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Flamingos on the Roof
In the very near future you will find yourself dining on Snow Flurry at the famous Weatherbee’s Diner. Everyone will be there—Bob and Bossy Casey, Medusa’s sister Sally, both of the Appleton Twins, and Mr. Andy Mandolin singing “Biscuits in the Wind.” Remember him? You will also meet Angus, visit the silly Soggy Circus, and as soon as the moon is out (unless there’s an eclipse), you may even glimpse a Tiny Baby Sphinx!
Until then, here’s what I recommend: listen for flamingos, write some haiku, then take a ride in a Barnacle Built for Two. Sound good to you?
Until then, here’s what I recommend: listen for flamingos, write some haiku, then take a ride in a Barnacle Built for Two. Sound good to you?
64 pages, Hardcover
First published April 3, 2006
3 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
November 2, 2018
A fun collection of one page poems for kids with colorful pictures that get to the heart of the poem. I appreciated the one about Poseidon and this Kelp Toupee - that was hilarious. A baby sphinx is very cute come to find out. There were quite a few of them that were very good.
Each little poem was a little story. This kids thought this was an ok book. There were funny moments, but I think they missed a longer story. The niece gave this 2 stars and the nephew followed suit.
It’s a great introduction to poetry.
Each little poem was a little story. This kids thought this was an ok book. There were funny moments, but I think they missed a longer story. The niece gave this 2 stars and the nephew followed suit.
It’s a great introduction to poetry.
August 23, 2008
It's funny. Most people think that working as a librarian is all about recommending books to those asking for them. But it's really a reciprocal deal, although most library users I help don't realize it. When they ask for a book, not always a new one, I usually read the brief description given to store away for the next time someone ask for it. Or maybe to add to my own list of books I want to read. Now don't forget here that I love children's books best, and have developed my taste for poetry over the years as well. I was helping a patron find children's "classics" that she could buy for her new granddaughter. She, in turn, recommended this book to me. I read it to my boys as one of their bedtime stories, and loved it more and more with each poem. They rhythm and meter of each poem has it's own snappy feel, and the images they leave in your head are fresh and original. The boys liked this book as much as I did (yeah, they like poetry!) and have requested it two nights in a row now. I want to leave you with a sample of Calef's genius:
Weatherbee's Diner
Whenever you're looking for something to eat,
Weatherbee's Diner is just down the street.
Start off your meal with a bottle of rain.
Fog on the glass is imported from Maine.
The thunder is wonderful, order it loud,
with sun-dried tornado on top of a cloud.
Snow Flurry Curry is also a treat.
It's loaded with lightning and slathered in sleet.
Cyclones with hailstones are great for dessert,
but have only one or your belly will hurt.
Regardless of whether it's chilly or warm,
at Weatherbee's Diner they cook up a storm!
Other poem titles we thoroughly enjoyed: Ten-Cent Haiku, Poseidon's Hair, King of the Tire, Barnacle Built for Two, and Tiny Baby Sphinx.
Weatherbee's Diner
Whenever you're looking for something to eat,
Weatherbee's Diner is just down the street.
Start off your meal with a bottle of rain.
Fog on the glass is imported from Maine.
The thunder is wonderful, order it loud,
with sun-dried tornado on top of a cloud.
Snow Flurry Curry is also a treat.
It's loaded with lightning and slathered in sleet.
Cyclones with hailstones are great for dessert,
but have only one or your belly will hurt.
Regardless of whether it's chilly or warm,
at Weatherbee's Diner they cook up a storm!
Other poem titles we thoroughly enjoyed: Ten-Cent Haiku, Poseidon's Hair, King of the Tire, Barnacle Built for Two, and Tiny Baby Sphinx.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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January 12, 2010It took a while - since she got it when she less than 12 months old - but my now-two-year-old daughter loves this book. And i, a thirty-something dad, must concur.
Inevitably, reading books with a young child leads to endless return visits to familiar stories and characters. Books get read over and over again until parents can recite them verbatim without looking (handy for tantrums in car rides BTW). While the child may enjoy hearing a familiar story told again, we get pretty tired of even the best ones. That's one reason Flamingos on the Roof is so refreshing: it's a collection of short poems that can be read in any order. You can say one more and then lights out, and read just one more. Or you can let your child pick and choose among them all.
Our daughter's favorites are "Peas," "Flamingos on the Roof" and "Combo Tango." My favorites are 'Weatherbee's Diner" and "Biscuits in the Wind." Nothing ground breaking about these poems. They rhyme. They're quirky. And they're done. You can actually read through the whole book in about 15 minutes - an eternity around bedtime.
The other wonderful aspect of this book is that each poem comes with a colorful illustration by Brown. Honestly, they are just as good if not better than the poems. See Medusa's sister Sally! See what you miss watching TV in a taxicab! See Bob's bike in a bottle!
