SOUP FOR BREAKFAST POEMS AND PICTURES by Calef Brown

Bibliography

Brown, Calef. 2008. SOUP FOR BREAKFAST POEMS AND PICTURES. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 978-0-618-91641-2

Plot Summary

In the delicious book, HAVE YOU EVER EATEN SOUP FOR BREAKFAST? young readers will enjoy a smorgasbord of weirdness through poems and pictures of Calef Brown's imagination. In "Architots" one particularly irresistible poem Brown begins with the line, "Lots and lots of architects begin their lives as architots.'" Readers watch these children building houses, schools, and shops. Further along in the book, readers will meet an artist who uses a very peculiar medium, he paints on toast. After priming the toast with butter, the artist uses blueberry jam to create a “beautiful sky” that is dotted with cream cheese clouds. If you think this is odd, then prepare yourself for more as you read Calef Brown’s HAVE YOU EVER EATEN SOUP FOR BREAKFAST?

Critical Analysis

Calef Brown really has a unique style and voice. His bright acrylic illustrations extend the silliness with images of noodles tucked into haystacks and a spread of wildly colored donuts. His unique illustrations and creative short poems are both fun and thought provoking. It is a wonderful poetry book that is sure to engage children's imaginations and interest. Brown's somewhat "folk art" style of illustrations will have it’s readers laughing out loud at times.

Review Excerpts

"As in Flamingos on the Roof (2006) and Brown’s other titles, the words’ playful sounds are a big part of the fun for young readers, and the lines are filled with the weird puns and unexpected rhymes . . . A good choice for energizing poetry units."—Booklist

"[Brown] once again demonstrates his inventiveness, both through his poetry and his pictures."—Horn Book

Connections

Reading these poems aloud will surely have an audience's full attention. This is a grat read aloud.

Sharing poetry collections such as this will bring out your most reluctant readers and writers. Encourage students to take an ordinary item and express themselves in poem or writing.

(Book images from www.amazon.com)