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Thinker: My Puppy Poet and Me
A new collection of poetry for kids from Coretta Scott King Book Award winner Eloise Greenfield! Thinker isn't just an average puppy―he's a poet. So is his owner, Jace. Together, they turn the world around them into verse. There's just one Thinker has to keep quiet in public, and he can't go to school with Jace. That is, until Pets' Day. But when Thinker is allowed into the classroom at last, he finds it hard to keep his true identity a secret. Praise for "Coretta Scott King Award-winner Greenfield sensitively conveys Jace's anxiety about being perceived as different, and his realization that being true to one's self is the best bet―for kids and dog poets, too."― Publishers Weekly A Kate Greenaway Medal nominee
32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 2, 2019
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141 people want to read
About the author
Eloise Greenfield
74 books54 followersGreenfield was born Eloise Little in Parmele, North Carolina, and grew up in Washington, D.C., during the Great Depression in the Langston Terrace housing project, which provided a warm childhood experience for her.[1] She was the second oldest of five children of Weston W. Little and his wife Lessie Blanche (née Jones) Little (1906–1986). A shy and studious child, she loved music and took piano lessons.[2][3] Greenfield experienced racism first-hand in the segregated southern U.S., especially when she visited her grandparents in North Carolina and Virginia.[4] She graduated from Cardozo Senior High School in 1946 and attended Miner Teachers College until 1949. In her third year, however, she found that she was too shy to be a teacher and dropped out.[5]
Greenfield began work in the civil service at the U.S. Patent Office. In 1950, she married World War II veteran Robert J. Greenfield, a long-time friend. She began writing poetry and songs in the 1950s while working at the Patent Office, finally succeeding in getting her first poem published in the Hartford Times in 1962 after many years of writing and submitting poetry and stories.[6] After joining the District of Columbia Black Writers Workshop in 1971, she began to write books for children. She has published more than 40 children's books, including picture books, novels, poetry and biographies. She says that she seeks to "choose and order words that children will celebrate".[5][7]
Dismayed by the depiction of blacks and black communities in popular media, Greenfield has focused her work on realistic but positive portrayals of African-American communities, families and friendships.[1] These relationships are emphasized in Sister (1974) a young girl copes with the death of a parent with the help of other family members, Me and Nessie (1975) about best friends, My Daddy and I (1991) and Big Friend, Little Friend (1991) about mentoring.[5] Her first book, Bubbles (1972), "sets the tone for much of Greenfield's later work: Realistic portrayals of loving African American parents working hard to provide for their families, and the children who face life's challenges with a positive outlook."[1] In She Come Bringing Me that Little Baby Girl (1974), a boy deals with feelings of envy and learns to share his parents' love when his baby sister arrives. The poignant Alesia (1981) concerns the bravery of a girl handicapped by a childhood accident. Night on Neighborhood Street (1991) is a collection of poems depicting everyday life in an urban community. One of her best-known books, Honey I Love, first published in 1978, is a collection of poems for people of all ages concerning the daily lives and loving relationships of children and families. Her semi-autobiographical book Childtimes: A Three-Generation Memoir (1979) describes her happy childhood in a neighborhood with strong positive relationships.[5] In the introduction to that book, she explains her interest in biography:
People are a part of their time. They are affected, during the time that they live by the things that happen in their world. Big things and small things. A war, an invention such as radio or television, a birthday party, a kiss. All of these help to shape the present and the future. If we could know more about our ancestors, about the experiences they had when they were children, and after they had grown up, too, we would know much more about what has shaped us and our world.[8]
In 1971, Greenfield began work for the District of Columbia Black Writers' Workshop, as co-director of adult fiction and then, in 1973, as director of children's literature. That group's goal was to encourage the writing and publishing of African-American literature. She was writer-in-residence at the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities in 1985-86 and taught creative writing in schools under grants from the Commission. She has also lectured and given free workshops on writing of African-American children's
Greenfield began work in the civil service at the U.S. Patent Office. In 1950, she married World War II veteran Robert J. Greenfield, a long-time friend. She began writing poetry and songs in the 1950s while working at the Patent Office, finally succeeding in getting her first poem published in the Hartford Times in 1962 after many years of writing and submitting poetry and stories.[6] After joining the District of Columbia Black Writers Workshop in 1971, she began to write books for children. She has published more than 40 children's books, including picture books, novels, poetry and biographies. She says that she seeks to "choose and order words that children will celebrate".[5][7]
