Poetry-Review

The Llama Who Had No Pajama

By: Mary Ann Hoberman

Illustrated By: Betty Fraser

A. Bibliographic Data

Hoberman, Ann Mary. 1998. The Llama Who Had No Pajama. Ill. by Betty Fraser. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace & Company.

ISBN: 0-15-200111-5

B. Plot Summary

The Llama Who Had No Pajama is a collection of 100 favorite poems by Mary Ann Hoberman. The poems travel through the book with a special grouping. Most of the poems that are similar in subject can be found grouped together in the book. There are silly poems about people, poems about weather, lots of poems about all different types of animals, and poems about play. Some of the poems cover two whole pages, while some poems may be only a couple of lines.

C. Critical Analysis

The collection of poems titled The Llama Who Had No Pajama is a delightful collection of poetry for children. I found myself smiling as I read through this collection of poetry. The author Mary Ann Hoberman does a great job with the rhythm and rhyming for every poem. Every poem presented within the book delivers a great beat and the word choice. Language of the poems are great for children to understand. Finally, the overall emotion of the poems leaves the reader happy and smiling at this funny silly collection of poetry.

Betty Fraser the illustrator adds to the element of imagery with her illustrations. For every poem in the book there is an illustration. It may be only a small bug of animal, but there is an illustration for every poem found in the book. Often the illustrations are humorous just like the poems.

D. Awards Won

*Gold Award Winner-1998-National Publication Awards (NAPPA)

*Best Books of the Year-Child Magazine

Horn Book Review-"This collection of some forty years of Hoberman verse is a charmer. The poems - peppy verses immediately identifiable as Hoberman's by their use of alliteration and repeated words and lines - seem to cover every subject under the sun; all are dependably child-centered."-Horn Book Review

E. Connections

*Conduct a poetry real aloud with this collection of books.

*Read and display other silly poems about animals from other various authors.

*Have students write, illustrate, and share their own silly animal poem.