insectlopedia – Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF

I found the perfect book in my poetry archives to cover Earth Day and poetry month.

From the unusual type font to the illustrations painted in watercolor on primed paper bags with collage, Douglas Florian (a poet and artist), created a strikingly gorgeous book of poetry. Pick an insect on the list, and I can guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Text and illustration ©️Douglas Florian

From the concrete poetry of The Inchworm:

Text and illustration ©️Douglas Florian

to the weight-training Daddy Long Legs:

O Daddy

Daddy O

How’d you get

Those legs to grow

So very long

And lean in size?

From spiderobic

Exercise?…(there’s more not quoted)

To The TIcks:

Not gigan-tic.

Not roman-tic.

Not artis-tic.

Not majes-tic.

Not magne-tic.

Nor aesthe-tic.

Ticks are strictly parasi-tic.

Kids are going to love these poems and the paintings that are paired with them. So much so, I think they’ll want to dress up as their favorite, memorize the poem, and perform it just for fun.

Text and illustration ©️Douglas Florian

I had to laugh when the caterpillar eats so many leaves, it leaves her a little Faterpillar. And yes, he used the double meaning of leaves in the poem.

A delightful collection sure to fall apart from all the love it’s going to receive in your home or classroom. Maybe you should get two copies…..

Activities:

Make an origami butterfly

Write a poem about an insect that’s not included in this collection. See if you can find that insect in its habitat and observe it before you write the poem.

Research strange insects that don’t live near you. See if you can find YouTube videos of them in their own environments. Otherwise, use still photos and your research to write a poem about them.