My Lunchbox is Hopping and Other School Poems

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos
Illustrations:	Erin Mercer
Age Levels:	4-8
Format:	Full Color
Published:	DC Canada Educational Publishing, 2023
ISBN:	978-1-77205-803-1

Synopsis

Kalli uses her knowledge as a reading specialist to write poems that help children develop fluency and a joy in reading. This fun-loving collection of school poems is for beginning readers, struggling readers, and children who are learning English. Using simple vocabulary, rhythm, and rhyme, these poems address school topics like writing tests, hiding in the bathroom and getting in trouble. The illustrations by Erin Mercer are bright and colourful and add to all the fun.

Buttons

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos
Illustrations:	Nichola Cowdery
Age Levels:	0-3
Format:	Full Color
Published:	Familius Publishing, 2023
ISBN:	978-1-64170-756-5

Synopsis

In this adorable, brightly-colored board book, a little girl discovers the magic of buttons and all the work they do. There are buttons everywhere - at home, at school, in shops, and even on tractors and planes. Children will have fun with the discovery of one very special button that they have with them all the time. The rhythm and rhyme and delightful illustrations add to the magic of this celebration of buttons.

Happy Birthday, Belly Button!

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos
Illustrations:	Luciana Navarro Powell
Format:	Hardcover / Paperback
Illustrations:	Full Colour
Published:	Amicus Ink Publishing (March 2023)
ISBN:	978-168152-7512 / 978-168152-8687

Synopsis

An exuberant child celebrates being one year older and bigger, calling out body parts from head to toe that have grown since their last birthday. When you're young, every inch grown feels like a huge achievement. You're not just one year older, you're one year bigger. Spirited rhyming text and active, delightful illustrations highlight body parts and share the joy of celebrating a birthday. Written by veteran children's poet Kalli Dakos and illustrated by Luciana Nararro Powell's warm and expressive art, Happy Birthday, Belly Button! is a delightful picture book to read with toddlers and preschoolers and a wonderful gift for a child's birthday.

My Story Friend

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos
Illustrations:	Dream Chen
Age Levels:	4 - 8
Format:	Hardback
Illustrations:	Full Colour
ISBN:	978-1-4338-3688-6
Published:	Magination Press (May 2021)

Synopsis

A child treks across the land in search of someone who will listen to his sad story. He meets a gruff mountain man who doesn't like unhappy stories and a cabbage farmer who is too busy to listen. Finally, he finds an old woman by a fire who takes the time to listen with her heart. The sheer act of telling his story to someone who really cares lifts his heavy heart and helps him to find solutions to his problems.

The child discovers that a Story Friend is one of the greatest treasures we can find in this world, and even if it is a hard journey, we must search for this special friendship.

Our Farm in the City

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos
Illustrations:	Erin Mercer
Age Levels:	4 - 8
Format:	Hardback
Illustrations:	Full Colour
Published:	DC Canada Education Publishing (Summer 2021)

Synopsis

A child and her mother find great beauty and adventures on an experimental farm right in the middle of the city of Ottawa (capital of Canada). The little girl imagines that she will be a scientist one day and creates a vegetable out of spinach and lettuce that she will call spinlet. With her mother, she explores the arboretum, the amazing gardens, the fields of experimental plants and the beloved animals, and discovers the great joy of finding adventures close to home. She decides to invite "everyone she knows and everyone she doesn't know to visit her farm in Ottawa."

My Story Friend

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos
Illustrations:	Dream Chen
Age Levels:	4 - 8
Format:	Hardback
Illustrations:	Full Colour
ISBN:	978-1-4338-3688-6
Published:	Magination Press (May 2021)

Synopsis

A child treks across the land in search of someone who will listen to his sad story. He meets a gruff mountain man who doesn't like unhappy stories and a cabbage farmer who is too busy to listen. Finally, he finds an old woman by a fire who takes the time to listen with her heart. The sheer act of telling his story to someone who really cares lifts his heavy heart and helps him to find solutions to his problems.

The child discovers that a Story Friend is one of the greatest treasures we can find in this world, and even if it is a hard journey, we must search for this special friendship.

They Only See the Outside

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos
Illustrations:	Jimothy Oliver
Age Levels:	8 - 12
Format:	Hardback
Illustrations:	Black and White
ISBN:	978-1-4338-3519-3
Published:	Magination Press (March 2021)

Synopsis

A collection of poems that explores how children feel on the "inside" when they face life's challenges. Topics include bullying, the monotony of homework, sad goodbyes, abuse, secret dreams, and other topics that deal with feelings that my not be seen from the "outside." There are also humorous poems about embarrassing moments that brings humour to this collection.

Recess in the Dark: Poems from the Far North

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos
Illustrations:	Erin Mercer
Age Levels:	Grades 2 - 6
Published:	DC Canada Educational Publishing (August 2019)

Synopsis

Recess in the Dark is a collection of twenty-four poems that offers a new perspective on how students live in the Canadian North, complete with stunning illustrations of this country’s natural beauty.

A former teacher and reading specialist, Kalli Dakos taught at Sir Alexander Mackenzie School in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada. She has returned on author visits to encourage the children to write about their fascinating lives above the Arctic Circle. This book was inspired on one of these trips, when “recess in the dark” was chosen as a favourite writing topic.

Twenty-four poems celebrate children's lives in the Arctic with stunning illustrations of natural beauty by Erin Mercer.

Reviews and Commentary

Critic: Dave Jenkinson

 

Excerpt:

 

Can’t-Wait-To-Read-Book
I have three,
I-can’t-wait-to-read-chapters,
in my I-can’t-wait-to-read-book,
and I’m heading out for recess...
with a flashlight!