Dismayed by the depiction of blacks and black communities in popular media, Greenfield has focused her work on realistic but positive portrayals of African-American communities, families and friendships.[1] These relationships are emphasized in Sister (1974) a young girl copes with the death of a parent with the help of other family members, Me and Nessie (1975) about best friends, My Daddy and I (1991) and Big Friend, Little Friend (1991) about mentoring.[5] Her first book, Bubbles (1972), "sets the tone for much of Greenfield's later work: Realistic portrayals of loving African American parents working hard to provide for their families, and the children who face life's challenges with a positive outlook."[1] In She Come Bringing Me that Little Baby Girl (1974), a boy deals with feelings of envy and learns to share his parents' love when his baby sister arrives. The poignant Alesia (1981) concerns the bravery of a girl handicapped by a childhood accident. Night on Neighborhood Street (1991) is a collection of poems depicting everyday life in an urban community. One of her best-known books, Honey I Love, first published in 1978, is a collection of poems for people of all ages concerning the daily lives and loving relationships of children and families. Her semi-autobiographical book Childtimes: A Three-Generation Memoir (1979) describes her happy childhood in a neighborhood with strong positive relationships.[5] In the introduction to that book, she explains her interest in biography:
People are a part of their time. They are affected, during the time that they live by the things that happen in their world. Big things and small things. A war, an invention such as radio or television, a birthday party, a kiss. All of these help to shape the present and the future. If we could know more about our ancestors, about the experiences they had when they were children, and after they had grown up, too, we would know much more about what has shaped us and our world.[8]
In 1971, Greenfield began work for the District of Columbia Black Writers' Workshop, as co-director of adult fiction and then, in 1973, as director of children's literature. That group's goal was to encourage the writing and publishing of African-American literature. She was writer-in-residence at the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities in 1985-86 and taught creative writing in schools under grants from the Commission. She has also lectured and given free workshops on writing of African-American children's
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
March 11, 2019
After promising to myself to read more poetry this year, I can't have imagined a better collection to start with! Thinker: My Puppy Poet and Me tells the story of a relationship between a boy and his dog from the perspective of the Dog (Thinker) all in the presence of 16 poems that are each as emotive and engaging as the one before and the one after.
Greenfield's poems are a delightful balance between humour and emotion. It is so easy to become engaged in each of the poems and reflect on the meaning to the individual reader, and reading the poems once just isn't enough to satisfy the reader you have to go back again and again. What makes these poems so interesting for me was how engaging it made the voice of an animal and reiterated the messages that poetry can carry narrative voice in a unique and connectable way that sometimes literature and narrative cannot. Not only this, but the poems build a narrative that although short provides plenty of opportunities for the reader to fill in with their own ideas and interpretations of events. Similarly, as the poems take on a range of formats this anthology becomes an ideal poetry collection in the classroom to allow children the time to explore the range of poetry available and the different ways in which these poems allow the reader to connect with the events.
Abdollahi's illustrations are delightfully unique and the almost collage style of illustration provide the book with many chances for the characters to be relate-able and noticeable within children's memories or collections of characters in their minds. Similarly, the presence of a BAME family provides an opportunity for representation in the classroom, and further the presence of this family away from a stereotypical setting (e.g Africa etc) enables for this representation to be accurate and relate-able for the children within the classroom. By doing this BAME characters are shown to be the same as their white character counterparts and allows for children to engage with the ideas that although not everyone in the classroom may be the same each child within it deserves the same opportunities to succeed and flourish.
A key message that the collection promotes is the idea of accepting difference and uniqueness. Throughout the collection, Thinker thinks he is odd because he is a poet dog, and even his owner and friend Jace warns him of this difference when he take him into school. However as the collection concludes and Thinker's talent is revealed it comes to light that all the pets in the class have a hidden talent and that when these are revealed it makes the world a more joyful place. This message carries forward in the classroom in promoting children's acceptance of themselves, others and the similarities/differences between them. Similarly, by using this book to promote these ideas children can bring to light their own interpretations and views in a manner that engages them and has meaning to them.
