I never grow tired of fairy tale adaptations, but the title here is deceiving. There is a poem by that name in the book, but this is NOT a collection of fairy tale poems. Instead, it’s a collection of voice poems.
DEAR UGLY SISTERS AND OTHER POEMS is a collection of poems by UK poet Laura Mucha. This isn’t your typical picture book, but it’s illustrated all throughout with black and white line art by Tania Rex (akin to Shel Silverstein’s work).
As I mentioned before, the title poem in Cinderella’s voice opens the book, but this is not a fairy tale collection. Instead, there are humorous or biting poems on each page that have a little edge to them. Nothing too dark mind you. This is a collection for young readers after all. I found some very surprising poems here though. Some of the poems even included facts, almost like back matter. There was a poem about US astronaut Michael Collins that was one of my favorites in the book and I was tempted to share it. Instead, I chose one that jumped out at me because it felt like it was talking to me about my writing journey and the struggles I’ve faced (and all those rejections).
Don’t you just love that?
If you’re looking for more poetry fun this month, be sure to check out the Kidlitosphere Event Roundup!