Button Up Rhymes By Allice Schertle & Pictures By Petra Mathers

1.  Bibliography
Schertle, Alice.  2009.  BUTTON UP.  ILL. by Petra Mathers.  New York:  Harcourt Children's Books.  ISBN 9780152050504

2.  Plot Summary
This enjoyable book is told from the different types of clothing.  All of the types of clothing belong to many different kind of animals.  Violet is a bird who wears a hiking hat.  "I am Violets hiking hat."  "I live on Violets head."  Wanda is a rabbit who has a pink bathing suit.  "We like to be wet, Wanda and I, I'm Wanda's swimsuit, we don't like dry."   This collection of poetry adds a different point of view to the reader from clothing that animals wear.

3.  Critical Analysis
The author brings the words to life adding rhythm and rhyme to each poem.  In the poem Bob's Bicycle Helmet the last word on every other line rhyme.  "Bob's on his bike."  "And I'm on Bob."  "I'm Bob's helmet." "I,m on the job."   The imagery used in the poems lets the reader imaging the illustration before they see the pictures to go with the poems.  The language of the poems brings the verses to life in a playful tone that helps bring out the personality of the clothing and the animals that wear them.
The illustrator uses a variety of bright colors to bring the personality of the clothing and their owners to life.  The animals expressions fit together with the action of what they are doing in the poem.  Harvey the pig is playing in the mud with his galoshes and the excitement on his face is portrayed and the mud flying every where.   Sometimes the illustrations are on the page next to the poem and other times they are part of the poem has scenes play out with the words.  The illustrator has done a wonderful job bringing to life the personality of the clothing and animals.

4.  Review Excerpts
KIRKUS a starred review: ". . . these creatures have personality, exuberance and high style that perfectly match the verses. Loads of fun."
BOOKLIST a starred review:  "The whimsical illustrations pair perfectly with the wittiness of the text, and the whole is a clever and original poetic treat."
2010 Winner Lee Bennett Hopkins Award For Children's Poetry

5.  Connections
Read children different stories about animals.  Than have them pick their favorite animal and write a poem about it.
Other animal poem books:
Lumin, Maxine.  MITES TO MASTODONS:  A BOOK OF ANIMAL POEMS.  ISBN 0618507531
Singer, Marilyn.  LOVE POEMS FROM THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.  ISBN 0375867104