LS5663 - Module 4 - Science Poetry - Book Review

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Sierra, Judy. 1998. Antarctic antics: A book of penguin poems. San Diego: Gulliver Books. Illustrated by Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey. ISBN 9780152010065.


This is a fun read! I learned so much about penguins without even realizing it. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and interesting. The poems are short, simple, and full of rhyme and rhythm. This book is full of movement and motion on the pages, and it really makes you want to get up and march around "like a penguin" as you read these poems aloud. Elementary kids will really enjoy this!

This book would work well with ESL learners. The colorful pictures and the strong rhyming patterns will be especially useful and enjoyable with these readers.

The science lesson incorporated into the poetry is excellent and easy to remember. It actually "sticks in your head." Reading this book as part of a related science unit is a great way to help children grasp and reinforce the science knowledge.

I read this book right before a trip down to Sea World last week. They had a penguin exhibit there that I just had to see. Sure enough, I could hear much of the poetry in my head as I watched the penguins jump off their ledges and dive and swim, chasing each other around the pool. The poet and illustrators have captured the "life of a penguin" perfectly! They are noisy, active, playful, a bit "stinky," and charismatic.

On of the poems I most enjoyed was:


My Father's Feet

To keep myself up off the ice,
I find my father's feet are nice,
I snuggle in his belly fluff,
And that's how I stay warm enough.
But when my father takes a walk,
My cozy world begins to rock.
He shuffles left, I hold on tight.
Oh no! He's wobbling to the right.
Not left again! Oops, here he goes.
Do you suppose my father knows
I'm hanging on to his warm toes?

The pictures are clever and fun on this poem, and kids start to "feel" a little of what it is like to be a penguin. This would be fun to try and have the children act out this poem, and others in the book.

As an extension to sharing this science poetry book, it would be great to have kids search the Internet for pictures of various kinds and ages of real penguins. They could each print one out and then either copy one of the poems from the book that matches it, find other penguin poems and match it to their picture, or write an original poem of their own, putting it with their picture, using their new science knowledge they have about this creature. These could be displayed on a bulletin board in the classroom or library.

I highly recommend this very fun and creative science poetry book.