Review 4- Dear Hot Dog

In all honesty, I found Dear Hot Dog- Poems About Everyday Stuff, to be a delightful book. My partner is not really sure how children would respond to these poems. [She doesn't] know if children would find the poems boring, or if they would find them relatable and like them. I think children (K-2nd grade) would enjoy these poems alot.  It is a 'typical' book to use in the classroom. However, some of the language in the poems can spark children to think deeply and to use very descriptive words when they are writing.

Summer Sun

Sometimes, though,
you play rough,
get too hot
and burn my nose.
Then I hide inside
till yawning evening
when you slip
drowsily
behind the
grassy hills,
and your
snoring sounds like
katydid and
cricket songs.

I found the language in some of the poems fragrant and beautiful.

Surprisingly, I found it difficult to find teaching resources online using this book. I did find tons of lesson plans for students to improve in their writing of poetry. I believe that Dear Hot Dog will help children look at anything and see it as a potential topic for poetry.

I like how the book pictures the children completely happy and satisfied with simple things. Contentment might be a character trait to go over with young students. One poem is about socks. While reading it, I thought to myself, I am just as happy when I am putting on a pair of thick socks on a cold day. I love how this book depicts the care free love young children have for the simple things in life.

A good writing assignment could be, after having read this book, the teacher could put a bunch of class room items in a bag. Each children could pick one, then based on what they took out, he or she could write a poem about it.