Today brings an interesting poetry collection about birds incorporating word play. I was surprised to find that there were some birds and bird words I didn’t know!
“Superlative Birds” is a fun collection of poems about the oddballs in the bird world, as well as incredible word play. These birds are unique, but so are the poems. Each poem uses a form that best fits each bird. And the choice of words used in the book are incredibly rich. While there is a science fact on each page, I found myself diving into the back matter to learn even more. I love birds AND poetry. I’m quite frankly surprised no one thought of this concept sooner.
And this was my first introduction to Leslie Bulion’s writing. I can say without a doubt that I will be tracking down some of her other picture book poetry collections after reading this one! Illustrator Robert Meganck’s work also fit this collection to a tee. It is cartoon-y but almost scientific in its preciseness. The humor in the drawings is pitch perfect.
First a close up of the poem I chose about a bird I had never heard of before.
Since these are African birds, Bulion chose a tendi form. This is a four-line stanza with Arabic origins used in traditional Swahili poetry. Next a close-up of the science facts include on the page:
Finally the full page spread in the book:
Can you imagine SO many birds landing in a tree that they break it??? Wowser!
And if you’re looking for more poetry fun this month, be sure to check out the Kidlitosphere Event Roundup!