I got a review copy of Pigmares: Porcine Poems of the Silver Screen (Charlesbridge, 2012) by Doug Cushman’recently. Warning: Scary creatures and hoggy puns coming your way!?The clever premise is that a young pig watches monster movies before bed and then has terrible nightmares, all seen through a piggy prism. There’s Frankenswine (and his Bride, of course), The Werehog, Pigzilla, and more. The poems have varying degrees of pigginess, and upper elementary and middle school students will have fun picking them out (and the small trim size will attract those older students, too). Back matter helps readers unfamiliar with these classics (and not-so classics) get a little grounded.
Here’s one of my favorites:
Day of the Pigweed
We’re alien seeds from deep outer space;
we arrived on a comet’s bright tail.
Your warm, cozy Earth feels good to our roots–
our foul purpose it’s time to unveil.
We’ve come here to plant our alient race
and spread our vines far and wide.
We’re pig-eating plants from Galaxy X.
There’s nowhere to run to or hide.
We’re Creepers of Fear, cosmic Pigweed from Space.
Through our stalks runs green chlorophyll.
Wrapping our tendrils ’round helpless fat pigs,
we’ll gobble you all and your swill.
We’ll conquer your Earth with green creeping vines
and indulge our taste for fine pork.What is that strange, hungry gleam in your eyes?
Is that dressing? And a large salad fork?–Doug Cushman, from Pigmares
Honestly, I’m craving salad with fresh bacon now!
Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference has the delicious?Poetry Friday Roundup today! Hope none of the poems give you nightmares tonight:>)
Very fun! I imagine the kids would like to try some of their own after hearing/reading these. Thanks Laura.
Definitely! They could take their own favorite movies or videogames and put their own piggy twists on them!
Very fun! I imagine the kids would like to try some of their own after hearing/reading these. Thanks Laura.
Definitely! They could take their own favorite movies or videogames and put their own piggy twists on them!
I love the sound of that book. Pigs are so fun. Is it okay if I post my favorite poem from Bookspeak on my blog next week?
Sure! That would be lovely:>) Interested to see what your favorite is…
Thanks Laura!
I love the sound of that book. Pigs are so fun. Is it okay if I post my favorite poem from Bookspeak on my blog next week?
Sure! That would be lovely:>) Interested to see what your favorite is…
Thanks Laura!
Mmmm…bacon! And puns, too! How fun is that!
Best b-fast combo ever:>)
Mmmm…bacon! And puns, too! How fun is that!
Best b-fast combo ever:>)
A poem meant to be read out loud…followed by a bacon-y salad, of course!
Exactly!
A poem meant to be read out loud…followed by a bacon-y salad, of course!
Exactly!
Doug Cushman knows how to ham it up. (Sorry.) What fun! Thanks for sharing.
Hahahaha!
Doug Cushman knows how to ham it up. (Sorry.) What fun! Thanks for sharing.
Hahahaha!
This sounds like fun with giant helpings of cleverness. Thanks for highlighting it.
Glad you like it! Love your poem over at Tabatha’s blog, btw!
This sounds like fun with giant helpings of cleverness. Thanks for highlighting it.
Glad you like it! Love your poem over at Tabatha’s blog, btw!
Looks like a fun collection. I just read A Leaf Can Be. It is wonderful!
Thanks! I’m so glad you liked it:>)
Looks like a fun collection. I just read A Leaf Can Be. It is wonderful!
Thanks! I’m so glad you liked it:>)