Overall, a delightful collection of poems that carries an engaging story line that promotes children's individual viewpoints and interpretations. Not only does this collection provide a great insight for children into the world of poetry and the variations within the world, but also of the messages and connect-ability poems can have for a reader and a reader's interpretations of the words they are reading on the page. I am so delighted that I picked this book up today and it has motivated me to explore poetry even more.
Greenfield's poems are a delightful balance between humour and emotion. It is so easy to become engaged in each of the poems and reflect on the meaning to the individual reader, and reading the poems once just isn't enough to satisfy the reader you have to go back again and again. What makes these poems so interesting for me was how engaging it made the voice of an animal and reiterated the messages that poetry can carry narrative voice in a unique and connectable way that sometimes literature and narrative cannot. Not only this, but the poems build a narrative that although short provides plenty of opportunities for the reader to fill in with their own ideas and interpretations of events. Similarly, as the poems take on a range of formats this anthology becomes an ideal poetry collection in the classroom to allow children the time to explore the range of poetry available and the different ways in which these poems allow the reader to connect with the events.
Abdollahi's illustrations are delightfully unique and the almost collage style of illustration provide the book with many chances for the characters to be relate-able and noticeable within children's memories or collections of characters in their minds. Similarly, the presence of a BAME family provides an opportunity for representation in the classroom, and further the presence of this family away from a stereotypical setting (e.g Africa etc) enables for this representation to be accurate and relate-able for the children within the classroom. By doing this BAME characters are shown to be the same as their white character counterparts and allows for children to engage with the ideas that although not everyone in the classroom may be the same each child within it deserves the same opportunities to succeed and flourish.
A key message that the collection promotes is the idea of accepting difference and uniqueness. Throughout the collection, Thinker thinks he is odd because he is a poet dog, and even his owner and friend Jace warns him of this difference when he take him into school. However as the collection concludes and Thinker's talent is revealed it comes to light that all the pets in the class have a hidden talent and that when these are revealed it makes the world a more joyful place. This message carries forward in the classroom in promoting children's acceptance of themselves, others and the similarities/differences between them. Similarly, by using this book to promote these ideas children can bring to light their own interpretations and views in a manner that engages them and has meaning to them.
Overall, a delightful collection of poems that carries an engaging story line that promotes children's individual viewpoints and interpretations. Not only does this collection provide a great insight for children into the world of poetry and the variations within the world, but also of the messages and connect-ability poems can have for a reader and a reader's interpretations of the words they are reading on the page. I am so delighted that I picked this book up today and it has motivated me to explore poetry even more.
October 26, 2020
A dog who composes and barks poetry? Yep, that is the premise in this story about Jace and his family who adopt a dog that they name Thinker. I couldn't help but think of my grandson with the same name who also happens to be the same age as the Jace in this story.
A boy + a dog + poetry = A winning book for many!
A boy + a dog + poetry = A winning book for many!
April 5, 2021
A boy and his dog are poets and narrate their days through poetry, what is cuter than that? I wish it were a little longer. Great illustrations, too.
November 21, 2022
Thinker: My Puppy Poet and Me is a free-verse poetry book written by Eloise Greenfield. Greenfield received an award for Excellence in Poetry for Children from the National Council of Teachers of English for this story. The story is told from the perspective of a family’s new puppy named Thinker, who is named after the son Jace who is a poet just like Thinker is. Thinkers’ poetry is told through his barks, howls, and bow-wows and he loves to share his poetry. When Thinker sees Jace go to school, he dreams of joining him and doing school activities but has reservations. Thinkers' biggest concern is that he will embarrass Jace, and people will think that he is a weird dog. Instead, he goes on walks in the park and shares his poetry where he won’t bother anybody.
