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.)

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