No More Poems! A Book in Verse That Just Gets Worse

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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that No More Poems! A Book in Verse That Just Gets Worse is by Rhett Miller, frontman of the alt-country band Old 97's, and is illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat. It's funny and irreverent and has fun, cartoon-like art that includes some edgy images, like a baseball coach angrily yelling at his son on the team and a boy peeing in the bathroom in the middle of the night (showing the yellow stream going in the toilet). And for a poem in which a parent tells a little girl all the ways she shouldn't kill her brother (don't push him out the window, don't drown him, don't take a pillow and smother him, don't pour gasoline on him and set set him on fire, etc.), there's a picture of a boy tied up on the railroad tracks of a toy train set. The poem is clearly intended to be funny, but joking about killing/hurting your sibling -- and the accompanying image -- could upset parents and/or kids.
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What's the Story?
NO MORE POEMS! A BOOK IN VERSE THAT JUST GETS WORSE presents 23 funny, silly poems mainly about common kid situations -- in school, at home, in dealing with parents, friends, siblings, and cell phones.
Is It Any Good?
This collection of funny poems for kids is full of sly observations, sizzling sarcasm, and potty humor, and it also has a few edgy moments. Each poem gets a double-page spread, and Dan Santat's dynamic cartoon-like illustrations highlight kids' expressive faces and body language. No More Poems! A Book in Verse That Just Gets Worse offers biting takes on adults' bad breath ("Stinky-Mouth You"), creative homework excuses, rivalry between twins, and more, and there's a poignant poem about a baseball coach who mercilessly yells at his own son when he's on the field during the game.
There's been some controversy over the poem "Brotherly Love" and its illustration: In the poem, a parent tells a girl all the ways she shouldn't kill her brother (don't push him out the window, don't drown him, don't take a pillow and smother him, don't pour gasoline on him and set him on fire, etc.), and in the illustration, readers see the little boy behind her, bound and gagged and tied to a toy train track. But the words talk about a real one: "If you tie your brother / To an active railroad track / I'm the one they'll take away / Never to come back / Feed your brother poison / Maybe drop him in a well / And I'm the one who'll wind up / Living in a prison cell." The poem concludes with the parent suggesting some less-than-fatal alternatives: "And so I beg you, Honey Pie / Ignore your dark desires / maybe give his dirt bike / A couple of flat tires / Or if he's by a swimming pool / Give a gentle shove / But please, my angel, show a little / Brotherly love." It's clearly intended as an over-the-top joke, but some kids and parents may find it more disturbing than funny.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the poems in No More Poems! A Book in Verse That Just Gets Worse. Which ones are your favorites? Why?
Do you think the poem "Brotherly Love" is appropriate for kids? Why or why not?
Are you surprised to read poems about realistic things like using the bathroom and using cell phones? What would you like to write a poem about? Try writing a poem!
Book Details
- Author: Rhett Miller
- Illustrator: Dan Santat
- Genre: Poetry
- Book type: Fiction
- Publishers: Little, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: March 5, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 7 - 10
- Number of pages: 48
- Available on: Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: May 7, 2019
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love poetry and humor
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