Hoberman, Mary Ann. (1998).
The Llama Who Had No Pajama -- 100 Favorite Poems. Ill. by Betty Fraser. Boston: Sandpiper. ISBN: 9780152055714
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| Photo by: L. Propes |
The Llama Who Had No Pajama. That's just fun to say. It's also happens to be a fun collection of one hundred poems to read. While there is not an established order or organization to the poems, works of a similar subject are often grouped together. This is used to good effect with a trio of poems ruminating about growing up and the passage of time. The eponymous llama without a pajama makes his debut about halfway through the book, in one of the longer poems of the collection. The collection covers a wide array of topics: from dress up and pesky baby brothers to worms and frogs to tigers and bears (but sadly, no lions). The poems are also of varying lengths from three lines up to a page long or more. An index of the poems organized by their first line is helpfully provided in the back of the book.
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| Photo by: L. Propes |
Hoberman makes effective use of alliteration, rhyme, and language (including a few made-up words and onomatopoeia) contributes to the imagery she creates in the poems. It's not hard to imagine the wriggles and squiggles of a worm in the aptly titled "Worm". "Frog" is a series of short lines, written in a pattern of a three or four syllable line, followed by a several two syllable lines. It's a punchy, staccato rhythm that would lend itself well to choral reading by students. It also happens to describe the life cycle of a frog, making it well-suited to use in a science class. "Permutations" takes the same lines, with a slight rearrangement of the words. It makes a really nice tongue-twister. It's also a really good demonstration of homophones, as well as the mathematical concept of permutations. The last several pages of the book are full of poems about animals and insects that are sure to attract boys. The repetitive nature of many of Hoberman's poems make them suitable for choral reading or performance.
"The Llama Who Had No Pajama" is practically a story on its own. It follows the travails of a young llama who has outgrown his pajamas, and feels he can't sleep without them. The absurdity of a llamas wearing pajamas is addressed in the last stanza with a gentle humor that permeates the rest of the Hoberman's poems. The rhythm of the lines in this poem, and the alternating line rhyme scheme give it a sing-song quality that makes a reader want to chant it aloud, even if they're in a room without an audience.
Overall, Hoberman's poems are reminiscent of Shel Silverstein, but without the cheeky edge. This isn't meant as a criticism of Hoberman. The poems have an introspective, gentle tone -- even in the poem asking for sympathy for the cockroach. Hoberman often asks the reader to examine the world from the perspective of her poem's subject, eliciting a sigh of compassion for oft-misunderstood animals and insects.
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| Photo by: L. Propes |
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| Photo by: L. Propes |
Fraser's illustrations are rendered in a combination of watercolor and gouache. The illustrations are used in a variety of ways throughout the book. They frame a single poem on a page, or a series of poems on a single page. Some of the illustrations encompass more than one subject, like the lake Fraser drew for the two-page, two-poem grouping of "A Catch" and "Ducks". The ducks swim upon the lake where the narrator of "A Catch" has gone fishing. The detail can be quite incredible, as in the canopy for the bed in "Both My Slippers" or more impressionistic in "Meg's Egg". Fraser's attention to detail, especially in the patterns is exquisite. The insects are done in close-up, which again, makes this book an excellent addition to a general science or biology classroom. Most of the poems could be read without Fraser's illustrations, but they are rendered so well, it would be a shame not to see them. "When I Need a Real Baby" is punctuated with small thumbnail paintings of a little girl dressing up her puppy like a baby during their play. It really does add so much to the reading of the poem to see a puppy patiently enduring the donning of a diaper and baby bonnet. This particular puppy and little girl also appear in two other poems, which I think is a lovely bit of continuity that Fraser displays through out the book, where figures are used for multiple poems.
There are very few instances where a poem doesn't work. Out of one hundred poems, only one really stood out: "B". It's a little hard to follow.
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| Photo by: L. Propes |
Most of these poems will appeal to a large audience. Some are much more introspective than others, which a group of older students (high school, and perhaps select junior high classes) will appreciate. Science teachers can find several poems to use to introduce lessons on insects and animals (one poem's title -- "Procyonidae" -- is the family name for several genera of animals that are related: raccoon, coati, lingo). A science teacher could have the students find and document the classification for each animal listed in the poem. Other poems could be used to demonstrate and illustrate different literary devices, like rhyme scheme and alliteration. Music classes could set the poems to music or make up their own songs with the poems. That's the beauty of poetry... The possibilities really are endless.
Other books by Hoberman are:
You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Scary Tales to Read Together;
Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart;
Miss Mary Mack (a collection of sing-along stories);
One of Each; and
My Song Is Beautiful: Poems and Pictures in Many Voices.
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"Poems drawn from Hoberman's previous works, published between 1957 and 1981, are packaged to delight a new generation of youngsters... Animals and bugs, as well as a variety of ordinary childhood experiences, are featured in poetry that is sometimes funny, and often playful in its rhythm and repetition of sounds. Fraser's illustrations add a cheery, appealing look to the book without overwhelming the text." -- Susan Dove Lempke, Booklist
"Hoberman's poems, accompanied by Fraser's illustrations, have been delighting children for 40 years. Now, many poems front heir out-of-print books are available in this satisfying collection. The selections are mostly humorous, sometimes contemplative, and deal with animals, family, play, and plain silliness. Hoberman's rhythms are lively and agile, and her imagination and sense of humor are still in tune with young readers. Fraser's simple but detailed gouache and watercolor illustrations exhibit the same qualities." -- Nina Lindsay, School Library Journal
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