What rhymes with sneeze? by Roger Stevens
A and C Black, London, 2012. ISBN 9781 408 1 5576 9.
(Ages 8+) Recommended. Poetry. Non Fiction. An absorbing poetry book
which shows and gives examples of every type of poem imaginable,
will be a great reviver for a classroom in which poetry needs to be
'done'! Choose any chapter and an explanation is given of the type
of poem (eg Ballad, sonnet, limericks) along with explanations of
the type of rhyme that can be found in a poem (rhyming couplets,
half rhymes etc). The last section devote it pages to instructions
for 'how to', which is entertaining as well as instructive.
Each section gives plenty of examples of poems to illustrate what is
being taught, and many sections have descriptions of how to go about
making one of your own. So as a classroom exemplar it is invaluable,
making poetry lessons a rounded experience instead of something to
be ticked off a list of things to do before the end of term. The
last chapter in the book contains nonsense poems and talks of Lear
and Lewis Carroll, before including my favourite poem, Jabberwocky,
showing students how they can replicate this nonsense poem
themselves.
This book is a great stand by in the classroom, and also one which
kids will enjoy reading themselves.
Fran Knight