Title: Yuck, You Suck! Poems about Animals that Sip, Slurp, Suck
Genre: Children's Poetry
Targeted Age: PreK-6th grade
Plot Summary: This is a short collection of poems focusing on animals and insects that sip, slurp and suck. It is entertaining for the audience and the reader, no matter the age. Through images described by the words and portrayed in colorful illustrations, learning about "suckers" has never been so much fun!
Justification for book choice: I was drawn in by the slightly irreverent title that I knew would be found funny for kids. The poems covered multiple animals and insects with entertaining and engaging illustrations.
Evaluation: In Yuck, you suck! the combination of humorous, but true poems with colorful and entertaining illustrations draws the reader in and will lend itself to multiple readings. Reminiscent of Shel Silverstein, this is a book of poems that will not result in groans regarding poetry. Kids of all ages will enjoy learning new information about butterflies, jelly fish, pigeons, elephants and more! While some of the "suckers" are generally unpleasant, the illustrations keep everything light hearted. In addition to the poetry, addition resources have been provided at the end of the book for additional learning.This would be a good read for an elementary story time that will no doubt encourage strong reactions from listeners. Reading it as an ebook works better on larger screens (ipad or larger) and unless projecting on a TV or screen, reading one on one is better to enjoy the illustrations. The images are too small to really engage with on small devices.
Citation:
Yolen, J., & Stemple, H. (2022). Yuck, you suck!: Poems about animals that sip, slurp, suck (E. Nobati, illus.). Millbrook Press.