What rhymes with sneeze? by Roger Stevens

cover image

A and C Black, London, 2012. ISBN 9781 408 1 5576 9.
(Ages 8+) Recommended. Poetry. Non Fiction. An absorbing poetry book which shows and gives examples of every type of poem imaginable, will be a great reviver for a classroom in which poetry needs to be 'done'! Choose any chapter and an explanation is given of the type of poem (eg Ballad, sonnet, limericks) along with explanations of the type of rhyme that can be found in a poem (rhyming couplets, half rhymes etc). The last section devote it pages to instructions for 'how to', which is entertaining as well as instructive.
Each section gives plenty of examples of poems to illustrate what is being taught, and many sections have descriptions of how to go about making one of your own. So as a classroom exemplar it is invaluable, making poetry lessons a rounded experience instead of something to be ticked off a list of things to do before the end of term. The last chapter in the book contains nonsense poems and talks of Lear and Lewis Carroll, before including my favourite poem, Jabberwocky, showing students how they can replicate this nonsense poem themselves.
This book is a great stand by in the classroom, and also one which kids will enjoy reading themselves.
Fran Knight

booktopia