Aylesworth, J. (2001) The burger and the hotdog. New York, NY:Arthemeum Books for Young Readers

 

Poetry plays a vital role in the world of children’s literature. It gives children a sense of rhythm and sound, and it can make simple concepts interesting. Often it is funny and engaging, a clever use of language making the poetry entertaining and unique. Kids will sink their teeth into this collection of poetry featuring a banquet of fanciful food characters. Best taken in small bites, Aylesworth's book of food-based rhymes approaches sing-song-y monotony before the third or fourth poem. Foods from all groups are represented, but junk food takes the brunt of most of the longer, four-stanza poems. Gammell's "pencil, watercolor, pastel, crayon, and coffee" illustrations lend an oddly alluring grotesqueness throughout. Younger listeners could use help deciphering food puns and less well-known figures of speech in order to appreciate the humor in some of the poems. There’s a teacher named Frankie Fish Stick, pungent cheeses named Woodrow and Wanda, and a couple of eager eggs named Yack and Yimmy (two very “yolly guys,” who are—naturally—full of funny “yolks”).

I for one really enjoyed reading this book it had my attention and would deffenintly keep children ages 5-8 wanting to know more it includes lots of favorite foods in this 23 rhyming poem book: pizza, bagels, cake, pickles, even chewing gum. Several poems convey subtle lessons about behavior, as in “Nellie and Bill,” the story of a sweet pickle who is a more pleasant friend than her sourpuss dill pickle companion. Some poems are pure dessert, as in “Veggie Soup,” the story of a country/western band with Bo Beet on fiddle and Tex Tater on guitar, or the title poem, which has a soda breaking up a fight and threatening to kick the participants in the buns. Creative teachers should find ways to integrate these poems into the classroom, especially to liven up lessons on nutrition and the food pyramid. The final poem, “Up to You,” encourages young readers to write their own poems about “food folks.”

This book would be great to teach to students about the different rhyming patterns and how the other styles tend to not have rhythm and how this book has rhythm in and it and students can be taught the differences in sound patterns as well.
Big question? Can this book be used in a Science class or a Health and P.E class?