Poems I Wrote When No One Was Looking

by Alan Katz, Edward Koren

Bestselling author Alan Katz, of Silly Dilly fame, knows kid humor, and he knows just what subjects are funniest—from school to siblings to sports, this assortment of spirited poetry has something for everyone. In the tradition of Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky, with black-and-white illustrations throughout, this collection of more than 100 poems will have kids roaring with laughter!

Genres: Poetry, Middle Grade, Childrens

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 25, 2011

Reviews

[Julia Crainshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

These poems are punny! Some I think will be more appreciated by parents than students. Several made me laugh out loud. :)

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are accessible poems that illustrate how much fun words can be. Lots of double meanings, some with grammar connections (punctuation, onomatopoeia), and lots of irony, imagery, and humor.

[Bailey Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked how these poems were based off of a perspective from a young boy. I believe many of the poems would relate to the students' lives, explaining how and what they may be thinking or feeling. However, I believe some of the poems were a little confusing and random, where younger children would not understand them quite as well as older children. I would use this book of poems in a fourth and fifth grade classroom while learning how to write poetry. I would use this book to read examples aloud to the students, then they would be able to use this book as a reference while creating their own poems. I would also place this book of poems in the classroom library where the students will be able to read them independently.

[Dominika Romano · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book of poems is written by best selling author Alan Katz. His poems are very kid friendly, in a way that children from elementary age up will understand and enjoy. He writes poems about family, sports, doctor visits, friends and just young life. They are written from the perspective of a young boy which makes them very relatable! Each poem includes a little drawing in black and white that corresponds with the poems which makes them so interesting! This was a very cute book of poems that will make kids of all ages laugh!

[Skylar Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of funny and relatable poems. These poems capture the everyday experiences and thoughts of children. The author encourages children to embrace their imagination. I would use this book in grades K-5 as a granny’s wacky prize to get the student laughing. If I were to use this book as a an assignment on poetry, I would use it in 4th or 5th grade.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

The humor in these poems seemed forced, like Katz was trying too hard to be funny and silly. But most of the time the humor just wasn't there. The illustrator does cartoons for the New York Times which is fine for that forum, but a bit too scribbly for a children's book.

[Shaihak · Rating 5 out of 5]

the book was so exciting and funny. i like rhyming books.

[Krystal F · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is good for kids of all ages, the ones over 18 too. I laughed out loud to several of the poems here! A good range though would probably be 3rd-6th grades.

Category: Poetry

[Kisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fairly cute but a little.. forced.

[Ardyth · Rating 3 out of 5]

All in all, pretty fun! Very light, mostly not a challenge to read aloud, very few clunkers.

9yo gave it three stars ("I liked it" but won't be rereading it) and I agree.

[The Chosen Poet · Rating 3 out of 5]

i found myself loving 60% of the poems in this book, and feeling indifferent/disliking 40% of them so overall not bad but definitely not my favorite poetry book of all time

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the references are a little outdated, but I chuckled out loud several times. This reminds me of something like "Where the Sidewalk Ends."

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

These 100 poems will have kid-appeal, and it's practically a guarantee that each of your students will find more than one to like. What makes the verses so funny is that some of them are downright silly and perfect for children. Upper elementary and middle graders are sure to smile at "Fridge-a-Dare" with its lines about what happens to grapes lost in a bedroom or "Shhhhh..." that describes someone overwhelmed by noise and "onomatopoeiaing" (p. 36). Part of the book's appeal derives from the clever poem titles too; many of them have double meanings and can be taken in several ways. The pen illustrations complement the poems quite well, caricaturing children in different ways. Who knew that school, libraries, and museums could be so much fun? Add this one to your classroom or personal collection and nurture the love of poetry.

[Connie Eberhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the majority of this book but there were a few poems I just didn't care for. The simple illustrations add an extra layer of humor to the book. This book could be used in the classroom to encourage the reading of poetry and could be an asset to art, reading, and writing lesson plans. However, if allowing students to pick the poem the want to work with, I may exclude some poems to avoid inappropriate responses from students. This is a book I would photocopy and distribute as I see fit I think.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confession: I love poetry--of all types, really. This is silly poetry. It's kid-friendly poetry. It's a little goofy and unpredictable, like kids sometimes are. This volume strikes me as related to the Shel Silverstein type of kid-friendly poetry. Here's a sample from the opening page: "Grandpa and my/baby sister/are the best of chums./When they smile,/holy cow, it's/gums, gums, gums, and gums. Baby sis will get/some teeth/if we just let time pass./ But Grandpa can get his right now;/ they're upstairs in a glass." Cute stuff.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, you know me and poetry--I'm not the best judge. There were some in here I liked. Some I didn't get. Some were the kind of dumb which the kids will love. It's a good collection for kids and a nice Beehive nominee choice. Kids will probably also enjoy the illustrations, though they aren't my favorite.

These are in a similar vein of Shel Silverstein--though no one can beat his (and I don't think anyone would try!).

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book before going to sleep, and it was so much fun! Every single poem played with the words in a really great way. And the rhymes...they were hilarious!
These poems were made for children, but reading them as an adult was fun too.

I did miss out on a few things though, because slang was used - slang that I wasn't familiar with. This was the case for about five of the poems, but oh well.. :)

[Paul Hankins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sure to have younger readers giggling. Silly verse. If you like I'M STILL HERE IN THE BATHTUB or Alan's other sing-along fests, there will be something here for you. And if you didn't like those books, call me; I'll sing some of them to you.

Alan is a master at word play and the pun. He does not shy away from a good pee joke if it satisfies the end rhyme.

[Wendy Kuzma · Rating 3 out of 5]

The style of this book is on the order of Shel Silverstein with illustrations, poems about every day things and events and occasionally an almost naughty poem. I liked this book and some of the poems made me laugh out loud. Shel Silverstein is a hard act to follow and I can't say that this book is as good as any of Siverstein's but still enjoyable.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in a comparable style to Shel Silverstein, with poetry and basic, silly illustrations, this book caught my eye. I'm drifting between 2 and 3 stars for my rating. A few of the poems were clever, a couple made us laugh, but most were either hard to understand or a little strange. I'm sticking with 3 stars as we enjoyed it enough to read the finish the book.

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a rather long book of awful poetry and horrible illustrations.

Here's an example of some of the quality writing:
“The time is now 2:57. Time for me to eat (I’m Kevin).”

Yes. That's real.

Enjoy.



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As an afterthought I must admit I loved the "That's Entertainment" poem. So 2 stars instead of 1 based upon that alone. Sigh.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like poems and I like Alan Katz and though this book is filled with fun, creative and silly poems, it is just another one in a million available out there. I think the black and white illustrations have me saying, "Meh, don't need another one of these in the library."

[Brenda Lower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminds me a lot of Shel Silverstein. Very enjoyable! Loved the humor about everyday life! Great book!

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book! Read it for the library beehive book bash and it reminded me of where the sidewalk ends kinda books. I will read them to my girls when they are 8 or so.

[Alexander Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beehive Award Nominee

[Linda Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and funny!Recommended Grades 2-5.

[Mariah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The poems were fun, silly, and enjoyable, but nothing that really stayed with me.