Who could ask for anything more - save for another volume, Caleb?
Inevitably, reading books with a young child leads to endless return visits to familiar stories and characters. Books get read over and over again until parents can recite them verbatim without looking (handy for tantrums in car rides BTW). While the child may enjoy hearing a familiar story told again, we get pretty tired of even the best ones. That's one reason Flamingos on the Roof is so refreshing: it's a collection of short poems that can be read in any order. You can say one more and then lights out, and read just one more. Or you can let your child pick and choose among them all.
Our daughter's favorites are "Peas," "Flamingos on the Roof" and "Combo Tango." My favorites are 'Weatherbee's Diner" and "Biscuits in the Wind." Nothing ground breaking about these poems. They rhyme. They're quirky. And they're done. You can actually read through the whole book in about 15 minutes - an eternity around bedtime.
The other wonderful aspect of this book is that each poem comes with a colorful illustration by Brown. Honestly, they are just as good if not better than the poems. See Medusa's sister Sally! See what you miss watching TV in a taxicab! See Bob's bike in a bottle!
Who could ask for anything more - save for another volume, Caleb?
December 6, 2015
I listened to this read by John Mcdonough, who did a lovely job reciting these hilarious poems. My favorites, and what I think would go best for storytimes and family read alouds are the poems Combo Tango, which I think would be great with added movements, it starts out boogie to the banjo, bop to the bongo, freeze like an igloo, drop like a yoyo flip like the hairdo, wobble like a mud flap and more, it's got a lot of kinda random words that you're not going to use in daily language, so it's a great vocab builder.
I also really liked the Peas poem for similar reasons, Peas peek out of the pod (I like the alliteration which will make it easy to remember as well as fun to say), they ponder, they whisper, they nod...The wind is in the willow trees, the sun is on the sod. Short and sweet.
The Appleton Twins are a curious pair, they never agree, but they don't seem to care. If one of them whispers the other one shouts...if one of them chuckles the other one growls, if one of them grumbles the other one grins. This one is another that would be good to try with a storytime group, separating the group into two sides to do the two actions would be fun.
Also, Poseidon's Hair is just hilarious. I could see a fun felt board made with this rhyme, adding each piece of Poseidon's toupee or having the kids add it as you read. Although it smells of oyster shells and often floats away Poseidon loves his hair, he wears it every day. (haha).
I also really liked the Peas poem for similar reasons, Peas peek out of the pod (I like the alliteration which will make it easy to remember as well as fun to say), they ponder, they whisper, they nod...The wind is in the willow trees, the sun is on the sod. Short and sweet.
The Appleton Twins are a curious pair, they never agree, but they don't seem to care. If one of them whispers the other one shouts...if one of them chuckles the other one growls, if one of them grumbles the other one grins. This one is another that would be good to try with a storytime group, separating the group into two sides to do the two actions would be fun.
Also, Poseidon's Hair is just hilarious. I could see a fun felt board made with this rhyme, adding each piece of Poseidon's toupee or having the kids add it as you read. Although it smells of oyster shells and often floats away Poseidon loves his hair, he wears it every day. (haha).
February 25, 2015
Flamingos on the Roof is a poem and picture book written and illustrated by Calef Brown. The poem contains vivid illustrations. There a variety of poems such as Alphabet Sherbet, Bob, Biscuits in the Wind and many more. The author uses poetic devices such as rhyming and alliteration. The pages are filled with colorful hues and whimsical detail. My favorite poem is the "Martian Men". The poem contains illustrations such as a sitting room with orange walls and purple carpet. There is a maroon and purple rug in the center. There is a grandfather clock and lamp and green chair. There is a green cat walking thru the room. On the end table is a picture with martians. The poem is about Grandmother Pennybaker who sketched out 12 martians on paper. As Grandfather Pennybaker came in to straighten up the room he the picture and wondered who drew the martians. Trivial as it seems, the author does a great job with a rhythem and tone. The book would be a great book to do as a read aloud. There are many short and funny poems. The book also contains haikus. Students would enjoy the illustrations.
May 17, 2009
My children and I are great fans of Calef Brown. His poems are accessible and whimsical. The illustrations are colorful but vary in mood. They are a perfect accompaniment to the poems and make the poems irresistible. We have also have fun memorizing them and reciting them. It appeals to their goofiness.
We recently struggled through some poems of Robert Frost. My 7 year old really wanted to "get into" them. Though she enjoyed them she had a hard time understanding them. The world he describes is far more in the past for her than when I was her age. I am glad she is willing to accept that not all poems are easy.
But, still, I want to grow a love of poetry in my children. Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky have been great as well. We've also had some success with William Blake :-).
Some of our favoriste poems are "TV Taxi" who's punchline is the illustration, "Martian Men", "New Utensil", and "Sally". "Ten-Cent Haiku" has the added benefit of being a poem within a poem. A clear winner!
