BOW WOW MEOW MEOW: IT'S RHYMING CATS AND DOGS by Douglas Florian

Review by Christi De Leon

1.    BIBLIOGRAPHY

Florian, Douglas. Bow Wow Meow Meow: It’s Rhyming Cats and Dogs. Orlando: Harcourt Inc., 2004. ISBN 0152163956

2.    PLOT SUMMARY

This book contains twenty-one poems about dogs and cats of all kinds. These poems are in the form of concrete poetry and are intended to be humorous to readers.

3.    CRITICAL ANALYSIS

First, a contents page provides a list of the twenty-one poems included. Each poem in this book is uniquely written and crafted in a fun way. The use of rhythm and rhyme is immediately noticeable. Rhymes are used purposefully throughout the book, adding more humor to the poems’ waggish nature. For some poems, it seems as if the poet carefully chose the most unexpected rhyme of all. For instance, to rhyme with “hares” he chose “Frigidaires.” Some poems are arranged into lines and others take odd shapes, such as curls. One poem even uses spots as “o’s” within the text to reiterate that Dalmatians have spots. Overall, these poems bring out lighthearted emotions, causing readers to giggle with delight. Each turn of the page leads to another peculiar surprise for dog and cat lovers.

Illustrations for these poems are comprised of watercolor on primed brown paper bags with collage. One large illustration accompanies each poem by providing a silly, exaggerated visual for readers. Details shown in the illustrations precisely complement the words in the poems.

4.    REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

From School Library Journal: “A definite contender for 'best in show'."

From Booklist: “In this winning collection, both clever and silly, Florian again shows how much fun poetry can be.”

5.    CONNECTIONS

Gather other Douglas Florian books to read such as:

Beast Feast: Poems & Paintings. ISBN 0152017378

Dinothesaurus: Prehistoric Poems and Paintings. ISBN 1416979786

Gather other poetry books about animals to read such as:

Lewis, Patrick J. National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry: 200 Poems with Photographs That Squeak, Soar, and Roar! ISBN 1426310099

Prelutsky, Jack. Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant and Other Poems. ISBN 0060543175

Possible activities:

Pair with a related nonfiction book, such as a book about canines or felines.

Have students write their own concrete poem about a pet or favorite animal.

Read this book as part of a lesson on rhyming words.