Disclaimer: I received a complimentary product for this honest review and all opinions are my own.
How do you feel about poetry?
Did you just sigh and roll your eyes? Maybe you sat up a little straighter at attention. How do your kids feel about poetry? Well I’ve got a treat for you no matter your opinion.
“A Whale of a Time” with poems selected by Lou Peacock and illustrated by Matt Hunt, is an entertaining tome of 366 whimsical poems beautifully and thoughtfully illustrated for both the child and the child at heart. You get one funny poem for each day of the year – including the Leap Year – to share with your child that will inspire a love of poetry even if you’re not normally a fan. “A Whale of a Time” comes in large, colorful hardcover binding with a soulful introduction that directs you to read the very first poem by lauded poet, Rita Dove. From there the tone is set and you can settle in and enjoy the journey.
Cash and I started reading in the middle of the book to catch up with the current date. There is a poem a day, often grouped by theme or poetry style but all silly and intriguing. We both laughed audibly but still made sure to examine the deeper intricacies of the writing. You’ll find work from everyone in here – Nikki Giovanni to Robert Louis Stevenson as well as pieces most people learn in their childhood like, “Do Your Ears Hang Low”.
I’ll confess. We’ve been reading ahead. We couldn’t help ourselves. One evening the two of us read through at least half of the book and regret nothing. It’s hard to put down a good book – especially a funny one – so we failed at waiting for the surprise of which poem would come next. Next year, we plan to do better because repeating this will become a yearly family tradition. I’m rediscovering poetry long since forgotten and my son is finding new favorites to share with his kids one day.
I can’t forget my home educators even though this book should be shared within all families. You can turn “A Whale of a Time” into a poetry study with little effort. Use the book for its dated, intended reading, add it to a morning basket for extra fun, practice recitation, or pull it out for copy work. The possibilities are endless. If you need other ideas, follow my lead. I plan to use “A Whale of a Time” to study the poets used in the book and explore other works. We’ll close out the lesson by creating our own poems in their styles.
Need inspiration for a new book to add to your personal library? “A Whale of a Time” is THAT book! Find this one and other great products on the Timberdoodle website!
“A Whale of a Time” is also available in the full 2nd grade curriculum package!
@Mamasweetbaby 
Leave a comment