MEOW RUFF: A STORY IN CONCRETE POETRY BY JOYCE SIDMAN

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sidman, Joyce. 2006. MEOW RUFF: A STORY IN CONCRETE POETRY. Ill. Michelle Berg. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN-10: 0618448942
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this highly amusing storybook, a story of a puppy and a kitten is told in wonderfully descriptive concrete verse. In the beginning, we instantly connect with the frisky puppy’s delight at his escape to “freedom”. We empathize with the darling little kitten that has been dumped by the curbside. In the background, but definitely a part of the story, crows overhead sound the “alarm, alert.” In the mist of the story, clouds, made-up of verse, undergo changes over the course of the book and add intensity to the activity taking place everywhere, both on the ground and in the air. The puppy catches a whiff of the kitten and the chase is on. The kitten, unaware of the danger, is trying to daintily make her way in an unfamiliar world. The scenery is described in descriptive and rich verse encoded throughout the illustrations. When the two meet, the tables are turned and it is the pup that ends up in the tree. The story climaxes when the puppy and the kitten are caught in the middle of a “ferocious sudden” thunderstorm. This heartwarming book ends with a surprising twist.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Meow Ruff: A Story in Concrete Poetry is a visual feast of descriptive adjectives. Sidman’s rich verses and Berg’s heartwarming illustrations come together to create an aurally rich and visually engaging book. Sidman’s masterful description of the common objects which surround us encourages us to take a second look at the world around us. For example, the green, round, circle treetop has light green writing which tell us to consider its complexity, “Each leaf a map of branches/Each twig a branch of leaves/Each branch a tree of twigs/Each tree a green haired/”. Berg adds a wonderful assortment of small characters throughout the pages that draw children to take a closer look at overlapping stories. In this marvelous book, everything has a voice, from the picnic table to the raindrops falling on it.
Sidman captures the puppy’s joyful chase and the dainty kitten’s feistiness. The use of concrete poetry encourages young readers to imagine what objects and animals around them might say if they had a voice. By giving poetry a concrete voice, children can begin to understand and appreciate it in relation to themes and objects that are familiar to them.
Berg’s geometrical illustrations are delightfully uncomplicated and perfectly compliment Sidman’s more complicated text. Meow Ruff: A Story in Concrete Poetry is a wonderful book to introduce young readers to the endless possibilities presented by the medium of poetry.
4. AWARDS AND BOOK EXCERPT(S)
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Using concrete poetry as the vehicle, Sidman relates a simple story.”
BOOKLIST: “…unlike most books about the form, (Sidman) doesn't just collect unrelated poems, but tells a story through them.
5. CONNECTIONS
If you enjoyed these books written in concrete poetry, you may enjoy the following:
Graham, Joan Bransfield. SPLISH, SPLASH. ISBN 10: 0618111239
Lewis, J. Patrick. DOODLE DANDIES: POEMS THAT TAKE SHAPE. ISBN-10: 0689848897
Janeczko, Paul B. THE POKE IN I: A COLLECTION OF CONCRETE POEMS. Ill. Chris Raschka. ISBN 10: 0763623768
Janeczko, Paul B. A FOOT IN THE MOUTH: POEMS TO SPEAK, SING AND SHOUT. Ill. Chris Raschka. ISBN 10: 07636066