 

An intriguing title and enticing cover art will draw young readers into this amusing and informative collection of 25 poems (with the back cover text providing a bonus of two additional poems, one being the excerpt above). A concluding “About the Authors” note introduces the poet, Kalli Dakos, and explains how Recess in the Dark: Poems from the Far North came to be: A former teacher and reading specialist, Dakos taught at Sir Alexander Mackenzie School in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada. She has returned on author visits to encourage the children to write about their fascinating lives above the Arctic Circle. This book was inspired on one of those trips, when “recess in the dark” was chosen as a favourite writing topic.

As part of her “Dedication”, Dakos says the book is “For the children who live in the land where Recess in the Dark is a part of their lives, and for those who will have the opportunity to explore this amazing experience through these poems.” As the book’s contents reveal, what children in the “Far North” encounter during recess is quite unlike that experienced by their peers in more southern climes. Readers closer to the 49th parallel can only imagine what it would be like to go to school in the dark, have recess outside in the dark, and then go home in the dark, never once seeing the sun, but that is what children in Inuvik experience for some 30 consecutive days every year when the sun never appears.

The collection begins with the poem, “A Warning for Wimpy Kids”, that underlines recess in the Far North is “colder than a freezer, wild bleak, and dark” and that “Recess in the Dark is for the strong who live up here.”

The contents of the next 23 poems provide insights into various aspects of playing outside at recess when “The Sun Won’t Shine”. Imagine seeing the stars or the Northern Lights at recess time. Normal playground structures are supplemented by igloos and ice slides, and common games, like Hide and Seek, take on new dimensions when played in the dark. Five poems, “Under the Stars”, “Lucy and Her Frozen Belly Button”, “Gary’s Underwear”, “Frozen Toes” and “My Rabbit Mittens”, address the need to dress appropriately for the North’s extreme cold. But the 24 hour darkness must eventually end, and the last two poems, “Gary’s Polar Snow Bear” and “We Have Light”, acknowledge the welcome return of some sunlight.

Most of the poems are given their own two-page spread. In addition to the poem’s text, Dakos adds a sentence or two at the bottom of the page with that text providing some factual information connected to the poem’s content, For example, below “A Raven”, readers are informed that: “Most birds fly to warmer climates in the winter, but the raven laughs in the face of the cold winds as if to say, ‘You can’t make me leave.’” Similarly, in “Dog Team”, when the children create their own dog team from snow, Dakos adds the information: “Dog teams are still used in the North because they are safer than snowmobiles. A snowmobile can break down, but the dogs are reliable.”

Erin Mercer’s lively artwork, digital paintings created by using pencil, pastel and oil brush packs, adds significantly to the collection’s impact. She effectively renders scenes in the colours one associates with winter’s darkness - the blues and purples of the nighttime snow, the black night sky punctuated by pinpricks of stars’ distant light or lit up by the Northern Lights’ dancing greens, yellows and reds, or the full moon’s almost unnatural reflected brightness. The coloured winter clothing of Mercer’s muffled cartoon characters allows them to stand out in the daytime darkness.

Recess in the Dark: Poems from the Far North would be a most worthwhile addition to school and public libraries.

Highly Recommended

Reviewer:
Dave Jenkinson, CM’s editor, lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He once spent a week in Inuvik in August. Should he ever write a book of poetry about this experience, it would have to be called “Sleeping in the Light” as the sun never really set during his visit.

Critic: ReadItDaddy

 

More fantastic poetry for "National Poetry Day" with "Recess in the Dark" by Kalli Dakos and Erin Mercer

Time for a thoroughly original collection of poems and verses to celebrate National Poetry Day today, and a superb picture book poetry anthology from way, way across the Atlantic Ocean.

"Recess in the Dark" by Kalli Dakos and Erin Mercer is a fabulous and diverse collection of poems based around what life is like in the extreme far north of Canada. As winter begins to bare its teeth, the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer - can you imagine playing Hide and Seek during school break - but in the dark? ...Or playing outside wrapped up in many, many layers of clothes?

Each poem playfully looks at life from many perspectives, but mostly through the eyes of children who have fun and enjoy the amazing nature and sights and sounds from this amazing place they call home.

The illustrations are fab too, with tons of fun characters and lots of busy kids having fun in their wintry wonderland. From "Frozen Toes" to "The Call of the Wild" - each poem has a sense of fun about it, perfect for read-aloud poem and story time at school, or just to curl up with at this time of year with a nice cup of hot chocolate and perhaps a friendly wolfcub or two enjoying each poem!

Sum this book up in a sentence: A superb anthology of poems depicting life in the far north of Canada where winters seem endless and they still get 'real' snow!

"Recess in the Dark" by Kalli Dakos and Erin Mercer is out now, published by DC Canada Education Publishing (kindly supplied for review).

Critic: Sue Morris

 

Why I like this book:

I fell in love with Recess in the Dark once I saw the illustrations. I love the dark, star-filled backgrounds and the colorful parka-wearing kids who seem to pop off the page—and many may wish to, given the cold air that far up north. Then I read the poetry. I know it’s been said at least a dozen times; poetry is difficult to write correctly. But people still attempt it, maybe because it’s a challenge. The poetry in Recess in the Dark will either bring down the wonderful illustrations or make those images soar.

They soar!

The poetry is easy to read aloud. There is a singsong effect to many of them. The first is a warning to readers: if you don’t like the cold, don’t venture to the arctic north where these kids live. It is cold. For the winter months, it is also dark . . . all the time. The second poem tells readers how the sun doesn’t shine during the winter. This darkness can only make the cold feel even colder. I cannot imagine going outside in such frigid weather, but these kids do.

