sure to love. Have students hold an end of the yarn to begin the web. The first student tosses the ball of yarn to a child across from them as they tell the class their favorite concrete poem from the book. Each student after that will hold on to the yarn and toss across the circle. The process is continued until all students have had a turn and a web is created. Make sure to take a picture!
Book Cover: Book cover provided courtesy of the Mansfield Public Library.
Retrieved from http://www.mansfield-tx.gov/departments/library/
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