poetry and prose mashups

When writing a picture book, most people choose to either rhyme or not rhyme. But sometimes, combining the two can make for a good mix. 

Consider some of the childhood tales like The Three Little Pigs or The Gingerbread Man. These stories are told primarily in unrhymed text, yet both contain rhyming refrains, and these refrains become memorable (even chant-able) parts of the stories.

Today I'm sharing two picture books that combine poetry and prose in very effective ways. The Three Billy Goats Gruff is a folk tale retelling by Mac Burnett and Jon Klassen, and Feasts and Festivals Around the World: From Lunar New Year to Christmas is an informational book by Alice B. McGinty and Tomoko Suzuki.

I was so happy to see this new version of The Three Billy Goats Gruff, one of my favorite folk tales. As a child, I often did a dramatization of this tale with my younger siblings as the goats and me as the troll. (Definitely gives an insight into me as a child!) In his version of The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Mac Barnett reserves rhyme for when the troll speaks (although not always). When you meet the troll, this is his introduction to the reader:

"I am a troll. I live to eat.
I love the sound of hooves and feet
and paws and claws on cobblestones.
For that's the sound of meat and bones."

This introduction establishes a gruff personality for the troll. And all of the O sounds, at least for me, bring out a deeper troll voice.
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​Barnett also gives the troll a repetitive phrase that readers will look forward to:

"Who seeks to reach the grassy ridge?
Who dares to walk across my bridge?"

The author uses rhyme, too, when the troll talks about the yummy foods he could make with the goat meat he hopes to get. In two separate list poems, the troll rambles on about goat dishes, which magnifies the troll's obsession and builds tension in the story. The two list poems end with the same two lines.

Now, the troll doesn't always speak in rhyme. When he meets the biggest billy goat and his plan starts to go off the rails, the troll stammers and sputters in short words that stretch across an 2-page spread. The pace of these words is in sharp contrast to rambling list poems. This slows the story down and lets the reader linger in the troll's discomfort:

"Oh . . ." said the troll. "Um . . .
I, uh . . .
I . . .
Wow, You're really big."

To summarize, the rhyme in this book is used to establish character, invite reader participation/anticipation through repetition, add humor, and affect pacing changes. Wow! That's verse pulling it's own weight, for sure!

In Feasts and Festivals Around the World, Alice B. McGinty uses poetry for a different purpose. This survey of world celebrations throughout the year opens with a rhyming invitation. Illustrator Tomoko Suzuki shows a parade of children, marching from left to right. Both verse and illustration encourage the reader to turn the page and dive into more.

Each celebration occupies a 2-page spread. The left-side page includes a question and answer that identifies the location, a verse that captures details from that celebration, and a box at the bottom listing the celebration's name. On the right page, McGinty provides detailed factual information about each particular celebration. The book features 12 feasts and festivals in all. A closing verse wraps things up.

Left page of spread

Right page of spread

The short "celebration" verses serve two functions. First, they provide a framework for story structure. Second, they allow the book to be shared with varying age groups - reading only the verses allows the book to be shared with younger kids, while older children can read verses and informational text. 

In short, McGinty uses verse for invitation and closure, as a framework for the book, and to offer two levels of accessibility to varying ages.

[If you'd like to explore a poetry collection that uses these same techniques and also features multiple poetry forms, check out Michelle Schaub's Leafy Landmarks: Travels with Trees, here, illustrated by Anne Lambelet.] 

Open yourself up to the many uses of poetry in picture books, and try your hand at writing a poetry and prose mashup!

~Patricia Toht