If you can handle the cold, there are prizes for your efforts: the stars and the Northern Lights. Other poems talk about what kids do during the cold and dark recess. They wear multiple layers from their head to their toes, enabling them enjoy hide-n-seek and sliding down icy mounds of snow, built up from the whipping wind. Unlike most schools, kids build and play in igloos and they sculpt figures out of the fallen snow.

Kids lucky enough to have story hour will enjoy hearing these poems. Middle grade kids will also enjoy Recess in the Dark. Teachers can find many related subjects to enhance the poems. (The Northern Lights, using dog sleds for travel, building igloos, and the lack of sunlight during the artic winter.) One nice added element appears in smaller print. Under the illustration, the author explains things many kids may not understand, if they don’t live in frigid northern Canada.

Recess in the Dark is a fun read, it is informative, and it will have kids wondering what it would be like to go to school, and recess, completely in the dark. But when summer arrives, there are no dark skies. The sun shines twenty-four hours a day. Now, that I would like. Maybe a sequel will tell us about life in the light of day, even at night.

Favorite Lines: (from The Northern Lights, verses 2 and 3.)

The colours stream
in blues and greens
with blazing, golden rays.
They light the night
with wild light
cross the Milky Way.
We cannot run,
we cannot play,
we cannot even speak.
In a daze,
we just gaze
until our legs go weak.

Critic: Carmelita Cechetto-Shea

 

Recess in the Dark is a collection of twenty-five poems (with two extra poems on the back cover) celebrating life in the far north. Written by Kalli Dakos and illustrated by Erin Mercer, this delightful and fun poetry collection is created from the perspective of children. Each poem provides the reader with a glimpse of life in the dark and cold. The first poem A Warning for Wimpy Kids sets the stage for further reading; the poem tells readers not to venture to the north if they don’t like the cold and/or darkness. Once readers pass the “warning” poem, the poems detail many wonderful aspects of life in a cold and dark place. The children of the north seem to enjoy their environment, and show readers that you must make the best of where you are instead of complaining. It seems there is a reward for living in the north: the Northern Lights (aurora borealis), a magical and natural light display readers may wish they could see (like this reviewer).

Each poem is easy to read and would be excellent read a-louds. Many of the poems are presented on a two-page spread, with the poem on one page and the opposite page is where the author has included details providing more factual information connected to the poem (in smaller print). Each poem provides insight into what it would be like to play outside in the dark, in a place where “The Sun Won’t Shine”.

Readers can only imagine (or maybe even dream) about how life would be living in this area. In some poems, exaggerated words reflect the illustration it represents, such as the poem Marilyn’s Moon Question where a child is on a tire swing, and the word “moon” stretches across the page (with multiple letters “O”). Recess in the Dark includes poems on many topics of northern life: igloos, dog teams, rabbit mittens, etc. The final poem We Have Light brings the readers full circle to the realization that the darkness will disappear and the light will shine again.

Erin Mercer’s illustrations are breathtaking, offering dark star filled backgrounds with bright colors and children who are smiling at the extravaganza before them. It is obvious these children are enjoying where they live and don’t see the dark and cold as anything but a wonderful experience of life in the north. Ms. Mercer has used various types of techniques in creating the digital paintings: pencil, pastel and oil. Dark shades of blue and purple accentuate the night sky, while Northern Lights are created with brilliant greens. The children’s clothing is an array of many bright colours of the spectrum, like a rainbow. The moon’s yellow glows brightly as if a real lamp has been turned on especially when the reader turns the pages to reveal the double page spread in the poem Marilyn’s Moon Questions. The final two pages of he book have a glorious sunrise mixture of reds, purples and blue as the children now have light as winter fades and disappears.

The author’s dedication elaborates her intent in creating this book. The dedication isn’t just for those who were in the far north with her and the children at the school where she once taught who inspired her to write the poems. On one visit, Kalli Dakos encourages the children to write their own poems based on the wonderful life they experience living in the far north.

She also dedicates the book to the children who will explore the land of recess in the dark through reading the poems. Recess in the Dark is a celebration of the wonders of living in an environment where the sunshine and darkness, although complete opposites, allow the characters (and readers) the privilege of admiring an extraordinary place. This anthology of poems is a quick and fun read, and may even have some readers pausing to think about what it would be like to live in the north (and going to school in the dark too). Then with the summer eliminating darkness every day (24 hours a day), readers learn about a place many children call home. Recess in the Dark is a delightful collection of poems that deserves a place in school and public library collections.

Critic: Canadian Children's Book News

 

Recess in the Dark is a spirited collection of 25 poems about the Far North. Author Kalli Dakos, a former teacher in Inuvik, shares her keen observation of what school life, or more specifically playground life, is like when the sun doesn’t appear in the sky. Instead the children play their ingenious games under the stars, moonlight and the great Northern Lights. These warm-hearted poems are short, punchy and full of mischief. The poems cry out to be read aloud. Nature is also a part of this experience and the poems are full of references to the surrounding landscape and natural elements. Underneath the mirth and whimsy is a contemplative feeling and a sense of the wonderment and beauty of the North.

In addition to the poems are short explanatory notes about their subjects. These notes are helpful to teachers, but not necessary for the enjoyment of the poems themselves.

Illustrator Erin Mercer cleverly overcomes the challenge of illustrating ‘the dark’ with her full-bleed illustrations that are brimming with light and colour. The children’s multicoloured snowsuits, scarves, gloves and boots stand out against the midnight blue background. The Northern Lights shimmer on the pages. Arrangement and layout of the poems add to the overall enjoyment of the book. Particularly noteworthy is how well text and illustration work for the poem “Gary’s Underwear”. The words LONG UNDERWEAR appear vertically on the double-page spread while several stretched-out legs of long underwear appear vertically on the double-page spread while several stretched-out legs of long underwear intertwine and know around themselves.

