The World According to Dog: poems and teen voices

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sidman, Joyce. 2003. THE WORLD ACCORDING TO DOG: POEMS AND TEEN VOICES. Photos by Doug Mindell. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0618174974

PLOT SUMMARY
This collection of haiku and free verse poems tells the many stories that dogs and their people have. Some of the poems are about dogs waking up in your face, how they play, chase squirrels, and get into trouble. Others talk about how dogs understand their people, take over their bed, and protect them. Several essays, written by young adults, accompany the poems with other stories about their own dogs. These writings explain the feelings the teens have for their dogs, include accounts of when they got their dogs as well as when they lost them. The collection concludes with a poems of “dog” sayings, showing just how prominent these loveable animals are in our lives and in our language.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Inspired by her own dog and “poetry muse,” Joyce Sidman has developed a playful, and often sentimental collection of poetry and essays. Readers, especially those who have had a dog, will find that they can relate many, if not all, of these poems to their own experience with dogs. Many will laugh, others may cry, as they recall memories of their own dogs and see the world through the eyes of man’s best friend.

Essays, obtained through listserves and teen websites, add a different personal effect to this collection of poetry. Each essay includes a photo and a memorable account of a teen’s real pet, bringing smiles to readers’ faces. These writings offer a unique support to Sidman’s work, helping to tell the dogs’ stories and add to the experience of reading each poem. Through these essays, readers will remember that the companionship of a dog is irreplaceable, providing the friendship and love needed at the end of a long day.

Each of these poems is paired with a grayscale photograph of a dog, often experiencing the words of Sidman’s poems. Mindell uses light and a blurred effect in each photo, allowing readers to pinpoint the focus of each scene. They are perfectly matched and beautifully show the personality of each dog, strengthening the poems’ effect for readers.


REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “some may well be inspired to express their own thoughts about the world of dog in writing or pictures”
KIRKUS REVIEW: “Dog lovers will likely lap it up eagerly, budding writers will snuffle it with interest “
BOOKLIST: “heartfelt prose about intense bonds with dogs that will resonate with other teen dog lovers”

CONNECTIONS
*Use this book to increase student appreciation of free verse poetry and haiku.
*Use this book to bridge students from writing essays to poetry, showing the similarities in expression between the teen essays and Sidman’s poems.
*Compare and contrast Sidman’s poetry in several of her different collections.


*Other poetry collections by Joyce Sidman

Sidman, Joyce. 2007. THIS IS JUST TO SAY: POEMS OF APOLOGY AND FORGIVENESS. Ill. by Pamela Zagarenski. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0 618616802
* Texas Bluebonnet nominee, 2008

Sidman, Joyce. 2005. SONGS OF THE WATER BOATMAN AND OTHER POND POEMS. Ill. by Beckie Prange. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0618135472
* Caldecott Honor Book, 2006

Sidman, Joyce. 2002. EUREKA: POEMS ABOUT INVENTORS. Ill. by K. Bennett Chavez. Brookfield, Connecticut: Millbrook Press. ISBN 0761316655

Sidman, Joyce. 2006. MEOW RUFF: A STORY IN CONCRETE POETRY. Ill by. Michelle Berg. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0618448942