Bees, Snails, & Peacock Tails

Bees, Snails, & Peacock Tails

By: Betsy Franco

Illustrated by: Steve Jenkins

Margaret K. McElderry Books ©2008

ISBN 9781416903864

This is a poem picture book about shapes in nature, but it also offers the reader elementary knowledge about different creatures. For example:

“On diamondback snakes

and on copperhead snakes

you’ll recognize diamond and triangle shapes.

The snake rubs its nose on a branch or a rock,

then takes off its skin like a knee-high sock.”

It is cleverly written and the illustrations wonderfully enhance the meaning of the poetry. Betsy Franco does a wonderful job of creating a regular rhyme scheme with simple words that children will understand. She even pulls in a bit of concrete poetry by formatting her poems into the shapes of the animals. This picture book has a great rhythm that could be matched with music.

A teacher could have the students find other geometric shapes in nature. This poem picture book could also be a great introduction to a science unit on nature. This picture book could also be acted out with puppets or read by different groups representing the animals.

Booklist—“The perfect precursor to a science unit or a simple walk in the park” (McKulski).

Works Cited:

McKulski, Kristen. "Bees, Snails, and Peacock Tails: Patterns and Shapes . . . Naturally." Booklist 105.1 (2008): 96. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 14 Oct. 2010.