We recently struggled through some poems of Robert Frost. My 7 year old really wanted to "get into" them. Though she enjoyed them she had a hard time understanding them. The world he describes is far more in the past for her than when I was her age. I am glad she is willing to accept that not all poems are easy.
But, still, I want to grow a love of poetry in my children. Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky have been great as well. We've also had some success with William Blake :-).
Some of our favoriste poems are "TV Taxi" who's punchline is the illustration, "Martian Men", "New Utensil", and "Sally". "Ten-Cent Haiku" has the added benefit of being a poem within a poem. A clear winner!
November 17, 2015
Flamingos on the Roof gives off the wild imagination of the author, Calef Brown. When you first look at the book you tend to think of how cheesy it may look and how thin it is ,but when you first open this book you look at the images and you can tell how creative this author is. When you read Flamingos on the Roof, you see how some of his paintings and how his paintings explain his originality all through the book. This would be the type of book you read to your children or grandchildren because of the silliness he puts in. Then again you don't have to be a child to enjoy this book filled with uniqueness or innovation.
In this storybook, you never know what kind of portrait you'll see next because that's just how clever he is. Calef Brown incorporates his artistry mixed with his rhythm of poetry into this one book that all ages can enjoy. If you're looking for a poetic book that you can enjoy with your family or even by yourself, "Flamingos on the Roof" is the go to book. I'd have to say, Calef Brown has done an exceptional job at this book and has used his creativity wisely.
In this storybook, you never know what kind of portrait you'll see next because that's just how clever he is. Calef Brown incorporates his artistry mixed with his rhythm of poetry into this one book that all ages can enjoy. If you're looking for a poetic book that you can enjoy with your family or even by yourself, "Flamingos on the Roof" is the go to book. I'd have to say, Calef Brown has done an exceptional job at this book and has used his creativity wisely.
July 1, 2013
Flamingos on the Roof Poems and Paintings by Calef Brown is a GREAT book for haiku poems! I did not know a lot about Haiku poems and used to not be into them or even like writing them, but I have to be honest and say that I have a guilty pleasure for Haiku poems now! This book has some great ones . The illustrations are amazing. The cover is what grabbed my attention and when I opened and started reading...I fell in love. The painting and poems are unique in this book
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone, because it would be great for teaching students about what a Haiku poem is and it is a very eye-catching book to do so with. Plus it has some great Haiku poems in it.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone, because it would be great for teaching students about what a Haiku poem is and it is a very eye-catching book to do so with. Plus it has some great Haiku poems in it.
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February 18, 2010Flamingos on the Roof is a book of poetry that deals with things from worms to peas.
The first thing that caught my eye was the art work that is involved with the cover art as well as the individual poems. The illustrations are so unique, but still amazing! They go along with the poems almost perfectly, and I don’t think the poems would be nearly as interesting without the art on the next page. The poems themselves are still very good, and they deal with many different subjects. There are poems of all different length and style, which would be a great tool if students are going to write their own poems.
The first thing that caught my eye was the art work that is involved with the cover art as well as the individual poems. The illustrations are so unique, but still amazing! They go along with the poems almost perfectly, and I don’t think the poems would be nearly as interesting without the art on the next page. The poems themselves are still very good, and they deal with many different subjects. There are poems of all different length and style, which would be a great tool if students are going to write their own poems.
October 8, 2007
In a sense “Flamingoes on the Roof” represents a departure from Brown’s earlier works, which were collections of really short stories. However he doesn’t leave his imagination behind and each poem is accompanied by a hipster cool surreal illustration. Humor is one of Brown’s strongest gifts and the poems rhyme in joyfully silly ways. In my favorite poem “Birthday Lights” Brown writes about using light bulbs on a birthday cake to keep the wax and mess off the icing. Brown’s illustrations and poetry will have children of all ages laughing out loud.
February 18, 2008
Rees and Hazel can't get enough of the antics in this book. They ask me to read the poems twice almost every time we pull it out. The illustrations are zany and hip and reading through these short, clever poems is a pleasure for adults as well as kids. If you want to hear some of them, there's a fun review by Daniel Pinkwater (with a reading)on NPR.com.
Hazel's favorite poem is the Appleton Twins, Rees's is Combo Tango (the kids like to act out the illustrated dance steps as fast as they can), and mine is Birthday Lights. Fun fun!
Hazel's favorite poem is the Appleton Twins, Rees's is Combo Tango (the kids like to act out the illustrated dance steps as fast as they can), and mine is Birthday Lights. Fun fun!
July 7, 2018
This book was my introduction to Calef Brown. . . . I read it aloud, on quite a few occasions, to the students in my daughter's 5th-6th grade class in Prince George's County, MD - economically disadvantaged minority youngsters who lived (and for the most part survived) in a dangerous neighborhood. THEY LOVED IT, as do I. My favorite poem remains "Tiny Baby Sphinx."
