Written in free verse, the author uses onomatopoeia lavishly in many of the poems. �Windshield Wipers� has all its imagery-rich words italicized for emphasis: �squish, squeegee-squish, slosh, flap, plish, sway.� This same device is found in �Pencil Sharpener,� �Scissors,� �Rubber Band,� and �Lawn Mower,� to name a few. Alliteration is another device that she employs: �twist, tub, twist;� �raging river;� �pepper piled upon pepper.�
Inanimate objects are personified by attributing human characteristics to them. A pencil sharpener �gnaws and nibbles� its �breakfast of lead;� scissors have wide, yawning, silver �mouths;� ice cubes, with �frozen faces�, do �belly flops;� and washing machines give �socks a soapy kiss.� In �Lady Wind,� a breeze is described as a little girl, and the metaphor is sustained until the end of the poem, with the �grown-up breeze� eventually becoming a �quarreling storm.�
The formats of Dotlich�s poems often support the topic. In �The Ironing Hour� the poem sustains the back-and-forth, quick movements of an iron. �Roller Coaster� has concrete characteristics, with the words describing the crawling and falling motion of the coaster spelled out in a vertical line.
The illustrations by Karen Dugan are rendered in soft jewel tones and are companion pieces to the poems. Dugan features children in most of the pictures, which include interesting perspectives. In the illustration for �Autumn Leaves� only the legs and feet are shown, and in �Rubber Band� and �Pencil Sharpener,� only hands are shown. Like the poems, the drawings are whimsical and often funny. Horn Book Guide (October 1, 2003) says �The cheerfully kinetic illustrations will be as appealing to readers as the verse.�
These poems are meant to be read aloud, and children will relate with ease to the familiar subject matter. The style of writing lends itself to group or choral readings, as well, and may serve as inspiration to budding poets. �These imaginative poems could be used to inspire children's own creative writing.� (School Library Journal, March 1, 2003) These 23 poems are a fun introduction to poetry for children, and will undoubtedly leave them begging for more.
Awards
Beehive Children�s Poetry Book Award (Nominee)
Related Websites
Embracing the Child Interview: http://www.embracingthechild.org/Bookspecialdotlich.htm
Boyds Mills Press Website:
http://www.boydsmillspress.com/authors.tpl?command=showpage&authorid=0385
Meet Karen Dugan:
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/mtai/dugan.html
Sources
Books in Print [database online]. Available from http://www.booksinprint.com. Accessed 07 October 2004.
School of Library and Information Studies
TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY