Lollipopsicles

Sylvia Pantaleo is an assistant professor of education specializing in
children’s literature at the University of Victoria. She is the
co-author of Learning with Literature in the Canadian Elementary
Classroom.

The poems in this delightful collection won first prize for Children’s
Literature in the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick Literary
Competition in 1993. The book is full of tongue-twisters and nonsense
rhymes. Many of them are about such familiar topics as food (pizza,
spaghetti, ice-cream, and popsicles) and animals; others are about
experiences that children will be able to relate to such as building
with blocks, swinging on a swing, and coping with scary monsters and
nightmares. The poems employ various structural and poetic techniques
and use language in interesting and pleasurable ways. All of the poems
create vivid images and children will enjoy the rhythm and sounds of the
language, especially the lip-slippery words.

The effective use of the white space on each page enhances the reading
experience of each poem. The bright, imaginative illustrations extend
and enhance the selections. Some of the poems are shape poems and the
attractive visual representations of these selections are most
effective. Lollipopsicles is a highly engaging listening and viewing
experience. Highly recommended.