("I wonder what she thinks about / at midnight, when she slinks about / inviting other sphinxes out / to gather in the moonlight." Appropriately illustrated, of course.
("I wonder what she thinks about / at midnight, when she slinks about / inviting other sphinxes out / to gather in the moonlight." Appropriately illustrated, of course.
June 23, 2010
I liked a few of the poems, but I never really felt like any of them were top notch stuff. I suppose I have a habit of comparing silly poetry to the works of Silverstein and Prelutsky, which makes anything hard to compete; however, many of the ideas were creative and were presented in a humorous format. My personal favorites were "Soggy Circus" and "Poseidon's Hair."
July 16, 2010
All of Calef Brown's books are so much fun! His poetry is strange, whimsical and complete nonsense, but that's what makes them so great. The folksy illustrations are awesome and kids will love looking at all of the details and how they fit with the poetry. I would use this to open up a language arts/poetry lesson or discussion (or maybe as an example of humorous/nonsensical poetry).
April 10, 2009
I LOVE reading poetry books to my kids and this is my current favorite! At first I was put off by the unusual illustrations, but my kids love them (and now I do too) and the poem are SO FUN! "Combination Tango" is our very favorite!
June 29, 2010
Life is a dream
with a nautical theme on a barnacle built for two.
Stuck on the hull of a sailing ship
with powerful barnacle glue.
Together we go
with the ebb and the flow
across the ocean blue.
Hitching a ride on a sailing ship
in a barnacle built for two.
with a nautical theme on a barnacle built for two.
Stuck on the hull of a sailing ship
with powerful barnacle glue.
Together we go
with the ebb and the flow
across the ocean blue.
Hitching a ride on a sailing ship
in a barnacle built for two.
January 18, 2011
What a wonderful imagination
All those different connotations
If you read this book aloud
You're sure to draw a great big crowd
The poem Ten Cent Haiku
Is just the thing that I'd do
If Biscuits in the wind doesn't grab your attention,
The rest of these fine poems I'll not bother to mention.
All those different connotations
If you read this book aloud
You're sure to draw a great big crowd
The poem Ten Cent Haiku
Is just the thing that I'd do
If Biscuits in the wind doesn't grab your attention,
The rest of these fine poems I'll not bother to mention.
September 1, 2011
Poetry book by Calef Brown 2006. Weird, amazing abstract art. These multicultural poems are unusual. Things like a poem called Birthday Lights with a birthday cake with light bulbs on it.Many other far out ideas, very fun.
March 7, 2013
Loved this book!
The poems are so wacky, and the illustrations are awesome too!
Some of these ideas, you think, "How did he come up with that?"
I love how simple and short some of the poems are too; with a great rhythm and rhyme scheme.
Very VERY fun!
The poems are so wacky, and the illustrations are awesome too!
Some of these ideas, you think, "How did he come up with that?"
I love how simple and short some of the poems are too; with a great rhythm and rhyme scheme.
Very VERY fun!
December 5, 2013
Reading with my boys as they get older is amazing. Each time they pick up a book, to listen to them read alone even is great. My 2.5 yr old obviously isnt reading the words, but with pictures and his own words he tells great stories :)
October 24, 2017
My son said he loved this book; I thought it was okay. I would have given it a 2 or a 3, but the art was unique and captured what was happening in the stories, and he loved it, so...it's a 5. Our favorite poem with matching artwork was Combo Tango.
February 2, 2009
Another fun read that the kids love-- totally different pictures that I like, actually. The poems are so fun to read aloud and I don't get tired of them-- and we have read it a lot.
February 12, 2011
My 6 year old son LOVES Flamingos on the Roof! He has the silly poems memorized and adores the beautifully illustrated pages!!!! We never get tired of this one!!
July 20, 2012
What a fun book of poems. I can't wait to share them with my children!
April 18, 2013
My kids love Calef Brown's books like I used to love Shel Silverstein's books. They read them alone, together, and ask me to read them with "voices".
October 6, 2013
Accelerated Reading Level 3.3 This book is filled with silly, rhyming, poems. Each poem contains zany characters. Topics include bugs, taxis, and food. This book is great for 3rd grade.
November 30, 2015
"Flamingos on the Roof," by writer and artist, Calef Brown is a collection of twenty-eight poems in a variety of forms that are whimsical, mythical, nonsensical, and definitely inspired.
July 10, 2017
I just can't get enough of this author's poetry...or all of his books for that matter. Verse and illustrations are equally enchanting.
October 18, 2017
A very cute book filled with zany poems sure to delight any reader, young or old. The illustrations are bright and fun, and perfectly match the mood that the poems inside provide.
January 1, 2018
Fun, zany poems with beautiful illustrations. What's not to love?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews