Reviewed
by Dianne Bates
Having
read Laing’s first two books of poetry and seen him as a (hugely entertaining) performer,
I must admit I am already a converted fan. Here in his third collection is a collection
of over 60 poems to suit readers aged 6 years and over.
Laing
experiments with a huge variety of forms and poetry shapes: rhymes, raps, songs,
limericks, riddles, and much more. ‘Rapper Bee’, named for the book’s title is
indeed a rap poem with lots of energy and speed: ‘I’m faster than the
flies/and I’m speeding through the skies/I am the RapperBee/why don’t you rap
with me.’ The poem is illustrated on its double page spread with a rapping,
cartoonish bee making all the right dance moves. The poem makes itself so clear
and energetic that you will, like me, want to keep on repeating the rap, and
dancing at the same time.
Some
of the poems – such as ‘Mushrooms’, ‘Giant Kelp’, ‘Jimmy Hendrix and His Guitar’,
‘Moon Fish Chant’ – are written in the shape of their subject. Most poems are missing
punctuation, but this doesn’t matter as the poems flow and the rhythms allow
the readers to pause when necessary and move on, too.
Laing
takes all kinds of subjects to write about, many of which are surprising: some
examples are cheese, stingrays, big black bulls, sausages, noses, yawns, trucks,
turbo fans, and much more. Like any good creator, Laing presents a unique
viewpoint of the poem’s subject. Here’s an example of one amusing poem – ‘Dreams
of a School Carpet’ -- written in couplets: I am the lowest of the low/there
is no lower you could go/just look at me, I’m flat-out bored/trampled, battered
and ignored.’ As with most poems in the collection, this poem has a strong
rhythm and rhyme.
Another
poem (‘Song of a Thumb’) is about a thumb whose ‘hand is gone’ and is
hopping down the street alone as it grows tiny feet. The poem ‘The Strangest
Pet’ is about a boy whose pet is a house: (the illustration shows him hugging
its side wall.) ‘Onelineforthewind’ is written as a continuous line of sounds…
In
this fun collection there is evidence of an extraordinary imagination and a
love of words. ‘Abcracadoodling’, for instance, starts with ‘When’s a woodle
not a poodle? Woodles woo and poodles bark/when a woodle eats a foodie/he
leaves a doodle in the park.’ What child would not be giggling by the end
of this poem?
The
illustrations in this collection need their own moment of glory, too. Like the
poems, they are worth pouring over and enjoying. They’re quirky and original
and just right for the mood of the poems. I particularly enjoyed looking at ‘Shoctopus,
the Underwater Boss’: there’s a deep-sea octopus with a central eye and its limbs
stretching out of the water and around the poem. Another amusing illustration
accompanies, ‘I Wish I Had a Really Scottish Name’ with an eccentric loch
monster wearing a scarf and a tam-o-shanter.
There
is so much more to say about this wonderful collection. I strongly urge you to
purchase your own copy and share it with as many children as you can find.
Highly recommended.