The delectable poems and energetic illustrations evoke the magic of children playing with abandon in Recess in the Dark, a book to be shared and savoured.

Critic: Children's Bookshelf

 

"This book is truly a work of art. It features a bunch of wonderful poems about kids having recess and life in the Arctic. From making igloos to the Northern lights to sled dogs it depicts many of the unique elements that make the North so very special. Also look at these illustrations I really enjoyed this and highly recommend!"

Testimonials

"An intriguing title and enticing cover art will draw young readers into this amusing and informative collection of 25 poems."

...Dave Jenkinson, Canadian Reviews of Material

"Recess in the Dark is a fun read, it is informative, and it will have kids wondering what it would be like to go to school, and recess, completely in the dark.”

...Sue Morris, Kid Lit Reviews

"I fell in love with Recess in the Dark once I saw the illustrations. I love the dark, star-filled backgrounds and the colorful parka-wearing kids who seem to pop off the page.”

...Sue Morris, Kid Lit Reviews

"From ‘Frozen Toes’ to ‘The Call of the Wild, - Each poem has a sense of fun about it, perfect for read-aloud poem and story time at school, or just to curl up with at this time of year with a nice cup of hot chocolate and perhaps a friendly wolfcub or two enjoying each poem!”

...Phil May, Read It Daddy!

"Erin Mercer’s lively artwork, digital paintings created by using pencil, pastel and oil brush packs, adds significantly to the collection’s impact."

...Dave Jenkinson, Canadian Reviews of Material

Get Me Out Of This Book: Rules and Tools for Being Brave

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos and Deborah Cholette
Illustrator:	Sara Infante
Format:	Hardcover
Illustrations:	Full Colour
ISBN:	ISBN-10: 0823438627 and ISBN-13: 978-0823438624
Published:	Holiday House (June 11 2019)

Synopsis

"GET ME OUT OF THIS BOOK!" shouts Max. Max is a scaredy-cat bookmark until he learns 3 rules for being brave--breathe deeply, make a plan, and think positive thoughts!

When Max the bookmark went into a scary book, he couldn't LOOK and he SHOOK and he SCREAMED, "GET ME OUT OF THIS BOOK!"

Then he learned to (1) breathe deeply, (2) make a plan, and (3) think positive thoughts--techniques used by the Navy SEALs. Max put his new tools into practice and now he's brave enough to face a snake, yucky bugs, and even a seven-headed monster!

Reviews and Commentary

"Repetitive and at times rhyming, the text builds a rhythm that lends itself to read-alouds, especially for educators with students who seem to have difficulty regulating fear-related emotions. . . . An ambitious blending of emotional and psychological tools with fantasy that will serve the right reader well."

...Kirkus Reviews

Why Am I So Blue

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos
Illustrator:	Viviana Garafoli
Age Levels:	4-8 Preschool to 2nd grade
Format:	Hardcover
Illustrations:	Full Colour
ISBN:	978-1-4338-2734-1
Published:	Magination Press, The American Psychological Society
Purchase:	Order Forms

Synopsis

Why Am I Blue? - A Story About Being Yourself

The blue frog looked at his reflection in the water and asked, “Why Am I Blue?”

The Green Frog didn’t know.
Dandelion had no answer.
And fish? No idea either.

The blue frog is on a journey to find out why he is blue. Eventually, an elderly frog gives him a simple, yet profound explanation.

 

This is a sweet story about identity and self-acceptance, one that children can apply to various situations in their lives.

The illustrator, Viviana Garofoli, lives in Buenos Aires, Argentia. Over the last 15 years, she has illustrated more than 20 children’s books. Her illustrations are delightful and bring the blue frog’s story to life for children.

Magination Press is the children’s book imprint of the American Psychological Association.
This book includes a Note to Parents and Caregivers by Gayle E. Pitman, PhD, that discusses how children experience differences throughout childhood and how adults can guide children toward an understanding and acceptance of their own and others’ differences as well.

Reviews and Commentary

"These conversations aren’t always easy. However, talking with your child about differences— and similarities—will go a long way towards teaching your child self-acceptance and acceptance of others. Starting these conversations now will pay off throughout your child’s life."

...Gayle Pitman

A Funeral In The Bathroom and Other School Bathroom Poems

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos
Illustrator:	Mark Beech
Age Levels:	Ages 6-9
Format:	Hardback, 48 pp.
Illustrations:	Full Colour
ISBN:	ISBN-10: 0807526754 ISBN-13: 978-0807526750
Published:	Albert Whitman and Co., 2011
Purchase:	Order Forms

Mark Beech is a successful freelance illustrator who works mostly in the world of children's publishing. He lives in London, England.

Synopsis

My teacher's pretty slick,
Has a hundred teaching tricks.
Even in the bathroom stalls,
she hangs poetry on the walls.
And while I'm there all alone
I can't help but read a poem.

From "Gross" and "Flushophobic" to "There's a Sock in the Toilet," these poems will have kids laughing all the way to "The Bathroom Dance!"

Reviews and Commentary

With several offerings built around the idea that "There should be a place/ kids can go/ when life has dealt/ another blow," Dakos's humorous, bittersweet poems and Beech's mischievous illustrations center on the school bathroom as a place of refuge, camaraderie, and, of course, necessity. Episodes vary from minor humiliations -one kid drags toilet paper on his shoe into class to more somber affairs. "Before I went/ to the hospital, / I hid in the bathroom / and cried./ I'm back with/ a horrible secret: / This time/ I could have died," relates a girl gazing despondently at her reflection. A heartfelt collage of relatable moments. Ages 6-9.

