VerseDay: Resources to Use with LOVE THAT DOG by Sharon Creech
One of the highlights of my year is teaching LOVE THAT DOG by Sharon Creech. My students love reading this book and discovering that they can write poetry too. Over the years, I’ve collected some favorite books that I use while teaching LOVE THAT DOG. The resources are listed in the order that I use them–in the order that Jack learns about them. As the poems from the famous poets appear in the book, I dig out these resources to help students understand Robert Frost, William Blake, and others a bit better.
Performed by Scott Wolf
HarperChildren’s Audio
This is one of the books I do totally as a read aloud, but every student has a copy. But I don’t read it aloud. I let Scott Wolf do the reading. I first had this audiobook on cassette tape, then graduated to CD. His performance is fabulous, and we can pause it and talk about various poems and flip to the back to look at the originals.
WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS (Poetry for Young People series)
Edited by Christopher MacGowan
Illustrated by Robert Crocket
Scholastic, 2004
This “Poetry for Young People” series is one that I recommend, and can be found often during April (Poetry Month) in Scholastic Book Club flyers. Each book, about a different famous poet, comes with a brief biography about the poet, and each poem features commentary/explanations and illustrations. I use this to show students the illustration of “The Red Wheelbarrow.”
A RIVER OF WORDS: THE STORY OF WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS
by Jen Bryant
Illsutrated by Melissa Sweet
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2008.
I mentioned this book last week in my picture books about poets post. This is a phenomenal introduction to William Carlos Williams. The illustrations, done on the pages of old books, are filled with words and make every page interesting to study. His poems are woven in the illustrations and typed on the end papers. The back matter includes a timeline of Williams’ life, an author’s note, an illustrator’s note, and a list of resources for further reading. I love reading this with students after we’ve read some of Williams’ poems.
STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING
by Robert Frost
Illustrated by Susan Jeffers
Scholastic, 1978
When I share “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening,” I always pull out this illustrated version. I got mine through Scholastic, but I’ve seen a hardcover version of this recently in Ollie’s. Most of the illustrations are black and white drawings. But Jeffers throws in a little color. It is stunning and really gave me a new appreciation of the poem, and it also brings the poem to life for young readers.
You want to make young kids love and laugh about William Blake? This CD is one that I found several years ago at a teachers’ conference. They sing poems by dead poets. The first one on the CD is a rendition of “The Tyger” by William Blake, which is one of the poems that Jack doesn’t understand in LOVE THAT DOG. It’s catchy and makes the kids dance to William Blake. What more could you want?
ALL THE SMALL POEMS AND FOURTEEN MORE
Illustrated by Natalie Babbitt
FSG, 1994
This collection of small poems features all of the “small” poems mentioned by Jack in LOVE THAT DOG. Kids always beg me to read more of these small poems.
by Valerie Worth
Illustrated by Steve Jenkins
Take some of Valerie Worth’s small poems, add Steve Jenkins amazing collages, and you get this beautiful collection in a picture book format. Even though Worth’s poems are extremely kid-friendly, this picture book makes them even more so.
ROBERT FROST (Poetry for Young People Series)
Edited by Gary D. Schmidt
Illustrated by Henri Sorensen
Scholastic, 1994
This collection does not feature “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening,” but it does divide some of Frost’s poems up by season. It includes “The Pasture” which is mentioned by Jack in LOVE THAT DOG.
by Arnold Adoff
Illustrated by Karen Barbour
HarperCollins, 1995
This fabulous collection of city poems is out of print, but you might be lucky enough to find it at your library or at a used bookstore. It includes the poem “Street Music,” which Jack refers to the in the book and fourteen other city poems. This is a great book to look at when showing kids different forms of poetry because these poems don’t look like other poems they’ve read in LOVE THAT DOG. Adoff plays with space throughout these poems. Barbour’s loose paintings with bright colors bring these busy city poems to life. If you can snag a copy of this book, do it.
BROWN ANGELS: AN ALBUM OF PICTURES AND VERSE
HarperCollins, 1993
The poem that inspired Jack’s “Love that Dog” poem is in this book. “Love That Boy” by Walter Dean Myers is in this book, in its entirety. Jack only writes one stanza, but Myers’ original poem has four. The poems in this collection are illustrated with actual photographs, both the author’s and borrowed from sources like the Library of Congress. The black and white photos are of African American children are absolutely beautiful.
Concrete Poetry
I realize I didn’t include the concrete poetry books I use with “My Yellow Dog,” Jack’s concrete poem. I have a whole collection of concrete poetry books that I use. It would be worth it to me to do a whole post on just those books.
Readers’ Theater
Check out this Readers’ Theater Version of LOVE THAT DOG featuring Walter Dean Myers, Sharon Creech, Avi, and Sarah Weeks. It’s always my culminating activity. Just like Jack, my students are amazed that these authors are REAL people.
What have I missed? Do you have favorites that I didn’t list? I want to know what other resources you use when teaching LOVE THAT DOG! Tell me in the comments!
