Thinker: My Puppy Poet and Me by Eloise Greenfield and illustrated by Ehsan Abdollahi is a playful book of poems told through the eyes of both a 7-year-old boy and his puppy, recently named Thinker. The dialogue between boy and his dog unfolds as they take turns alternately telling poems from each perspective. The puppy plays at home with the boy’s little sister and loves to hear her laugh or visits a dog brother across the street. Each poem raps or rhymes, contains humor or wordplay as the book bounces back and forth alternating viewpoints and experiences. Thinker finally gets to visit Jace, the boy, at school and even gets to hear a haiku.
These poems are fun to read aloud each with a cadence and style that uses repetition and humor to make the poems so enjoyable. Early elementary students will love the fun style of poems written by a talking, thinking dog and a boy who loves him. Each poem is beautifully brought to life and complimented by illustrations made using colorful collage with handmade and hand-colored paper. The author’s note tells the reader that she absolutely thinks that rap is poetry and encourages the reader to take the time to write a poem or two of their own.

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss. ( )

In my opinion, I think that this book is great for students learning about poetry at a young age. The book is composed of a series of poems, all said in sequential order of how the plot line goes. The poem book follows a young boy in elementary school, and his relationship with his dog. This is a relatable topic to many students, which draws interest in for young readers. The book is also filled with captivating imagery that follows along each poem. The poems range from different types, such as Haiku's, free-verse, different rhythmic patterns, and they portray a lot of personification. Due to the range of poetry within the book, I think it is a great book to introduce people to poetry with. It is both educational and easy to read. ( )