Unwrapping...
Authored by Steve Turner
Illustrations by David Mostyn
Ages 7-12
Unwrapping a sample...
The day I fell down the toilet
Is the day I’ll never forget,
One moment I was comfort
The next I was helpless and wet.
My feet tipped up to the ceiling
My body collapsed in the bowl
In haste I grabbed at the handle
And found myself flushed down a hole.
One wave goodbye to the bathroom
And I was lost in the sewer,
Traveling tunnels and caverns
On a raft made out of manure.
Then came the washing-up water
With bits of spaghetti and peas,
The filth from a local factory
And an undiscovered disease.
Drifting along in the darkness,
There was nothing to do but wait.
What would I say to my mum now?
What was it that made me so late?
Suddenly it was all over,
From the end of a pipe I shot
Into a part of the ocean
Where the rubbish was sent to rot.
Glad to escape from the tunnel
To leave all pollution behind,
I found a nice spot on the beach
Then started to bathe and unwind.
But bad things began to pursue me
They stuck to my feet and my hand
Wreckage was surfing the wave tops
And oil lay around the sand.
I figured the sewer was safer
For no one said sewers were clean,
I found the pipe that I came from,
And waded my way back upstream.
When I got home I was shattered
I was filthy, ragged and wet,
Rattling the bathroom door was Dad
Saying, ‘You off that toilet yet?’
This fun collection of zany poems will have kids giggling and laughing. Steve Turner has penned over 70 poems using tons of playful words, wit and humour that reminds you of Silverstein and Prelutksy. His subjects include topics that are near and dear to kid's hearts such as: sounds, naughty words, being bored, creation of the world, fireworks and snails just to name a few.
Of course can you guess which poem is the all time favourite? Yes, you guessed it, "The Day I Fell Down the Toilet!" Kids will roar with laughter at that adventure.
He has included a variety of poetry styles. Poems tend to be written in verses but there is a mixture of rhyming poems and some brimming with alliteration and similes. These poems are lovely to compare and do a formal analysis of poetry styles. The main ingredient of the book is that it celebrates rhyming words, wackiness, and is just plain entertaining and fun. There is a wonderful, uplifting spirit about the book that taps into the little boy or girl that is buried deep inside of each of us and that is why it works so well with those reading it.
The black and white comic pen art illustrations are spot on, giving perfect visuals and added richness to the poems. Here are a few delightful tidbits that just may tickle your fancy:
*Wouldn't it be funny… this poem explores sounds and considers how life would be if they were related to other objects such as a cow going tick tock.
*It's raining cats and dogs… talks about the literal consequence of cats and dogs raining from the sky with the sound going from pitter patter to splatter, yowl and bark!
*Vegetables Strike Back… from a vegetables point of view not wanting to be baked alive with a jacket on or cutting the head off a lettuce.
*My Dad… is written in the style of a 'My Dad's Better than Your Dad' playground argument.
*Intercity Train…. A fast rhythmic, rhyming poem about the journey or a train and what happens as it goes by
*Who Made the World?... about a child asking their teacher about creation.
I know that you will love the whole vibe of the book from start to finish. Sharing these upbeat poems will delight both young and young. Guaranteed.
About the author...
In Christian circles, Steve Turner is mainly known for his children's poetry books but in mainstream, he is known for his books based on a wide selection of popular music.
Steve Turner started out as a journalist in the 70's and interviewed many of the major rock musicians during this time. He then went freelance and wrote his first book, 'Conversations with Eric Clapton'. Bono invited him in 1998 to write the book for the U2 film, 'Rattle and Hum' and he has also written biographies for Cliff Richard, Van Morrison and Marvin Gaye.
Other Books include:
Dad, You're not Funny
The Moon Has Got His Pants On
I was only asking (poems about big questions)
The Man called Cash: the life, love and faith of an American legend
A Hard Days Write: the stories behind the Beatles songs
Amazing Grace: the story behind the hymn
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It's a wrap.
1 comment:
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