One day, Jace tells Thinker that it is bring your pet to school day, and he will get to go to school. While at school, Thinker is sitting on the floor by Jace’s feet, but he is sad and wants to express himself. Thinker goes to the front of the classroom and starts reciting his poetry. Instead of everyone thinking he is a weird dog, the other animals express themselves in their own ways, the cat sings, and the fish dances. The children in the class think it is very funny and laugh. As children read this book, they learn to be themselves and express themselves freely and without reservation. Also, all the pets and students in the classroom were very accepting of Jace and Thinker when Thinker recited his poetry. So, students can see that when you accept others for who they are, your community becomes more enjoyable and fun. Then other animals felt comfortable expressing themselves through dance and song. This was a WOW book for me because it was told from the perspective of a family puppy which was very cute and uncommon. The author's use of rhyming was very entertaining and skillful. The illustrations are very colorful and pretty which provided another element of storytelling. It was a very fun book to read through text and illustrations.
The story is very easy to comprehend for lower-level readers. They can comprehend the message of acceptance through pictures and text. The readers can also draw conclusions that thinker's poetry is his barking. As children are reading, they want to read more about Thinker's poetry and if he will ever get to share. The author expresses the theme of accepting others during bring your pet to school day when Thinker and Jace feel supported when sharing poetry. This is antibias because the story and characters were authentic by not portraying judgment during this scene.
One day, Jace tells Thinker that it is bring your pet to school day, and he will get to go to school. While at school, Thinker is sitting on the floor by Jace’s feet, but he is sad and wants to express himself. Thinker goes to the front of the classroom and starts reciting his poetry. Instead of everyone thinking he is a weird dog, the other animals express themselves in their own ways, the cat sings, and the fish dances. The children in the class think it is very funny and laugh. As children read this book, they learn to be themselves and express themselves freely and without reservation. Also, all the pets and students in the classroom were very accepting of Jace and Thinker when Thinker recited his poetry. So, students can see that when you accept others for who they are, your community becomes more enjoyable and fun. Then other animals felt comfortable expressing themselves through dance and song. This was a WOW book for me because it was told from the perspective of a family puppy which was very cute and uncommon. The author's use of rhyming was very entertaining and skillful. The illustrations are very colorful and pretty which provided another element of storytelling. It was a very fun book to read through text and illustrations.
The story is very easy to comprehend for lower-level readers. They can comprehend the message of acceptance through pictures and text. The readers can also draw conclusions that thinker's poetry is his barking. As children are reading, they want to read more about Thinker's poetry and if he will ever get to share. The author expresses the theme of accepting others during bring your pet to school day when Thinker and Jace feel supported when sharing poetry. This is antibias because the story and characters were authentic by not portraying judgment during this scene.
April 2, 2019
What a delight! This lovely story about Thinker, a poet puppy, and Jace, his human best friend, is irresistible. Greenfield’s vibrant verse is matched by Abdollahi’s collage pictures that pop off the page. I love the story, which was short and self contained but also showed a strong emotional journey. I felt that Thinker was a developed and distinct character I want more from. This book brought a smile to my day, and I keep looking at my cat hoping that he’ll start meowing in meter.
April 27, 2019
My favorite part of this book is the extraordinary collage art, achieving humor emotional expression, action, and relationships through the shapes of these narrators (boy and dog) and their diverse family and community. It's a clever take on voice, too, including the voice of the poet, reflective dog.
July 11, 2019
Warm, witty collection of 16 poems from award-winning author Eloise Greenfield. The main characters are Thinker, a dog, and his boy Jace. Imaginative and engaging. Gorgeous collage art was made with handmade and hand-colored paper by Ehsan Abdollahi. This book definitely is a treat for the eye, ear, and brain.
August 31, 2019
I really enjoyed this short book of poetry. Poetry told alternating between Jace and his poet dog, Thinker. The illustrations are lovely and colorful and it was a fun and quick read.
