Florian Poetry

Bibliographic Citation

Florian, Douglas. 2003. Bow wow meow meow: it's rhyming cats and dogs. Orlando, FL.: Harcourt Children. ISBN 0152163956

Review

Douglas Florian uses his innate ability to capture the essence of man’s best friend along with some furry felines in his brightly illustrated collection of twenty-one short poems sure to appeal to young elementary age students. The mix of concrete poems and rhymed couplets are each featured on a two-page spread with an accompanying watercolor illustration. Florian’s use of whimsy and humor make this book one that students will want to read over and over again. With each reading, something new may be discovered. In “The Dachshund”, Florian reveals that this canine is more than just a dog, he is a mode of transportation…”Short up front/and short behind/ but so long in-between/ the fleas all ride/ upon my side/ in my s t r e t c h limousine.


Poem Title

"Dog Log"

Rolled out of bed.
Scratched my head.
Brought the mail.
Wagged my tail.
Fetched a stick.
Learned a trick.
Chased a hare.
Sat in a chair.
Chewed a shoe-
Table, too.
Got in a spat
With a cat.
Buried a bone.
Answered the phone.
Heard a thief.
Gave him grief.
Time to creep
Off to sleep.

Introduction or Follow-up Activity

Florian’s poetry book would be a great pairing with the 2010 Bluebonnet Award Winning book, “Help Me Mr. Mutt!: Expert answers for Dogs with People Problems” by Janet Stevens, illustrated by Susan Stevens Crummel. In this book, Mr. Mutt, the doggie counselor, or canine version of Dear Abbey, provides advice for his fellow canine friends as they encounter problems with their humans or the dreaded feline of the house. Florian’s poem, “Dog Log” focuses on what goes through a dog’s mind in the course of a day, much like the letters sent to Mr. Mutt asking for advice. As an introduction to this piece, I would ask students if they own a dog, and if so, if they have they ever wondered what their dog is thinking. This could spark a creative poetry writing activity as students develop a poem about their pets. Our campus has a “bring your dog to work day” for all teachers and staff. This would be a great day to share Florian’s book of poetry along with the Bluebonnet award winning book.