...Publishers Weekly (07/18/2011)

Every educator knows the bathroom pass is an escape route for students. While neither condemning nor condoning that behavior, Dakos’ poetry explores the many reasons kids might need that release: to get away from a bully, to chat with a friend, to cry about something happening at home, to celebrate a victory or agonize over a defeat and, of course, to use the toilet. Standouts among the silly poems include "Trapped!," about a boy stuck in a stall during recess and "The Bathroom Dance," which speaks for itself. The highlights of the serious offerings focus on telling secrets ("Blabbermouth") and divorce ("Crying in the Bathroom"). Many, while outwardly funny, challenge kids to delve a little deeper: “We were in the bathroom, / the bully and I. / He punched me, / I punched him back, / and that’s when he cried!” While there is some potty humor, Dakos keeps it from getting too disgusting, and several poems focus on good bathroom hygiene. Reminiscent of Quentin Blake's drawings, Beech’s vignettes masterfully capture the essence of each poem, and children will be able to read his characters’ facial expressions and body language like an open book.

...Kirkus Review Online

Another solid addition for classroom shelves…just cross fingers that it is not too inspiring.

...Poetry. 6-9

School bathrooms are a delightful source of humor and creativity. A Funeral in the Bathroom and Other School Bathroom Poems is by Kalli Dakos, illustrated by Marc Beech by way of Quentin Blake. The book contains all funny school bathroom poems, with one or two of a serious nature. Dakos is the author of The Bug in Teacher’s Coffee which, in New York anyway, shows up on all the summer reading lists toted by our child patrons each and every year.

...School Library Journal – Librarian Preview (August, 2011)

With elementary kids in mind, this collection of 41 original poems celebrates the joy of the bathroom where so many important things happen. Of course, bathroom humor appropriately abounds in some of the titles; for instance, "Stuck in his Shoe" describes the humiliation of leaving the bathroom with toilet paper stuck to your shoe, to the amusement of classmates. There are poems that make fun of all the euphemisms we have for going to the bathroom, poems that describe how some kids just go there to hide or take a break or waste time or even read a book. There is much talking into mirrors and wondering about how one's appearance stacks up against others. Most of the poems are funny but also contain serious notes as in the case of "Laughing Machines" in which two classmates belittled by another classmate realize that things are not as bad as they might seem. The illustrations enhance the fun provided by these lines; one illustration even depicts a sad-faced toilet with expressive eyes.

...Better World Books

I Heard You Twice the First Time: Poems for Tired and Bewildered Teachers

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos with contributions by five Teacher/Librarian poets
Illustrator:	Denis Proulx and Gina Marin
Format:	Paperback, 48 pp.
ISBN:	1-4392-6148-2
Published:	Edstar, Inc., March 2010
Purchase:	Order Forms

Synopsis

Meet the teachers who struggle with stress, failure, difficult students and a lack of time to “enjoy the joy” in their classrooms. Laugh with the teacher who is bewildered by the endless changes in his profession, and finally, meet the teacher who arrives at the Pearly Gates and asks the most important question of all:

Were my years in school
Worth all that work and time?

Join author Kalli Dakos on a poetic journey that will rest your teaching soul and inspire your career!

 

Get out of the Alphabet Number 2: Wacky Alphabet and Number Poems

Book Details

NOTE: This book is being reprinted in a paperback version and is presently not available.

Author:	Kalli Dakos
Reading Level:	Preschool to 2nd Grade
Illustrator:	Jenny Graham
Format:	Hardcover, 32pp. (Limited availability - Schools only)
ISBN:	0-689-81118-7
Published:	Simon & Schuster, 1997
Lesson Plan:
Purchase:	Order Forms

Synopsis

It's Wacky Wednesday! And that means kids can wear their underwear outside their pants...their teacher can put on a hula skirt with cowboy boots...and letters and numbers can go wild! What's that number 2 doing in the alphabet? Is that an upside down P or a right-side-up d! The l wants a perm so it can look like the S, and number 9 won't stay in line! Welcome to the classroom - and a book - where poems become puzzles and pictures offer clues and young readers just learning about letters and numbers are invited to join the action! In full color.

Reviews and Commentary

A triangle yearns to be in the alphabet. After all, it does resemble the letter A. Letters take the place of numbers on the clock. Why not? It's Wacky Wednesday when anything goes, even wearing a purple hat with jingle bells or underwear over pants. Poems and puzzles of letters and numbers to tickle and teach kids fill this colorfully illustrated book.

...From Carolyn Mott Ford - Children's Literature

The book is really about the alphabet. Each of the poems in Get Out of the Alphabet Number 2: Wacky Wednesday Puzzle Poems by Kalli Dakos, illus. by Jenny Graham, has a "wacky" part for readers to figure out, for example: "First in the alphabet,/ Best mark in school,/ Sometimes the rest of us,/ Wish we were you." Animated, cheerfully naive illustrations, in bright gouache heavily outlined in black, add to the merriment with jumbles and cascades of figures.

...Publishers Weekly

 

Our Principal Promised to Kiss a Pig

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos, Alicia DesMarteau
Reading Level:	Kindergarten through High School
Illustrator:	Carl DiRocco
Format:	Hardback, 32pp. (includes an Inflatable Pig)
ISBN:	0-807-56629-2
Published:	Albert Whitman and Company, 2004
Purchase:	Order Forms

Synopsis

This one-of-a-kind picture book has the characteristics of a Shakespearean drama - fiery poetic verse, tragic love and a plot with enough twists and turns to keep children on the edge of their seats.