December 8, 2022
I chose Thinker: My Puppy Poet and Me after seeing it listed as one of Social Justice Books’ poetry recommendations and found a review from both Kirkus and School Library Journal. This hard cover, petite poetry book tells the story of seven-year-old Jace and his family who adopt a new puppy. When the pet informs the boy he is a poet, he decides on the name Thinker as he is a poet himself. Jace and Thinker get to know each other while sharing their passion for poetry, but when it’s time for school, Thinker must stay home. The puppy stays busy playing with Kimmy, Jace’s little sister, and meeting with his twin brother dog at the park. Finally, it’s Pets’ Day at school and Thinker tries his best to keep quiet until he can longer hold back. He runs to the front of the room, recites a funny poem, and to his surprise, other pets join in with their talents and all the humans are laughing with delight. Jace reassures his pet that he isn’t mad: “I pat him on the back, / and I say, / ‘You’re cool, Thinker. / Keep on being your / cool self.’”
A Notable Children’s Book of 2020 and a Kate Greenaway Medal nominee, Thinker: My Puppy Poet and Me, is written by Eloise Greenfield who is the recipient of the Coretta Scott King Book Award and Virginia Hamilton Award. To a reader’s surprise, this story is not just narrated by a pet owner, like the title implies, it is mostly told from the puppy’s point of view. Greenfield wrote this picture book primarily using free verse, explaining in her author’s note “[…] ‘free’ doesn’t mean that the poet is free to write just anything. A poem still must be shaped, but I need to shape my poems using the word-music I hear in my head.” I really like the way she explained what this type of poetry is using child-friendly language that would make sense to readers. Occasionally she uses rhyme like in the “My Brother” poem: “My twin brother lives across the street, / once in a while, we meet to eat, / he listens to me, lets me talk, / doesn’t complain and doesn’t balk, / just waits and listens to a friend, / and barks a period at the end.” Aside from free verse, the author includes haiku, described as “a three-line non-rhyming poem developed in Japan” in Children’s Books in Children’s Hands and rap, which the author considers “real poetry” because “it uses meaning, rhythm, rhyme, hints, humor, repetition, and wordplay to make it come alive.” She has given all her poems a title and they vary in length.
The author and illustrator, Ehsan Abdollahi, offer an authentic perspective as they are both people of color and the family is African American while other featured characters are diverse. I absolutely love Abdollahi’s artwork created using handmade and hand-colored paper collages because they are so vibrant and make his characters and Greenfield’s wonderful poetry come to life. For example, the “In the Park 2” poem is illustrated with Thinker sitting up close to a statue who is designed with different shades of grays and browns. The detailed layers of her clothes, her one hand holding a book on her lap, and her almond-shaped eyes, rectangle-shaped nose, and tightened lips are really engaging to look at. Nearly all the illustrations are on double page spreads with the poem printed on either side, except for the classroom scene that is completely wordless. This picture illustrates the “Pets’ Day poem” from the previous page perfectly with Thinker reciting his poetry, a cat singing opera, a frog walking upside down, goldfish dancing in the tank, canaries fanning their wings, and the students and teachers enjoying the performance.
School Library Journal recommends this book for grades 1 and 2 “for personal enjoyment, read-aloud, and discussion” and I couldn’t agree more. Not only would younger students have fun hearing the adorable dog poet’s perspective, but teachers could follow up the read aloud with thought-provoking discussion questions related to the story. For instance, what is the importance of a name for a pet? Or why might Thinker be asking “why some folk are mean and some are nice”? In older grades it could certainly be used in a poetry unit to offer examples of free verse, haiku, and rap, not to mention how illustrations can enhance poetry like Abdollahi’s do. The story offers themes of embracing who you are and being confident in your talents so students could write and/or draw about a time that they felt most like themselves or showcased something they’re good at, such as when Thinker did in Jace’s classroom. I also think students would enjoy experimenting with paper collage art.
