Poetry Friday: A Scary Dictionary!

Happy Poetry Friday!  Today's round-up is being hosted by Betsy Hubbard at Teaching Young Writers.  Be sure to stop by her blog for a "Poetry Break!" 

Poetry Friday: A Scary Dictionary!

I love this gem of a poem that I found in Caroline Feller Bauer's, Leading Kids to Books Through Puppets (American Library Association 1997)!  Bauer suggests that we read the poem in a theater format with two puppets.  Whether Charles Ghigna's dictionary poem is read with puppets, as a poem for two voices, or simply recited aloud, it is a great poem to inspire  word wizards everywhere!

The Scary Dictionary 

  by Charles Ghigna

The biggest book you'll ever see  

Lives deep inside the library!  

Alone it sits upon the stand;                                       

Your ticket to a magic land.

Don't be afraid.  Don't try to hide.

Just open it up and look inside. 

It's really fun to find a word. 

It may be one you've never heard. 

It may be long.  It may be short. 

It may be just your favorite sport. 

So get on your mark and get set. 

It's time to play the alphabet!

You see it isn't very scary . . . 

It's just the dictionary!  

This poem will be read by two voices on Monday, as my colleague and I read it over our school's PA system.  This is a fabulous poem to launch another week of our "word of the day" announcements.  I also plan to send a copy of the poem to each classroom to serve as a fun reminder of using a dictionary to "find a word," maybe even "one (we've) never heard!"  Just like everyone needs a copy of a good dictionary, everyone also needs a copy of a good dictionary poem! 

To read more about Charles Ghigna, also known as Father Goose, click here.