Poetry Review: Poetry and Fiction

All Asleep

by Charlotte Pomerantz

Illustrated by Nancy Tafuri

Bibliographic Citation: Pomerantz, Charlotte. All asleep. Illustrated by Nancy Tafuri. New York: Greenwillow Books. 1984.

ISBN: 0-688-03762-3

Review: This sweet collection of lullabies and poems made for sharing at bedtime are the perfect end to the day with your special little one.  The sing-song lullabies help make this the best book to share to help settle someone down to fall asleep. 

Grandma's Lullaby

Close your eyes,

My precious love,

Grandma's little

Turtledove.

Go to sleep now,

Pretty kitty,

Grandma's little

Chickabiddy.

Stop your crying,

Cuddly cutie,

Grandma's little

Sweet patootie.

Issum, wissum,

Popsy, wopsy,

Tootsie wootsie

Lollypopsie.

Diddims

Huggle

Snuggle pup

And now, for Grandma's sake, hush up!

Introduction to Share: This is a great way to get children to talk about their bedtime routines.  How can each person make their routine into a short poem? What do you do the same every night? Who is always there with you? What helps you fall asleep?

See how we can connect this poetry book with the next book.



Interrupting Chicken                        written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein   

Bibliographic Citation: Stein, David Ezra. Interrupting Chicken.  Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. 2010.

ISBN: 978-0-7636-4168-9

Review: This 2011 Caldecott Honor Book is a great story about bedtime routines and telling stories before going to sleep. Only, in this story, the little chicken keeps ending the story before Dad can. He does not seem to be making any progress in getting the little chicken to sleep with his stories. Maybe he should try reading some of the poems from All Asleep.

Connection to Poetry:  This book shows the importance of what bedtime story to tell.  In Interrupting Chicken, the little chicken knew all the stories and wanted to change the ending.  If he were read the poetry, they would have that lullaby quality that helps to settle you down to go to sleep.   What are some other poems that you know that you could tell at bedtime that would help little chicken go to sleep? Students could make up a short poem as if they were trying to get little chicken to go to sleep.