Hungry Poetry Beasts: A Silly Literary Snack Attack

Hi!

     I just finished chewing one of my tennis balls to pieces. It was lots of fun, cracking the squishy stuff up and then tugging at the fuzz. That is, until Allison took it from me. She says blue fuzz isn't good for my "digestion." When I whimpered in confusion, she muttered, "If you eat the ball, you'll get a tummy ache! Chew, don't eat!" 

     Okayokayokay. So no more eating fuzz. I looked up at her with my best puppy eyes. Allison gave me the ball back (repeating that I was not to EAT it), and then she and Rachel read some poems to me. I settled down to chomp and listen. The first poem was called "The Tummy Beast."

"The Tummy Beast" is one of several poems in Roald Dahl's book Dirty Beasts, illustrated by Quentin Blake. It starts, "One afternoon I said to mummy,/'Who is this person in my tummy?'" From there, the pudgy human-pup tries to convince his mama that there is a beast inside him that makes him do bad things like "raid the biscuit tin." When this funny poem reaches its most exciting part, the tummy beast makes sure it gets heard! Awooo! I loved it! My tummy growls for Milkbones a lot, so I know how the pup feels!

The rest of the poems in this book talk about other naughty animals, including a crocodile who eats human-pups with mustard and a winged cow who gets stinky revenge on a bullying grown-up human. The beasts are very dirty and on the hungry side (littler human-pups might not like the poem about the crocodile...that was funny and scary at once), but in general the poems are silly fun. The pictures of the scraggly humans and jaggedly-toothed beasts made the poems come even more alive! Ruff! Two paws up.  Best to read aloud (Allison does different things with her voice to make me jump!) with human-pups PreK-3.  

 *Also recommended: Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes.

     

Just remember that snuggles and laughs are great for growling away scary beasts of all kinds! Woof! (And silly faces and books and family!)

Here's another hurricane poem for you (Allison and I wrote it to laugh at the storm instead of being scared or mad without the lights):

          

  "They say that some wauzers are shy

But Sam? Oh, he'd always say 'Hi!'

He padded up to Irene

And said, 'Ruff! How you been?'

That mad storm nearly blew him sky-high!"

    I really did go out to see that Irene lady-storm. Allison took me out for a quick bathroom trip, even though I hate to get wet. The wind stirred all the leaves around my paws and the branches looked like they wanted to bite my tail off! Luckily, I didn't blow away. And I have a great story to tell my new friends at the dog park (especially Daisy the beagle and Marty the pug, puppies like me!). 

     Anyway, I got so into the first Dirty Beast poems that I forgot not to rip at my ball's fuzzy stuff. Allison took it away - for my own good, she said - and Rachel picked a few poems out from another book to distract me. Awoooo! I go wolfish at night, but maybe Shel Silverstein can tame me?

We only read some of the poems in Where the Sidewalk Ends, but I already have a favorite. There's one about a human-pup getting eaten by a boa constrictor (a big, BIG snake). Sounds scary, but it's funny because the little boy is writing the poem as he's getting swallowed! Yipe! There's also a good one about a boy who loses his head (I don't think I would lose mine, but I'll make sure to have Allison help me find it if I do...need it to sniff and EAT!). Oh! And another about a double-tailed dog! From what my humans and I have read, there is plenty of silliness in this book - in poems both long and short - to satisfy human-pups' need for laughter and imagination. This one makes a pup like me want to write some more poems, myself, arooooo! Two paws up, and best for GR 3-6. Again, read them aloud and have fun acting out the wacky stories within the poems!  

Boa constrictors and dirty beasts aside, I think I should go to sleep before my humans decide I need a bath. I'm getting to be quite a dirty beast myself with all the scampering around with Jacob and playing rough-wrestle-run in the mud at the dog park. Maybe if I act ferocious they won't feel like filling up the tub...

Your very own Dirty Beast Reader,

Sam I Am



Buildings and Belonging

Hi!