A Notable Children’s Book of 2020 and a Kate Greenaway Medal nominee, Thinker: My Puppy Poet and Me, is written by Eloise Greenfield who is the recipient of the Coretta Scott King Book Award and Virginia Hamilton Award. To a reader’s surprise, this story is not just narrated by a pet owner, like the title implies, it is mostly told from the puppy’s point of view. Greenfield wrote this picture book primarily using free verse, explaining in her author’s note “[…] ‘free’ doesn’t mean that the poet is free to write just anything. A poem still must be shaped, but I need to shape my poems using the word-music I hear in my head.” I really like the way she explained what this type of poetry is using child-friendly language that would make sense to readers. Occasionally she uses rhyme like in the “My Brother” poem: “My twin brother lives across the street, / once in a while, we meet to eat, / he listens to me, lets me talk, / doesn’t complain and doesn’t balk, / just waits and listens to a friend, / and barks a period at the end.” Aside from free verse, the author includes haiku, described as “a three-line non-rhyming poem developed in Japan” in Children’s Books in Children’s Hands and rap, which the author considers “real poetry” because “it uses meaning, rhythm, rhyme, hints, humor, repetition, and wordplay to make it come alive.” She has given all her poems a title and they vary in length.
The author and illustrator, Ehsan Abdollahi, offer an authentic perspective as they are both people of color and the family is African American while other featured characters are diverse. I absolutely love Abdollahi’s artwork created using handmade and hand-colored paper collages because they are so vibrant and make his characters and Greenfield’s wonderful poetry come to life. For example, the “In the Park 2” poem is illustrated with Thinker sitting up close to a statue who is designed with different shades of grays and browns. The detailed layers of her clothes, her one hand holding a book on her lap, and her almond-shaped eyes, rectangle-shaped nose, and tightened lips are really engaging to look at. Nearly all the illustrations are on double page spreads with the poem printed on either side, except for the classroom scene that is completely wordless. This picture illustrates the “Pets’ Day poem” from the previous page perfectly with Thinker reciting his poetry, a cat singing opera, a frog walking upside down, goldfish dancing in the tank, canaries fanning their wings, and the students and teachers enjoying the performance.
School Library Journal recommends this book for grades 1 and 2 “for personal enjoyment, read-aloud, and discussion” and I couldn’t agree more. Not only would younger students have fun hearing the adorable dog poet’s perspective, but teachers could follow up the read aloud with thought-provoking discussion questions related to the story. For instance, what is the importance of a name for a pet? Or why might Thinker be asking “why some folk are mean and some are nice”? In older grades it could certainly be used in a poetry unit to offer examples of free verse, haiku, and rap, not to mention how illustrations can enhance poetry like Abdollahi’s do. The story offers themes of embracing who you are and being confident in your talents so students could write and/or draw about a time that they felt most like themselves or showcased something they’re good at, such as when Thinker did in Jace’s classroom. I also think students would enjoy experimenting with paper collage art.
April 21, 2020
Jace and Thinker are both poets. When Thinker comes to live with Jace and his family, he is welcomed into the family. As Thinker and Jace share their poetry with one another they share their thoughts and feelings, their music from their words. But, when Jace has to go to school and Thinker cannot, Thinker begins to worry that Jace is ashamed of him and his poems. He worries that he is not good enough for Jace and needs to be more of a dog in public and less of himself, the poet. When pet day comes, Thinker promises to only bark and not embarrass Jace, but he cannot limit who he is, so he takes the stage to recite poetry and soon all of the pets are sharing their skills, singing, dancing, walking upside down, and more. Jace is proud of Thinker for staying true to himself and sharing his poetry.
Thinker: My Puppy Poet and Me is a wonderful collection of poems that reminds readers to always remain true to who you are and not worry about what others think. Not only are the poems fun, sharing a story of man’s best friend and understanding of character, but the illustrations are gorgeous. Created using paper cuts, each illustration adds a brightness to the poem and connects each element of the poet’s story together. The poems and illustrations continually remind the reader that being true to you is the key.
Thinker: My Puppy Poet and Me is a wonderful collection of poems that reminds readers to always remain true to who you are and not worry about what others think. Not only are the poems fun, sharing a story of man’s best friend and understanding of character, but the illustrations are gorgeous. Created using paper cuts, each illustration adds a brightness to the poem and connects each element of the poet’s story together. The poems and illustrations continually remind the reader that being true to you is the key.
July 20, 2020
This snappy collection of poems are told from the dog's point of view.
When the family adopts a dog, they realize he is special because he writes/recites poems; they call him Thinker. Thinker talks about his home and family and his desire to go to school. One day, Jace is able to take Thinker to school on Pet Day. Will he be silent, or blow his cover? Read the book to discover.
