The Llama Who Had No Pajama

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hoberman, Mary Ann. 1998. The Llama Who Had No Pajama. Ill. by Betty Fraser. San Diego: Browndeer Press. ISBN 0152001115

PLOT SUMMARY

In The Llama Who Had No Pajama, Mary Ann Hoberman has brought together 100 of her favorite poems from over 40 years of writing. This collection offers a wide variety of poems, from silly to serious, from alligator to whale, through the seasons, and through childhood celebrations. The simple illustrations by Betty Fraser bring the poems to life as they delicately grace each page. Teachers and parents alike will find poems for every occasion to recite to and with young people.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Hoberman’s anthology of poetry covers a wide range of topics. There is a large section of animal poetry, as well as poems about family, the seasons, and many other things. The poetry is not grouped or arranged in any particular manner, although there are a table of contents and first-line index. Some poems are remarkably short, while others cover an entire page. Humorous poems are mixed among more serious poems.

Rhythmic elements are an important feature of Hoberman’s poetry. In some poems, it is easy to find the rhythm and to recite the poem aloud: Riddle: No matter where I travel/No matter where I roam/No matter where I find myself/I always am at home. Other poems felt awkward, with the number of syllables in a line breaking the flow of the poem: Brother (excerpt): But he said one little brother/Is exactly like another/And every little brother/Misbehaves a bit, he said.

Hoberman’s work does evoke images of childhood and is filled with the wonder of childhood. Poems such as Whenever bring back memories of spinning around and around until the world seems to continue spinning even when you have stopped. It is these images that make The Llama Who Had No Pajama suitable for use in a classroom.

The illustrations, by Betty Fraser, are, for the most part, as varied as the poems they illustrate. In some places, soft pastels dominate the page. In others, deep yellows, reds, blues and greens evoke a different feeling. Some drawings have an almost Oriental quality, with the look of paintings done on a rice paper screen. There is an abundance of white space on most pages, with the drawings scattered about on the page, depending on the number of poems on each page. While the drawings appear simple, upon further investigation, there is quite a bit of detail that is evident. The drawings, art themselves that could stand alone, do not distract the reader from the written word.

PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS

While I can see uses for this book, especially in the context of the classroom, it is not a style of book or poetry that I personally embrace. This is not a book that I would pick up, sit down, and read. I am not a fan of the style of illustration, either. As a teacher, I can see pulling out a poem or two to use in conjunction with a particular unit of study or story in reading, but I am not sure this anthology would be my first choice. I would be more tempted, I think, to choose humorous poems from Shel Silverstein, or thoughtful poems from A. A. Milne. When I actually had this book available for the students in my classroom to pick up and read, very few showed interest in it.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Best Children's Books of the Year, 1999; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Books to Read Aloud to Children of All Ages, 2003; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Children's Books of Distinction, 1999; Riverbank Review; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States
Children's Literature Choice List, 1999

School Library Journal: “Good for beginning or experienced readers of poetry, this should indeed become a favorite.”

The Horn Book: "This collection of some forty years of Hoberman verse is a charmer."

CONNECTIONS

ü  Use The Llama Who Had No Pajama as a resource to introduce poetry into thematic units or to pair with a story from your reading anthology

ü  Using some of the simpler poems, have students do dramatic interpretations or create visual aids to present a poem to a younger class.

ü  Create a classroom anthology of favorite poems by favorite authors.

ü  Create a classroom anthology of poems written by students.

ü  Explore other books by Mary Ann Hoberman, such as:

Hoberman, Mary Ann. The Seven Silly Eaters. ISBN 9780152024406

Hoberman, Mary Ann. A House is a House For Me. ISBN 9780142407738