The hero is a pig (Hamlet) who does NOT want to kiss the principal (Ms. Juliet). Nineteen references to Shakespeare’s plays introduce students to the majestic language of one of our greatest writers, all within the context of a hilarious tale that takes place in a typical school.

There is no other book like this for reading, reciting, and dramatizing poetic verse, while inspiring the best in children’s writing. A MUST for every classroom from kindergarten through high school.

Reviews and Commentary

How far will a principal go to encourage students to read? In Dakos' latest book Our Principal Promised to Kiss a Pig (2004), Ms. Juliet makes just this vow on the condition that the children at her school read 10,000 books. The dramatic question in this story is whether Ms. Juliet will actually kiss the pig (who happens to be called Hamlet) and if Hamlet, with his fine sensibilities, will submit to this ignominy. Hamlet has attitude and is depicted with thought bubbles that contain slightly altered excerpts from Shakespeare, such as the following:

To kiss or not to kiss
The principal in school?
Why choose a pig
To be their fool?

Children and their dedicated principals will be able to relate to this sweet school story. Moreover, it will provide the opportunity for teachers to use the thought bubbles and references to introduce Shakespeare.

...The Reading Teacher, September 2005

Read 10,00 books this year, challenges Principal Ms. Juliet, and she will kiss a pig. Dakos and DesMarteau’s principal, who will go to great lengths to get her charges to read, has already pulled some odd students, though kissing a pig is an invitation to make a child’s heart sing. The narrator has volunteered her pig Hamlet–a Shakespeare spouter of his own design. He cribs and tweaks some famous lines to register his disapproval, but when Hamlet’s eyes fall on the fair Juliet, however, he suddenly becomes much more interested. She gasps, then delivers on her promise. DiRocco’s artwork is fittingly busy and possesses good Elizabethan costumery and lots of funny details.

...Kirkus Reviews

Attempting to introduce children to Shakespeare in the guise of a verse-quoting pig is a novel idea. Displayed in thought balloons over Hamlet’s head are Shakespeare-inspired verses that express his initial dismay and eventual change of heart. These quotes, along with the lines that inspired them and a brief biography of the Bard are listed at the end of the book. DiRocco’s colorful watercolor illustrations highlight the most important moments and help bring the tale to life. His depiction of Hamlet dressed in 17th-century adds to the mood. Hamlet isn’t looking forward to smooching a stranger.

...School Library Journal

The school principal, Ms. Juliet, promises to kiss a pig if the students read lots of books. Hamlet, a little girl’s pet pig, isn’t happy when his owner volunteers him for the kiss: “O, heavy heart, do not weep./This kiss has murdered sleep.” Then he sees Ms. Juliet and falls in love: “I never saw true beauty/Till this day.” Preschoolers will enjoy the slapstick. Older children will be disarmed by the humor, which may make this useful for helping students feel more relaxed about the Bard and his Elizabethan English. A guide at the back provides references to the plays and to the quotes.

...Booklist

Teachers and principals do many strange things to entice students to read. In Our Principal Promised to Kiss a Pig, she did just that. However, the pet pig chosen for the honor has other ideas. That is, until he sees the principal. Hamlet, the pig, goes home with a broken heart. The surprise ending keeps everybody happy. This funny picture book stars a Shakespeare-quoting pig with references to the sources of the quotations. Good reading.

...Hickory Ridge Reader: A Weekly Column Reviewing Books for Children

The world of children has been waiting for Hamlet, the pig, to introduce them to Shakespeare in this humorous, intelligent and endearing book.

...Tricia Gibbons, Teacher and Award Winning Poet

Ms. Juliet, the narrator just happens to have a pig she received from her aunt, an English teacher. The pig is named Hamlet. And now the fun begins. Poor Hamlet’s balloon speeches are adaptations of words from Shakespeare – with no apologies to Will – "To kiss, or not to kiss, The principal in school? Why choose a pig to be their fool?" Get your laugh machine ready. It is wonderful.

...Frank Hodge , Children’s Literature Specialist, Hodge-Podge Books, Albany, New York

The pig of the book is Hamlet, a porcine pet partially raised by a Shakespeare buff. He thinks in verse and his new owner, an elementary student, promised to have him kiss the principal of her school, Ms Juliet, as the reward for a reading contest "I never saw true beauty/Till this day. Ms. Juliet is the sun/that lights my way."

Our Principal Promised to Kiss a Pig contains 19 references to Shakespeare’s plays, all easy recognizable, albeit a bit bowdlerized and a little less grandiloquent. Ms. Dakos wrote the book with her daughter, Alicia DesMarteau, and included an appendix with each reference alongside the verse that inspired it.

...Watertown Daily Times, October 26, 2004

It has all the elements of a Shakespearean drama – unrequited passion, doomed love and a hero who speaks in poetic verse. But here’s the thing – this love story is for kids and it stars a pig named Hamlet.

Hamlet, the pig, quotes such plays as Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Romeo and Juliet. Since its release the book has delighted children and parents with its intriguing plot and Shakespearean twist.

...The Ottawa Citizen, Kelly Roesler

In Our Principal Promised to Kiss a Pig we meet the torment hog Hamlet who frets over the cruel destiny that would have him kiss the principal. Interspliced throughout Hamlet’s dialogue are modified snippets from the Bard’s most famous soliloquies. As well as the usually story book narrative, Dakos employs modified Shakespearean verse using modern day English.

"A pig to himself must be true,/In spite of plans that humans brew./Those we love we kiss for free./She shall not steal this kiss from me." Hamlet bellows when faced with a smooch-ready principal.

By taking something not only children but also many adult view as complicated and bringing it down to a level a grade school child can understand, this book will help children with both reading and writing!

