In "Wild in the Streets: 20 Poems of City Animals" by Marilyn Singer and Gordy Wright, prepare to meet some truly amazing animals who have taken back their territories from humankind - explored in a lyrical, playful and wholly absorbing way through verse.
This beautifully illustrated book pairs poetry with nonfiction, telling the fascinating stories of these animal species, from the pythons traveling Singapore's sewers to the monkeys living in India's temples and cities, running cheeky raids on market stalls and homes when owners forget to secure their goodies.
Humans may have built towns and cities, but we aren't the only ones who live in them. Given the smallest chance--a park, a garden, a window box; a basement, a subway tunnel, a bridge--wildlife manages to survive in the city. Yes folks, life truly does find a way.
Gordy's brilliant illustrations bring the poetry to life too, with beautiful and exquisite verse coupled gorgeously with amazing painted landscapes from across the planet.
Marilyn expertly describes the various types of poetry forms used in the book from haiku to cinquain, sonnet to terza rima, villanelle to triolet and acrostic as well as free verse.
Sum this book up in a sentence: A beautiful and inspiring book that children will marvel at and be dazzled by, showing what happens when nature 'takes back' its territory from humankind.
"Wild in the Streets: 20 Poems of City Animals" by Marilyn Singer and Gordy Wright is out now, published by Words and Pictures (kindly supplied for review).