The Llama Who Had no Pajama

Bibliography
Hoberman, Mary Ann. The Llama Who Had No Pajama. by Betty Fraser.
New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-15-205571-4

Plot Summary
This is a collection of 100 favorite poems by Poet Laureate Mary Ann Hoberman. The poems are of universal topics such as birthdays, family, animals, insects, opposites and time.

Critical Analysis
The Llama who had no Pajama is an individual poet compilation of poems by author Mary Ann Hoberman from 2008 to 2010 and beautifully illustrated by illustrator Betty Fraser. The Language is full of rhythm, rhyme, alliteration and repetition of sounds. The use of alliteration is found in the poem “Permutations” such as in the flea flew high to flee the fly. The poem “Termite” is full of rhyme. At the end of each line we find the following words that rhyme: sort, report, resort, state, rate, cooperate, find, blind, kind, kings, stings, and things. There are insect riddles as in “Who Am I” and animal tongue twisters as in the poem “Gazelle” 'O gaze on the graceful gazelle as it grazes'. The collection of 100 poems will resonate with young children since the poems center around themes young children will be able to relate. For example in the poem, “Brother” where the poet complains about having a little brother who is a bother and the poem “Let’s Dress Up” where little girls are enjoy playing dress up in grown-up clothes. The poems will also resound with adults since there seems to be a nostalgic feeling in the poems of things we enjoyed as children such as the rain. There is also an index at the end of the book where the first line of each poem is provided as a quick reference. The watercolor illustrations are simple but colorful and do not overwhelm the poems. The snow-white page backgrounds enhance the detailed and lively drawings that accompany every poem.

Review Excerpt(s)
School Library Journal-“Hoberman’s rhythms are lively and agile.”

Publishers Weekly-“This inventively illustrated collection brims with enough wordplay and silliness to please a room full of young wordsmiths.”

Connections
*The Llama Who Had No Pajama was awarded the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children for Mary Ann Hoberman’s lifetime of poetry writing.
* The animal poems can be a great introduction to science themes.