...Nepean This Week, Natalie Hanson

Ah, Hamlet. A tragic lover with unrequited ardor, and a hero who uses passionate poetic verse to express himself. Shakespeare’s Hamlet? No. Kalli Dakos’ Hamlet. He’s a pig (literally) and the lead character in a new children’s book called Our Principal Promised to Kiss a Pig.

In this new book, the principal (Ms. Juliet) wants her students to read 10,000 books. Quite a feat. If they do, she’ll kiss a pig. But Hamlet is not a willing subject in this game. "To kiss, or not to kiss, the principal in school? Why choose a pig to be their fool?"

Paraphrasing the English playwright/poet/actor is an excellent balance to the narrator’s easy tone and simple words.

If the child asks, "Is that poetry?" and the parent replies that it comes from Shakespeare – what better way to get both parents and children interested in learning more?

I highly recommend this book to children of all ages (that includes parents).

...J. David Derosier, Special to Nepean this Week

Shakespeare would have enjoyed reading this book to his own children.

...Eowana Jordan, Retired Media Specialist, Prince William County Schools, Virginia

Each year millions of high school and college students are introduced to the works of William Shakespeare and a lot of them say works such as Julius Caesar, Macbeth, or Romeo or Juliet are boring, but thanks to Kalli Dakos, their younger brothers and sisters may find themselves coming home from school saying Shakespeare is a "boar".

Our Principal Promised to Kiss a Pig features a pig named Hamlet and a principal named Ms. Juliet, and if these two names sound familiar to you, it’s not a coincidence. The book features 19 references to seven of Shakespeare’s plays and even a sonnet. These 19 references come in the form of dialogue, every time Hamlet speaks.

An early introduction to Shakespeare in such an outrageous guise may inspire youngsters to pursue the rich rewards of further Shakespearean study.

...The Ogdensburg Journal, Ogdensburg, NY

 

Put Your Eyes Up Here and Other School Poems

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos
Age Range:	Ages 9-12
Illustrator:	Kalli Dakos, G. Brian Karas
Format:	Hardcover, 64 pp.
ISBN:	Hardback: 0-689-81117-9 Paperback: 0-689-81117-9
Published:	Simon & Schuster, 2003
Purchase:	Order Forms

Synopsis

Ms. Roys wants her students to pay attention to her-and it’s hard not to. After all, who could ignore a teacher who wears silly hats and colorful skirts and has a graveyard for used-up pencils? She even believes in magic and ghosts!

In this collection of lively, funny, poignant poems and mini plays, I explore the challenges and triumphs that arise in the classroom. G. Brian Karas’ funny and whimsical illustrations brings the poetry to life!

Reviews and Commentary

Grade 3-5: Like The Goof Who Invented Homework (Dial, 1996) and If You're Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand (Four Winds, 1990), Dakos's newest collection highlights incidents taken from her teaching days-here, mostly written in the poetic voice of a girl named Penny, who, from the first day of school, realizes that her teacher is unusual. Ms. Roys has a collection of plastic hands, and she takes the class on an overnight to the museum, where they sleep beside dinosaur skeletons. She wears unusual earrings, and has a pencil cemetery. On the 100th day of school, she fills the classroom with 100 helium-filled balloons, each tied to a pencil, marker, crayon, or pen, and she has a magic wand that her students may borrow when they need to think of fresh ideas. The verses vary in length from a few lines to a few pages, and in style from rhyming couplets and quatrains to unrhymed collective poems written in the form of playlets, in a sort of verbatim conversation. Some are funny, some clever, some poignant. Small pencil cartoons decorate almost every page. Students will relate to Dakos's descriptive recollections of incidents throughout a year in one elementary classroom, and they will appreciate her understanding of children.

...Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH, School Library Journal, Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

 

The Goof Who Invented Homework: and Other School Poems

Book Details

NOTE: This book is being reprinted in a paperback version and is presently not available.

Author:	Kalli Dakos
Reading Level:	Grades 2-6
Illustrator:	Kalli Dakos, Denise Brunkus
Format:	Hardcover, 74pp. Limited availability - Schools only.
ISBN:	0-8037-1927-2
Published:	Dial Books, 1996
Lesson Plan:
Purchase:	Order Forms

Awards

Children's Choice Selection, 1997

Synopsis

Nobody knows classroom life the way best-selling author Kalli Dakos does. In this collection of thirty-six poems, the author moves through the school year to portray the ups and downs of typical school days with humor and empathy. From the lively fun of "My Lunch is Buzzing" and "Our Custodian's a Poet" to the poignancy of "Murder in the Fourth Grade" (an elegy to a departed class goldfish), these poems capture the spirit of elementary schools across the United States and Canada.

Reviews and Commentary

The majority of the selections are humorous. They paint a funny, affectionate, and sometimes poignant portrait of the school year. This is an effective and welcome collection of verse, ably supported by Brunkus's fine and funny black-and-white drawings.

...School Library Journal

Dakos takes readers through a "typical" school year with three dozen poems. Kids will quickly relate to these mostly amusing glimpses of teachers, custodians, the principal, and the death of a class pet. Throughout, Brunkus provides humorous black and white illustrations. A collection that is bound to delight and one that is just the right size for young readers.

...Marilyn Courtot - Children's Literature

Dakos has a lighthearted style and shows much warmth and understanding of her audience. As in previous books, she doesn't poke fun at children or at teachers. Students will choose these poems for recitations and have fun reading them.