Eloise Greenfield is once again eloquent, using many forms of poetry to tell her story - free verse, rhyming verse, rap, and haiku. Each poem flows well into the next to tell the story. Handmade and hand-colored paper collages by Ehsan Abdollahi show this diverse world as a happy place to live. The facial expressions are charming, and I suspect the family looks very much like Abdollahi's family.
Be sure to use these for a Pet Day at school, a unit on pets, poetry, and community.
Recommended for PreS-grade 3.
When the family adopts a dog, they realize he is special because he writes/recites poems; they call him Thinker. Thinker talks about his home and family and his desire to go to school. One day, Jace is able to take Thinker to school on Pet Day. Will he be silent, or blow his cover? Read the book to discover.
Eloise Greenfield is once again eloquent, using many forms of poetry to tell her story - free verse, rhyming verse, rap, and haiku. Each poem flows well into the next to tell the story. Handmade and hand-colored paper collages by Ehsan Abdollahi show this diverse world as a happy place to live. The facial expressions are charming, and I suspect the family looks very much like Abdollahi's family.
Be sure to use these for a Pet Day at school, a unit on pets, poetry, and community.
Recommended for PreS-grade 3.
October 1, 2018
This is a beautiful, short collection of poems written by Greenfield and illustrated by Abdollahi. The collection surrounds a family story in which Thinker, a poet dog, is welcomed into his new family. The young boy of the family can hear Thinker's poems but is reluctant for others to share in them. With sixteen poems in all, what Greenfield seems to be sharing is a celebration of poetry in young children and the importance of giving space for everyone to share their voice through this form. Not only this but also the need to listen to these too. Abdollahi's illustrations provide a warm and cosy image of family and the one double-page spread of Thinker sharing his poetry with others in classroom brings the central theme of the collection to life.
April 26, 2019
All you have to do is gaze upon the face of a dog and know there is much more to them than meets the eye. Science tells us of their extra special sensory skills. Increasingly we are learning more about how their minds work. History tells us of their amazing feats. But the looks they give us, their body language and even the way they sigh, tell us how their souls transcend known facts.
In 2019 two books focusing on dogs and poetry were released.
On April 2, 2019 Thinker My Puppy Poet And Me (Sourcebooks, Jabberwocky) written by Eloise Greenfield with pictures by Ehsan Abdollahi was released. As previously stated, there is more to dogs, especially this dog, than science can tell us. There is a secret this dog and his owner share.
My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...
In 2019 two books focusing on dogs and poetry were released.
On April 2, 2019 Thinker My Puppy Poet And Me (Sourcebooks, Jabberwocky) written by Eloise Greenfield with pictures by Ehsan Abdollahi was released. As previously stated, there is more to dogs, especially this dog, than science can tell us. There is a secret this dog and his owner share.
My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...
October 1, 2023
I loved this poetry book, having not read much poetry before I really enjoyed reading this and am going to be using this book a lot in my future classes. As a dog lover I loved the way all the poems took me on a journey of having a dog and I loved the concept of the dog being a poet. I especially enjoyed the poems where Thinker was allowed in the classroom. This book allows children to see the power of connect-ability through poetry and allows children to have different interpretations of the poems.
October 6, 2021
Genre: Poetry
Grade Level: 2-4
I thought this book was so fun and the characters came to life! This was an interesting concept for a poetry book and I think it worked really well. The rhyme and rhythm in this book were great and could also be very helpful during lessons. The illustrations were amazing and I loved the color block style. Overall, this was a super enjoyable, fun poetry book and I think it would be great for a classroom.
Grade Level: 2-4
I thought this book was so fun and the characters came to life! This was an interesting concept for a poetry book and I think it worked really well. The rhyme and rhythm in this book were great and could also be very helpful during lessons. The illustrations were amazing and I loved the color block style. Overall, this was a super enjoyable, fun poetry book and I think it would be great for a classroom.
