A little book of little beasts

by Mary Ann Hoberman

Nineteen poems about moles, shrews, worms, muskrats, and other small animals that inhabit the woods and fields.

Genres: Poetry

48 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1973

About the author

Mary Ann Hoberman was an American author of over 30 children's books.

Reviews

[Lisa Rathbun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this little book of 19 short, very accessible poems about different animals. Repetiion and onamatopoeia make "How Many" so enjoyable to read to children and the rhythm in "Frog" is delightful. I've got to memorize the short "Worm" to recite to my kids when I find a "squiggly wiggly wriggly jiggly" worm on the sidewalk. After reading "Snake", your classroom will want to attempt to make their bodies into the shapes of letters, while "Rabbit" has extra delight for the reader who can see that the entire poem has the letters "bit" lined up perfectly in every line. Really a fun little book to help children learn that poetry can be fun!

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really enjoyable and accessible book. Each poem is a slightly different format and metered in such a way that fits the habits of the animal it describes. Facts about the animals can be gleaned from the verses, but they are not expository verses, they really are meant to be read aloud. Peter Parnall's artwork is wonderfully detailed and accurate and for certain verses, uncharacteristically whimsical.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collected for the art by Parnall, but enjoyed the poetry even more. As the other reviewers point out, it uses meter, rhythm, etc.; it's not just sing-song. And yet it's accessible. Sometimes funny, sometimes 'concrete.' Oh, and the art works great, but honestly is not my favorite by Parnall.

I only wish it were avl. on openlibrary so I could advise you to read it. Maybe your library has conserved a copy?