The Popcorn Astronauts and Other Biteable Rhymes

Title: The Popcorn Astronauts and Other Biteable Rhymes
Genre: Poetry
Author: Deborah Ruddell
Major Awards: Notable Children's Books, 1995-2019
Age Group: Kindergarten-2nd grade

This story features 5-6 poems that correspond to each of the four seasons. These poems are silly and the illustrations really make the poems come to life. For spring, one of the poems is titled "Lickety-Split Picnic." This poem is stating the ingredients needed to have a perfect picnic. There is figurative language used which makes it fun! For summer, there is a poem titled "Welcome to Watermelon Lake!" This poem is about a lake that looks like a watermelon and has pink water. For fall, there is a poem titled "21 Things to Do with an Apple." This poem is the exact way it sounds; it lists 21 different silly things to do with an apple! For winter, there is a poem titled "Gingerbread House Makeover." This poem is about a gingerbread house that is removed of candy and turned into a house built of savory foods and veggies. 

I would definitely want to use this book in my classroom! The poems are fun and light-hearted, which makes them a favorite for young students. I think that this would be a class favorite that students would always request to have read to them! It also introduces them to poem structure, and they learn that poems are formatted differently than a regular story. 

I think that this book of poems would be perfect for grades kindergarten through second grade. The poems are easy to read and comprehend, making them perfect for young readers to read on their own. I also think that students at these ages would get many laughs out of the funny illustrations! 

In my classroom, I could have students pick a favorite poem from the book and have them illustrate what they think is happening in that poem. By doing this, students are showing reading comprehension by drawing instead of writing. I could also pick a few poems and have the students perform the actions that the poem is stating. For example, for "21 Things to Do with an Apple", I could give each student an apple and have them perform each action that the poem is telling them to do with their apple. I think that students would have fun with this activity while also learning about poem structure.