POETRY - The Llama Who Had No Pajama: 100 Favorite Poems

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hoberman, M. (1998). The Llama Who Had No Pajama: 100 Favorite Poems. Ill. by Betty Fraser.  Florida: Harcourt. ISBN 9781415668382

  

PLOT SUMMARY

This book contains a collection of 100 different short poems that stream across a variety of topics. There are poems that talk about food, birthdays, seasons, and more. The different poems offer different moods and feels as well, some are sad and gloomy; while others are upbeat and happy. The title itself “The Llama Who Had No Pajama” is actually a poem in the book as well and is about a little Llama who is upset because he continues to grow. When he grows, he now cannot fit his pajamas and doesn’t know what to wear to bed. In the end, he decides that he doesn’t have a need for pajamas because he is a llama and has enough fur to cover him.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

I thoroughly enjoyed reading these poems. They are quick and simple, yet very engaging. Some poems flow to the point where you feel like you could sing it in a song. Some of the poems are very light-hearted and silly which would definitely appeal to the younger crowd.

The frequency in which the author uses rhyme and patterns in the different poems helps draw in the reader. For example, in the poem titled “Ice-Skating,” she uses rhyming patterns in her stanzas where the first two lines rhyme such as 

“Choose a day that’s bright and clear, 

Bundle up from toe to ear;” 

and 

“I perch upon the snowy rocks 

And pull on both my woolen socks.”

These quick simple rhymes make the poems fun. Children of all ages can easily read, repeat, and learn these quick poems for entertainment but also the teacher could extend learning. 

Betty Fraser’s illustrations only add to the poems throughout the books. They are simple but make the poems come alive on the page. Some of her illustrations are simply borders that surround the poem, yet they hold details that relate to the poem on the page. 

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Booklist: “Poems drawn from Hoberman's previous works, published between 1957 and 1981, are packaged to delight a new generation of youngsters. Children may be reminded of A. A. Milne's poetry about Pooh, particularly by the earlier poems, but Hoberman's poetry goes deeper, offering children a new way to look at things. 

 

Horn Book Guide: “Although perhaps best taken in small doses, this collection of some forty years of Hoberman verse is a charmer. The poems--peppy verses immediately identifiable as Hoberman's by their use of alliteration and repeated words and lines--seem to cover every subject under the sun; all are dependably child-centered.”

School Library Journal: “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. The layout is masterfully varied and never overwhelms the poems.” 

 

CONNECTIONS

These poems can be used individually to support further instruction in figurative language use such as the use of alliteration, simile, repetition, rhyming, and more.

Would be a great activity to have students pick a poem and then rewrite the poem from a different perspective to expand on learning.

Other books by Mary Ann Hoberman:

• Hoberman, M. Miss Mary Mack. ISBN 9781404674929

• Hoberman, M. The Seven Silly Eaters. ISBN 9780152000967

• Hoberman, M. You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You: Very Short Stories to Read. ISBN 9780316363501