When a Book Begins

Gr 1-3–With titles like “When a Dog Drives” and “When a Donut’s Down,” the poems in this collection aim to be lighthearted. The straightforward rhymes, easy language, and playful subject matter are suitably accessible for younger readers. Bright, energetic illustrations make each poem come alive. However, the flaws in this collection outweigh the positives. Although the poems are all medium in length, with only six poems there is very little margin for error. The stanzas often stumble under the weight of clumsy line structures, such as “When a rainbow wrinkles, its red becomes orange/ and its blue becomes green./ It droops in the middle, one end can’t be seen.” Additionally, the way the poems jump from thought to thought feels more random than deliberate: “When a dog drives, he drives you crazy!/ Whatever your name, he calls you, ‘Maisie.’” Though the poems’ concepts are unique, the collection as a whole ends up disjointed instead of diverting.