      My silly doctor's orders are that I need to keep this cone on longer and let my humans put gooey cream on my stitches. Awoooof! I don't like this one bit, but at least I still get lots of attention (like extra chicken treats!!) from my worried family. And as Allison says, it could be worse. My friends don't seem to mind my having to wear my funny hat; Chloe and Dante and Quincy and Sadie all assure me that I only look a bit comical. They even understand why it's so important that I keep busy munching grass (sweet and tickly on my tongue) and body-slamming doors (to feel strong grrrrrr) - to stop from being frustrated about the cone. It's nice for a pup to have friends and a place where he belongs. Ruff!

     Sometimes when a pup or human-pup feels like he or she doesn't belong, an adventure results. This afternoon Allison shared one of her favorite books (Mama Suz used to read it to her when she was a pup) with me. It's about a human-pup named Andrew Henry and what he decides to do when his family don't understand him...

Doris Burn's Andrew Henry's Meadow starts out simply enough. Andrew Henry, the middle-born human-pup in his family, loves to build and invent things. But uh-oh, all of his inventions - from the helicopter he builds on the kitchen ceiling to a pulley system in his little brothers' room - make his family angry. No one appreciates Andrew Henry's projects, poor guy! So he trots off in search of a new place to belong and to work on his inventions. After Andrew Henry builds a house for himself in a meadow, another human-pup shows up. She wants a place to watch birds - a place away from her bird-hating farmer dad! Luckily, Andrew Henry builds her a treehouse. Well, you can guess what happens next! A whole herd of human-pups gather in the meadow to live in houses built by the happily busy Andrew Henry! One by one, each human-pup finds a place to belong in the meadow, away from grown-ups who scold and do not understand.

  See? And this is only half of Andrew Henry's meadow! Allison's favorite is the treehouse; mine is the one in the front of the picture. Why? Because it is dug under the ground - great for digging for hidden bones!

Fortunately, Andrew Henry's faithful dog Sam (Not Sam I Am, but still a sign that this pup is very smart. Woof!) is able to lead the human-pups' mamas and daddies to the meadow when everybody starts to miss Andrew Henry and his friends. Although Allison tells me that this book is a bit out-of-date (Today women are not limited to cooking and sewing like Andrew Henry's mother and sisters are, for example.), I liked this story. Human-pups will love the black-and-white pictures, full as they are of details like the workings of Andrew Henry's inventions and the special parts of the human-pups' houses. And I think little ones will relate to longing for a nook of their own away from parents (especially in such fun houses!). Two paws up for this book, which is best for grades 3-6 - or for anyone with a love for creative solutions to problems and special places. 

     Let's see...Andrew Henry could build me a house with a fluffy, comfy floor, lots of hiding spots for bones and squeaky toys, and a window in the roof to see the moon. Mmmmm. Rrrruff! He could even make it brown and white and brindle-ish colored like my hair, and a cupboard filled with bacon and turkey and sausages. Ooh, I'm drooling just thinking about it! Too bad Andrew Henry is in a book, and I am out of it.

Oh well. My own home with my family (with adventures to the big beautiful ocean sometimes) makes its own special place. Awooooooo!

I'm going to finish watching some sort of confusing mystery show (on that strange television box) with Mama and Allison. Then it will be belly-rubs and bedtime, cozy with my stork Herbert and my giraffe and my bones. You know, I really don't need Andrew Henry's building skills...even if that cupboard of meat would be fantastically yummy. 

Yours in Content Belonging,

Sam I Am

Smarty Pups and True Friends

Hi!

     As today was another hot day, my humans and I were stuck inside again. But this time Jacob was here, just like every Friday! I had some fun giving kisses and romping around Jacob's trucks and other toys. Later I curled up under the table to listen and watch as Allison and Rachel helped Jacob make pictures with a funny bunch of soft, colored sticks. I tried to eat one once; Allison took it away from me right away.

     "That's a crayon," she scolded. "Not for puppies to eat, silly!"
     
      Wuh-oof? A crayon? It smelled kind of strange, but I saw no reason I shouldn't have a small chomp. I ran my tongue over my front teeth - a bit of crayon flakes was stuck there - and suddenly sneezed.

     Allison tried hard not to smile as she looked up from the crayon. She touched her earring in that worried way she has whenever I've eaten something I'm not supposed to. Then she sighed, let a little laugh out, and explained:

     "Crayons are colored wax sticks - not eat-able - that humans use to draw pictures. So don't eat them! Okay?"

     I woofed my agreement.
     
