Meow Ruff: A Story in Concrete Poetry by Joyce Sidman

This unique poetry book follows a lost dog and a cat who gets abandoned on the the side of the road. The two find each other, and although sworn enemies, they team up during a thunderstorm and find shelter. They sleep underneath a picnic bench and snuggle up together to find warmth. In the morning, the puppies owner finds him with the cat, and decides to cat the cat home with them because the two have become friends.

I have never read a poetry children's book like this one before. The trees, street, clouds, and rain were all made of descriptive words instead of just a picture. I found this to be very creative. You could spend a long time reading every word on every page of this book. Ir was a unique way to use poetry in a childrens book. I liked that it did not rhyme like most childrens books do. It used many description words that are good in poems. I think children could learn a lot from this book during a poetry unit.

For 2nd-4th graders, this book uses story, art, and concrete poetry to bring the book to life. The pictures filled with words catch your eye and are a different way to use poetry in a story. For the cold, it uses white font to say "plump, bright dome of sugary white sky muffin". This is just one of many great examples of how descriptive words are used. The overall message of the story of the cat and the dog was fun as well and with the added poetry, it made for a fun story that I think kids will enjoy.