Lee Bennett Hopkins Collection
Yummy! Eating Through the Day
Poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins and Illustrated by Renee Flower
Bibliography
Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2000. Yummy! Eating Through the Day. Ill. by Renee Flower. New York: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.
ISBN: 9780689817557
Book Review
Once again, Lee Bennett Hopkins provides a delightful anthology of poems gathered for the sole purpose of recognizing a central theme. This time the theme reflects on the subtleties of different foods that are experienced at breakfast, lunch, snack time, dinner, and dessert. The poems are carefully arranged under a unique table of contents fittingly labeled “Today’s Menu.” Not only do his collection of comical poems reflect on the beauty and pleasure of food, but also on the frustrations. “Ode to a Cereal Box” by Fran Haraway is one such poem that describes in detail the common frustration of opening a brand new box of cereal. Illustrator, Renee Flower further adds to this frustration by portraying a boy trying diligently to open an enormous box of cereal. The intense facial features of the young boy visually describe his determination in overcoming the complicated and stubborn box of cereal. Bright colors and whimsical patterns play throughout each page of Flower’s intricate illustrations. Plus, every object, be it food or a cereal box, has facial features that add to the imagery of the poems.
Ode to a Cereal Box
by Fran Haraway
I strike,
I shred,
I smash,
I stab,
I rip,
I rend,
I grip,
I grab,
I jiggle,
Jostle,
Jolt,
And jab
But-
Cannot
Budge
The
“Lift this tab.”
Extensions
All children have a favorite food they enjoy. Take this opportunity to have children write a poem using the descriptive words that permeate throughout the collection of these poems. To add another element of fun, have them experiment using different poetic styles like a shape poem. Children can also illustrate their poem with the bright colors found in this anthology by using crayons and watercolors to compliment their piece.
The web site, ReadWriteThink has a fun interactive lesson that children can use to help them make a shape poem. The shape poem lesson is located at the following link:
ReadWriteThink Shape Poem Interactive
Enjoy other Lee Bennett Hopkins Anthologies:
A Pet For Me - ISBN: 9780064437165
Days to Celebrate - 9780060007652
Got Geography! - ISBN: 9780060556013
Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees - ISBN: 9780060741129
Incredible Inventions - ISBN: 9780060872458
Oh, No! Where Are My Pants? and Other Disasters - ISBN: 9780688178604
Image Source: Amazon.com