Toasting Marshmallows

O’Connell george, Kristine.Toasting Marshmallows Camping Poems. New York: Clarian Books, 2001.
ISBN 0-618-04597-x


Summary:

Toasting Marshmallow is a collection of poetry by O’Connell George that covers many of the real, and memorable aspects of camping. The book appropriately starts by setting up camp with, “Tent”, and ends with “Pulling up the stakes, with other fitting camping themed experiences happening in between. O’Connell George pays as much attention to form and rhythm as she does to rhyme, making this a more sophisticated book than many of the picture book- poetry genre. “Tent,” for example, is in the shape of a triangle- narrow at the top with only one word on the line, and then widening, adding one word on each line until the base of the tent is formed with seven words, “Our tent is up! Blooming, bright Orange.”

O’Connell George is not restricted to rhyming poems, in fact many of the poems in this collections do not rhyme, others have rhyme in them but truly feature rhythm. “Forest Walk” makes a beautiful read aloud, because of the rhythm:

I-belong-here
no-twig-snap
no-leaf-rustle
no-branch-crack
see all-all, know-all
float-like-fog
like-smoke
pine-needle-soft
forest walk.

Reviews:

A young girl savors the sights, sounds, and smells of a family outing. Whether playful or profound, the exquisitely crafted poems reverberate with eloquent yet effortless language, while the radiant acrylic artwork hints at the awe-inspiring mysteries of nature."

School Library Journal Best Books 2001


Enrichment Activity:

This book allows for a fun chance to build prior knowledge for students. The teacher can read the book aloud outside with all of the students sitting in a circle on the ground- for a camp-out feeling, and at least demonstrate (with a stick and a marshmallow) how to toast a marshmallow, if not actually allow the students to do so (given appropriate age and safety measures). After toasting marshmallows, go back inside, and have students create their own poem to describe what kind of marshmallow toaster they are. Be sure to re-read the poem “Toasting Marshmallows” to the students on page 22 of the book. Drawing pictures of the process or gluing cotton balls to the page to represent the marshmallow in its various toasting states would complement this activity.