Flamingos on the Roof by Calef Brown

1. Bibliography:
Brown, Calef. 2006. Flamingos on the Roof. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Books. ISBN 0618562982
2. Plot Summary:
This collection of 29 wacky poems is a great collection of poetry by Calef Brown. The illustrations and text combine wonderfully to create an engaging read aloud for children and adults. The poems vary from twins who can never agree (The Appleton Twins)to a balding king of the sea (Poseidon’s Hair) and back to flamingos on the roof for which the book is named.
3. Critical Analysis:
The attention to rhythm and rhyme is evident in each poem Brown has written. Each poem, uniquely different, offers the reader an easy read as the verses flow from beginning to end. Even the speed of which the poem should be read is dictated in the very precise word choices and line arrangements.
The poem Allicatter Gatorpillar provided the silliness required of a typical tongue twister, while nature poems like Peas and Orchids were more subtle and calming. These two poems were a welcomed break in the otherwise fantastical collection.
This specific collection seems to have been written with fun and entertainment in mind. Each poem is fresh and just different enough from the last to keep readers hanging on to every word.
The organization of each poem seems deliberate as Brown takes the audience on a wild ride of vivid illustrations and text. Although the balance between comical and calming is a little unequal, the overall tone of the book is very appealing to young children. The illustrations are colorful and whimsical. It would be easy for children to relate to the pictures and understand how hilarious images can create hilarious literature and vice versa.
4. Awards and/or Review Excerpts:
• From School Library Journal: “These 29 nonsense poems, written in a variety of rhymed meters, are deliciously loaded with alliterative and assonant sounds and filled with delightful doggerel. “
• From Booklist: “Words and pictures manage to be both clear and weird, an enjoyable mix.”
5. Connections:
• An author study of Brown’s work to draw attention to the poetry genre. Works such as Polkabats and Octopus Slacks: 14 stories or Soup for Breakfast.
• Compare poetry from Brown to that of more notorious silly poets, like Shel Silverstein or Jack Prelutsky.
6. Personal Response:
I wasn’t sure what to expect reading poetry by Calef Brown. I had never read anything written by him but the textbook for class compared his work to Silverstein and Prelutsky so I knew it would be a little off the wall. Although I still prefer There’s a Light in the Attic over Flamingos on the Roof, the colorful illustrations were a welcomed treat from Silverstein’s black and white drawings. The flow of the words was fun and made the book easy to read and easy to enjoy. I am planning a poetry study for Poetry Month in April and will be sure to include Calef Brown in my unit!