February 8, 2022
Genre: Poetry
Grade Range: K - 4th
This was a really neat book! It was cool that their was a story line to book, but that it was all told through poems. I liked that the dog and his owner bonded over telling poems. I liked to see what the dog Thinker had to say, because sometimes I wonder what dogs are thinking. It was really cool that the author included all different types of poems in this book too... normal poetry, raps, haiku's, etc.
Grade Range: K - 4th
This was a really neat book! It was cool that their was a story line to book, but that it was all told through poems. I liked that the dog and his owner bonded over telling poems. I liked to see what the dog Thinker had to say, because sometimes I wonder what dogs are thinking. It was really cool that the author included all different types of poems in this book too... normal poetry, raps, haiku's, etc.
August 28, 2019
A beautiful book told through the medium of poetry that explores the relationship between a boy and his dog, both amazing poets! The back and forth dialogue between Jace and Thinker is wonderful, the illustrations are fantastic, and I love any story that veers from the "ordinary" and demonstrates how rich and powerful language can be in different forms.
June 29, 2020
I love this! It's awesome! I love the illustrations, I love the different kinds of poetry, I love the author's note encouraging creative kids. Everything about this is fabulous. I've never seen a "picture book in poetry," kind of had a mini novel in verse feel.
My one tiny pet peeve: it can be hard to differentiate Thinker's voice from Jace's and that would have made it perfection.
My one tiny pet peeve: it can be hard to differentiate Thinker's voice from Jace's and that would have made it perfection.
December 21, 2020
Poetry book where apparently the dog can talk, but it never explains why the dog can talk and you only really know the dog can talk in one single poem and you are left wondering why the book is titled "Thinker". Maybe it's too deep for me and I can't wrap my head around the greatness of the poems, but it seemed very simplistic and plain.
September 23, 2021
I realize this is a book aimed at young children, but the poetry is still painfully rhyming. I was also confused by the boy's reaction to his talking dog. He doesn't seem amazed. He finds it embarrassing. At the same time the dog seems so eager to please and eager to find connection. There's something sad about it which doesn't fit with the material.
September 25, 2023
This book is made up of 16 poems, which narrate the story of a dog (Thinker) and a boy (Jace). Thinker is adopted into Jace's family and they both enjoy creating poems. As we follow Thinker through the poems, we see that his confidence in sharing his poems grows. It's a great message to be confident in sharing your own work!
June 25, 2019
I enjoyed the author note in the back about free verse, rap, and encouragement to write a poem. A story told in verse that's good for younger elementary students - yea! Also, I think dogs make the best topics and this follows Thinker journey to a new home as they get to know each other.
November 3, 2019
A new puppy refuses to be named something “cute”, so he tells his new owner that “I’m deep and I’m a poet!” So the boy called Jace names him Thinker. And Jace and Thinker communicate through their poety.
October 12, 2020
Paper collage art. Sequence of poems between a boy and his dog. Combo of humor (dog can talk and that's part of the storyline) and substance. Could use for a storytime or poetry program. Would recommend.
November 28, 2022
Poetry
K-4th
I loved this book! Just seeing all the different poems throughout the book and including pictures really made the poems pop out. Overall, I would use this in a poetry unit in my classroom.
K-4th
I loved this book! Just seeing all the different poems throughout the book and including pictures really made the poems pop out. Overall, I would use this in a poetry unit in my classroom.
January 1, 2023
Thinker is not your average puppy, he's a Poet. Together with his owner Jace they turn the world around them into verse.
Almost a story in verse. Stunning modern illustrations by Ehsan Abdollahi
Almost a story in verse. Stunning modern illustrations by Ehsan Abdollahi
March 15, 2025
Maybe I shouldn't rate. But I did expect more from Greenfield's poetry and from the book as a whole. However, it mostly fell flat for me. And I could not get over the appearance of a sad expression on Jace's face (in most of the pictures, and on other's faces, too).
June 28, 2025
Written in free style. The poetry was nice but the book didn’t make sense or have depth. Basically poems written from a dog and young boys perspective. The dog had the ability to recite poems. Over all not a must read!
January 13, 2019
*I read a digital ARC of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss.
February 18, 2019
Delightful collection of poems from a dog and his boy. Perfect blend of humor and thoughtfulness
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