If you love wordplay and totally geek out on writing that makes it shine, I’ve got the best kids poetry book to share with you! The Red Ear Blows Its Nose: Poems for Children and Others by Robert Schechter is an incredibly funny and mind-bending read. It is perfect to share with the kids in your life!
By noticing, Schechter brings everyday objects to life (and makes us laugh!). He turns the world upside down with possibility, has such clever phrasing, and reframes reality with curiosity. I can’t think of a better gift to yourself and your kids/classrooms than to read it aloud, giggle, learn, and write your own poems in the same clever, worldview-changing way.
Here is my very favorite poem from the book, entitled Autumn Leaves:
Highly recommended!
Robert Schechter's book of children's poems, The Red Ear Blows Its Nose: Poems for Children and Others, was named one of the best books of 2023 by School Library Journal and Bank Street College, and received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, and School Library Journal. His children's poems have appeared in The Caterpillar, Highlights for Children, Cricket, Spider, Ladybug, The School Magazine, The Washington Post, The Spectator, and Light, as well as numerous anthologies. His adult work has won the Willis Barnstone Translation Prize and the X.J. Kennedy Parody Award.
We interviewed Robert Schechter about his book, inspiration, poetry, art, and more. Here’s what he had to say…
Please tell us about your book, The Red Ear Blows Its Nose: Poems for Children and Others…
It is a collection of roughly 100 poems that I’ve described as 'Poems for Children and Others'. I stole that subtitle from the late poet Richard Wilbur, who once suggested it would be the right fit for my work. While it's officially aimed at ages 7–12, I like to think the upper age limit is indefinite. The book is full of wordplay, rhyme, and what some reviewers have called 'Ogden Nash-esque absurdities'. You’ll find poems about everything from a horse who refuses to say 'neigh' to a champion bee in a tizzy.
I’m proud to say that the book received a coveted “Kirkus Starred Review,” as well as starred reviews from School Library Journal and Booklist. It was also a top selection at Common Sense Media (“an absolute gem”) and highly praised in Publishers Weekly, and was endorsed by some of today’s most respected children’s poets, like former laureate Kenn Nesbitt and the legendary Jane Yolen. A.F. Harrold said, “Schechter, it seems to me, is way up there with the great American kids poets, a real Shel Silverstein for today’s generation.”
What inspired you to write this book?
I’ve been publishing individual poems in magazines like Highlights and Cricket for over twenty years. For a long time, I didn't think in terms of putting together a collection, but when Word Galaxy Press invited me to submit a manuscript, I gathered my very best work from those two decades and put them together. I wanted to create the kind of miscellaneous poetry collection I loved as a kid—the kind where you never know if the next page will make you laugh or make you think, or both.
I loved the twists and turns in your poems, and how they always made me think (and laugh). How can parents and educators best read these poems together with kids?
The best advice I can give is what School Library Journal said in its starred review: read them aloud. "Children and adults alike will enjoy bouncing through the vivacious rhythms and the breadth of surprising, marvelous ideas. These are for reading out loud, to laugh at, to muse on, and to grow up with." Common Sense Media agreed, sying, “This is an outstanding book to read aloud; .it's funny and warm, engaging and silly, and a great conversation starter for families, classrooms, and friends”
The illustrations are so clever! Please tell us about your illustrator, S. Federico...
S. Federico is a wonderful artist based in New York City. His monochromatic pen-and-ink drawings are bold and full of movement. What I love most is how he marries the straightforward with the 'gleefully surreal'. He provided 61 drawings for the book, and they really highlight the humor in each piece.
How can kids learn more about poetry - and writing their own poems?
The best way to learn is to read widely. If you like my book, you might also enjoy poets like Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, Kenn Nesbitt, Kate Wakeling, A.F. Harrold, Valerie Bloom, Jane Yolen, Richard Wilbur, or X.J. Kennedy.
For writing, don't worry about having a perfect plan. Sometimes I start writing with nothing much to say and I just see where the words lead me. My poem 'Unplanned Poem' is actually about that exact process. Try playing with language—make up your own 'ig-words' (like igbig or igbeautiful) or imagine a sound an animal shouldn't make.
How can readers find your work?
You can find The Red Ear Blows Its Nose at most major booksellers:
• Website: http://www.bobschechter.com
• Retailers: Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and through bookshop.org.
• Publisher: Word Galaxy Press (an imprint of Able Muse Press).
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Just that poetry is for everyone. Whether you're 7 or 70, there's a certain joy in a rhyme that 'clicks' or an idea that turns the world 'topsy-turvy'. As one reviewer put it, these poems are meant to be 'read out loud, to laugh at, to muse on, and to grow up with'.
Thank you for inviting me to have this chat with you!