Skip to main content

Stanza by Jill Esbaum

Picture Book
2009
illustrated by Jack E. Davis
Harcourt Children's Books

Here's a fantastic, rhyming read-aloud! It's all about Stanza, a closet poet, who also happens to be a dog. By day, he's a rough and rude dude on the street. Along with his brothers, Stanza prowls around annoying and bullying everyone they encounter. But after his brothers are asleep, he heads back to his "shadowy space tucked away out of sight" and writes poetry. He lives in fear that his brothers might find out. But when a contest comes along, looking for someone to write a catchy four-line poem for Snappers Dog Snacks, he can't resist. Will his brothers find out what he's doing? Will he win the contest? Come check out Stanza and find out! (Pay close attention to the wonderful illustrations. Cute details and a couple of hidden clues about Stanza's brothers' closet lives.)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The House with Nobody in It

  The House with Nobody in It By Jon Klassen Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2026. Board Book.  The House with Nobody in It may very well be your child's first ghost story. The simple story begins with the narrator explaining to readers that this house used to have someone in it, but there is now nobody there. Toddlers and preschoolers will love contradicting this statement as they peek through the house that the board book forms, as the ghost is clearly visible throughout the story.  This unique and imaginative board book is the perfect thing to read during Halloween season! The book itself plays into the experience, with cutouts and clever turns that make it especially interactive. The illustrations are superb, simple but well crafted, adding to the story's theme as a whole. This will likely be a book that gets many repeat reads!

Display: Teddy's Top Picks

  Bear in the Air Written by Susan Meyers Illustrated by Amy Bates New York : Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2010. Picture book. When a teddy bear is lost by the child who loves him, the bear begins an adventurous journey to get back home again. -- Editor Blanket and Bear, A Remarkable Pair Written by L.J.R. Kelly Illustrated by Yoko Tanaka New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2013. Picture book. When a boy loses his beloved blanket and bear, they travel a great distance to make their way back to him. -- Editor A Bear to Share Written by Jessica Alba, Nora Weinstein, and Kelly Patricof  Illustrated by Alicia Mas New York, NY : Baby2Baby/Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2021. Picture book. Tiana loves her teddy bear, Bach. She doesn't mind that he's a little worn and somewhat torn. So when her mother suggests she make room for a new bear, Tiana can't believe her ears! Will Tiana have to lose the one bear she really loves? Or will she find room in her heart for t...

October Guys Read and Girls Read

Every month we have two book clubs for kids here at the Provo City Library! These book clubs are just for kids ages 9-12 and a caregiver. This month, our Guys Read book club will meet October 22 and our Girls Read book club will meet October 27. You can register now, using the library's online calendar! Guys Read is reading: The Graveyard Book By Neil Gaiman New York: HarperCollins, 2008. Fiction. 312 pgs. The winner of the 2009 Newbery Medal award, The Graveyard book is an extra-spooky retelling of The Jungle Book set in a cemetery. Nobody Owens is a regular boy, except he has been raised by ghosts. When he was just a baby, his family was murdered but Nobody escaped into a graveyard where he was raised among monsters by two kindhearted ghosts. This is a suspenseful, spooky, and very engaging book. This book is a perfect balance of scary and fun. Girls Read is reading: Nightbooks By J.A. White New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2018. Fiction. 294 pages. Since he was a child, Alex h...