Just Us Two: Poems/Animal Dads

Teachers and parents must be reveling in the growing trend of non-fiction books that blur the lines of fiction, poetry, and just plain entertainment. Just Us Two is a great example. The author profiles several species, chosen because the dads do most of the child-rearing. Creature features include a good combination of familiar and fascinating. Each is presented in different styles of poetry/verse carefully matched to the subject. The artwork is also very compelling. Look closely at the cut paper designs to see the variety in texture and layers. Vibrant and colorful, this is a great combination of art and poetry, with a little no-nonsense non-fiction added at the end. It covers all the bases, whether used in the classroom or for a little night reading.

I enjoyed this collection of animal-dad poems so much. The diversity of creatures and locations is wonderful (penguin, giant water bug, ostrich, deer mouse, poison arrow frog, Titi monkey, etc.) and the language is great fun ("Budgie babies bellow boldly, brawl and babble, screech and squeal, punch and pummel brothers, sisters, for a tasty budgie meal."). The author did a thorough job of researching her subjects. I also appreciated the nonfiction section with added details about these unique animal caretaking relationships. The illustrator, too, did a neat job with her bright cut-paper art. What a unique book for any child, dad, or coffee table. I suggest that we all need to take a ride with a baby crocodile inside its papa's mouth on "the oozy, cruisy, not-so-snoozy Nile."