...Kirkus Review

 

If You're Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos
Reading Level:	Grades 2-6 & Grades K-2 Read Aloud
Illustrator:	Kalli Dakos, G. Brian Karas
Format:	Hardcover, 2nd ed., 60pp.
ISBN:	Hardback: 0-02-725581-6 Paperback: 0-689-80116-5 Audiotape: 0-7887-1789-8
Published:	Simon & Schuster, 1990
Lesson Plan:
Purchase:	Order Forms

Awards

Children's Choice Selection, 1991

Synopsis

Poet and teacher Kalli Dakos finds stories in every corner of our schools, and readers will delight in the surprises that await us there. If You're Not Here, Raise Your Hand celebrates the world of elementary school in thirty-eight poems that capture the excitement, heartbreak and wonder of classroom life. The students and teachers who populate this lively collection will spark the imagination of every reader.

Reviews and Commentary

"I was especially moved by the poem, "J.T. Never Will Be Ten"."

...Connie Patsa!os, The Today Show

"The poems demonstrate a keen eye for classroom realism. One poem that children enjoy concerns Annie, who, after jumping rope 482 time, comes in to drink "three glasses of grape juice, four of orange juice, and one hundred and two slurps from the water fountain." Children will also relate to Andrew who starts the whole class coughing, and Caleb who had "one-half of an old ham sandwich that was turning green inside his messy desk."..."Humorous and poignant."

...School Library Journal

Meet the child who has not done her homework, the shy little girl who feels insecure because she's fat, the student who outdoes all the others at "show and tell" by eating a worm, the child who mourns the death of a friend, and the classmates who giggle together over teachers, substitutes, hiccup attacks and pranks.

...The Ottawa Citizen

There is repetition, predictability, and humour throughout the entire book. All students, teachers, and parents could enjoy this book. It was delightful!

...Jaye Burger - Purdue University

I predict that once discovered, this book will rarely be on the shelves.

...Librarian - West Alleheny School District

 

The Bug in Teacher's Coffee and Other School Poems

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos
Reading Level:	Ages 4-8 Grades K-3
Illustrator:	Mike Reed
Format:	Paperback. An I Can Read Book
ISBN:	0-201-40824-4
Published:	Harper Collins, 1999
Lesson Plan:
Purchase:	Order Forms

Awards

Children's Choice Selection, 2000

Synopsis

Jack's pencil has been taken hostage, the school gym has a headache, and the school goldfish wants to visit Mexico. In this first collection for beginning readers, I reveal what really goes on at school!

Reviews and Commentary

Dakos' collection of 23 poems from the perspective of items found at school satisfies the I Can Read requirements of simplicity and word repetition....appearing are a couple of clever items - one on a kidnapped pencil and another on a comb pulling hazardous duty along with some typographic elements that amiably convey the idea that words are malleable; Reed's illustrations possess geniality and character, making some inanimate objects very personable.

...Kirkus Review

 

Mrs. Cole on an Onion Roll and Other School Poems

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos
Reading Level:	Grades K-4
Illustrator:	Joann Adinolfi
Format:	Paperback, 40pp.
ISBN:	0-689-826877
Published:	Simon & Schuster, 1995
Lesson Plan:
Purchase:	Order Forms

Synopsis

Kalli Dakos displays the mastery of her renowned classroom wit and insight in this full-color collection of school-inspired poems that truly celebrate a child's wacky sense of fun - and that nuture the love of reading and writing. Frogs leap, snakes curl, rocket ships blast off, worms wiggle, slime ooooooooozes...all in short, accessible poems complemented by outrageous full-color illustrations that will leave legions of Dakos fans cheering for more.

Reviews and Commentary

The poems are energetic, upbeat, and have a humorous slant on the trials and triumphs of the younger grades. With artwork as kinetic and multicolored as the graphics on "Nickelodeon", this volume will appeal to those who appreciate the anything-can-happen environment of Miss Nelson's classroom or the Magic School Bus.

...Kirkus Review

This hilarious collection will bring down the elementary school house.

...USA Today

This collection of poems highlights the crazy days of school life. Bold, bright illustrations capture the light-hearted mood of the writings and the wacky celebrations and misadventures every child experiences. An excellent choice for reading aloud, this volume of poems is a great way to start the school year.

...Children's Literature

 

Don't Read This Book, Whatever You Do!: More Poems about School

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos
Reading Level:	Grades K-4
Illustrator:	G. Brian Karas
Format:	Hardcover, 64pp.
ISBN:	0-689-826877
Published:	Simon & Schuster, 1995
Lesson Plan:
Purchase:	Order Forms

Awards

Children's Choice Selection, 1994

Synopsis

Spider legs, spelling tests, fourth grade secrets, squirt gun battles, and a teacher who marks with sunshine. Through the voices of bright pencils and toilet shaped erasers and with humor, sensitivity, and enviable energy, Kalli Dakos continues to celebrate school life and the wondrous, hilarious, poignant and telling moments that can happen only in a classroom.

Reviews and Commentary

What this collection does is show kids that their world is something to write about, in their own words, and in their own way.

...Booklist

Dakos captures the lighter moments as well as the sensitivities of children, whether it be dread of failing tests, or the embarrassment of wearing glasses. This collection will have wide appeal.

...School Library Journal

 

The Greatest Magic, Poems for Teachers

Book Details

Author:	Kalli Dakos
Reading Level:	Teachers
Format:	Paperback, 28pp. This edition is only available for distribution through the school market.
ISBN:	0-439-20181-0
Published:	Scholastic Inc., 2000
Purchase:	Order Forms

A source of inspiration

Kalli Dakos,
a teacher and popular school poet,
lends her verse to celebrate teachers
and the work they do in their
classrooms. Within this
collection of poems,
teachers will find inspiration
and humor that reflect the
greatest magic of all,
teaching.