     Allison smiled, a real smile this time. "You've got a lot to learn puppy, a lot to learn to grow up to be a big smart dog."

I guess I'd better keep reading and learning and adventuring then!

      In hopes that I will learn not to do silly things like eat art supplies and try to destroy the underside of the couch (There was a loose bit of cloth - I couldn't help but tug at it! Ruff!), Allison read me a couple of longer books about a two dogs. Each dog is smart in a special way, although both know the power of friendship and love.

       Cynthia Rylant's Gooseberry Park tells the story of a group of unlikely friends - and the lengths one pup will go to make sure his friends are safe. Life with his human (a kind, mild-mannered professor) is wonderful for Kona the chocolate lab. He has his friend Gwendolyn the hermit crab at home and gets to see his friend Stumpy the squirrel during frequent trips to the park. What a life! Aroo! 

However, Kona is faced with a giant problem when an ice storm puts Stumpy and her squirrel-pups in danger! With the help of Gwendolyn, a comical bat Murray, and his own smarts and bravery, Kona must find a way out of the house and over the ice to save his friends without the professor finding out. This story of stubborn friendship gets two paws up and a tail wag from this pup! Clever, caring Kona and the goofy Murray steal the show and will make human-pups cheer. The group of friends must use all their talents and love to make sure a mama and her pups are safe and together! Recommended for human-pups grades 3-5 - or anyone who loves a good tale of friends. 

In Vivian Vande Velde's Smart Dog, a dog with human-smarts (he can speak human and work a computer!) and a good heart escapes from a science laboratory to avoid having his brain "dissected." I howled in a kind of sympathy for Sherlock when Allison read this part. Why would anyone want to take apart a pup's head?! *Shudder* It's a good thing Sherlock finds a loyal, clever friend in a girl named Amy. What follows is a comical, claw-biting story of mix-ups and plots - which ends happily for both smarty Sherlock (who still has a lot to learn) and Amy (who finally realizes that true friendship is much better than being "popular"). Best for grades 3-6, I give this book two paws up. 

I'm off. I hope Suz and Daddy will forgive me for the couch. Allison is right; I still have a lot to learn! This pup will keep reading...

Your working-on-his-smarts friend,

Sam I Am   

Hot on the Tail of Mystery

Hi!

     This entry has had a few false starts because Allison has to keep reminding me not to multi-task. More specifically, I am not supposed to try to dictate a blog entry to her while chewing on her toes. Or on her pants. Or on the towel on her floor. Or on that tasty spot of uneven floorboard. She gets a bit frustrated, but can I help if I'm still working on losing my puppy teeth? Sometimes we're a bit of a mystery to each other.

     Ahem. Anyway, Allison and I just finished James and Deborah Howe's Bunnicula. A pup of my curiosity finds mysteries very fun! Arooooo! You need to use all of your senses: smell, sight, hearing, taste, and touch. Anyone can be a detective - and every day. So the next few entries will be about detective stories (especially since my humans found two good ones yesterday at the bookstore!). This will make a good start:   

In this book, sub-titled "A Rabbit Tale of a Mystery," two pets must deal with the arrival of a new friend - a new friend that just may be a vampire rabbit! Told by Harold the dog, the story follows he, Chester the cat, and the mysterious Bunnicula. Chester thinks that the family's vegetables are turning white because Bunnicula is biting the juice out of them! What follows is a wonderful, funny adventure kept going by what Allison calls Chester's "overactive" imagination. The characters are loveable, and the pencil illustrations show their personalities as much as the story. Overall, I give this book two paws up and a tail wag! Human-pups ages 9-12 will love this book - and might also enjoy James Howe's other books in the Bunnicula series: Howliday Inn, Return to Howliday Inn,The Celery Stalks at Midnight, and Nighty Nightmare. For littler human-pups (K-3), try Hot Fudge, Rabbit-Cadabra, Scared Silly, and more!     

    

  

 Chester, Harold, and the nose-twitching, veggie-attacking Bunnicula.

My own mystery: to wonder what adventures I will have next...

I'd make a terrific detective hero, don't you think? Step into my office. Rufff!

     

     With more mysteries to follow, I remain your faithful, book-loving pup,

Sam I Am