Bow-Tie Pasta: Acrostic Poems

by Brian P. Cleary, Andy Rowland (Illustrator)

Overview

Acrostic? What kind of stick is that? Actually, it's a poem! Acrostic poems are created from a word or phrase written vertically down the page. Each letter becomes part of a line in the poem, revealing a thought or a clue about the poem's topic. Award-winning author Brian P. Cleary shows how even the wackiest words can make an acrostic poem.

Bow-Tie Pasta is packed with acrostics to make you snicker and snort. And when you've finished reading, you can try your hand at writing your own poems!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467792271
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/01/2015
Series:	Poetry Adventures Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	NP (what's this?)
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	7 - 11 Years

About the Author

While studying for a degree in Manchester, Andy Rowland accepted his first drawing award, the Macmillan Children's Book Prize. Years later, he has more than twenty published books to his name. He lives in England.

Editorial Reviews

"An extremely useful tool for teachers or librarians looking to breathe life into a poetry unit."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

11/01/2015
Gr 3–5—Cleary's latest poetry title provides an excellent entry point for budding poets. The collection kicks off with "What Is an Acrostic?," a succinct overview of the poetic form accompanied by tips on how to get started writing. The subjects of Cleary's poems run the gamut from the titular bow-tie pasta to Kansas to pirates to lacrosse. Though the topics are straightforward, the selections themselves are often playfully sophisticated and witty. In "Jokes," Joe, an elephant, marries Olivia, a catfish, who soon thereafter gives birth to swimming trunks. Both the text and Rowland's illustrations are light and silly, perfect for young poets. Back matter lists books and websites where aspiring bards can find inspiration, writing tips, and further practice. VERDICT An extremely useful tool for teachers or librarians looking to breathe life into a poetry unit.—Jill Heritage Maza, Montclair Kimberley Academy, Montclair, NJ

School Library Journal

2015-08-26
Master punster Cleary and illustrator Rowland again join forces (Something Sure Smells Around Here, 2015, etc.) to explore a light poetic form. Even before the fourth volume in the Poetry Adventures series gets going, Rowland's cheeky illustration of an island castaway finding a bottle with jumbled letters spelling "acrostics" in it effectively conveys the message-in-a-bottle thematic sense of this poetic form. Much like a whodunit that starts with a body in the library, the acrostic poem makes no bones about revealing its subject. As Cleary explains, they are arranged so that "the first letter of each line forms a word or words when read vertically," and then "words or phrases built off that first letter help describe that subject." The collection's more successful poems shy away from listing descriptor after descriptor, as in "Yellow" or "Snack Time." "Teachers" creates an inspiring portrait: "They are the superheroes who show up / Each and every day, not just when some special signal or / Alarm is activated.… / … / Saving more lives than all those cape-wearing showoffs combined." "Poem" captures the challenge of the form with a joke: "Poppies are red. / Orchids are blue. / Ever rhyme stuff? / Man, it's really hard." Throughout, Rowland's brightly detailed illustrations neatly capture Cleary's playful tone and whatever pun's to be had. Entertaining and spirited, though there's nothing subtle about this wily collection of puzzler poems. (further reading) (Picture book/poetry. 7-11)

Kirkus Reviews