Poetry Review: A Collection by Paul B. Janeczko - Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems In Different Voices

Bibliography:
Janeczko, P.B. 2001. DIRTY LAUNDRY PILE: POEMS IN DIFFERENT VOICES. Ill. by Melissa Sweet. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 0688162525.

Plot Summary:
In this collection of poetry, Paul B. Janeczko gathers 27 poems written from the perspective of inanimate objects like vacuums and curtains, and the point-of-view of animals such as a hippopotamus and a cat. Kristine O’Connell George, Bobbi Katz, Karla Kuskin, and Marilyn Singer are among the included poets in this collection. The poems are paired with Melissa Sweet’s illustrations.

Critical Analysis:
Written from the perspective of objects and animals, this collection presents a new point-of-view for poetry readers. Paul B. Janezcko’s selections provide a variety of viewpoints from items that children know like kites, gloves, crayons, and snowflakes altering the way the reader looks at these objects. In the poem, Prayer of a Snowflake by Cynthia Pederson, she writes “or better yet, I hope/ for my swirling journey to end instantly/on the hot tongue/of some shivering child/ out reveling in the return/ of my tribe.” Pederson creates a connection between the journey of the snowflake with the activities of children outside enjoying the snow.

The altered viewpoints create a glimpse into worlds that readers may not have considered allowing a fresh perspective on their surroundings. The selected artists use a variety of poetry formats from couplets and free verse while employing the use of rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, and onomatopoeia to create a playful and somber selection of poems. The poems are paired with the watercolor illustrations of Melissa Sweet. The illustrations reflect the mood of the poems. In The Vacuum Cleaner’s Revenge by Patricia Hubbell, Sweet’s painting shows the vacuum moving towards the reader with the brushes whirling furiously to swallow everything in its path. She gives the objects and animals vitality that complements the accompanying poems.

This is an excellent book for any poetry collection and includes great pieces for reading aloud.

Poem Excerpt:

Broom
by Tony Johnston

I am the trusted consort
of floors, accomplice
of water and swash,
confidant of corners
where skulks shifty, fugitive
trash.
I am blunt whisker,
ghost-voiced shadow-sweeper
(suspicious of the dark),
collector of exquisite
scraps,
confessor to expiring
flies,
seeker-of-the-lost,
keeper-of-the-uncherished,
the crushed,
I share the deepest secrets
of the dust.

Review Excerpts:

BOOKLIST
“[It will] draw children into words that resonate with joy and, sometimes, deeper meaning, words that will remind them that there's more than one way to experience the world.”

KIRKUS REVIEWS
“Younger children will enjoy the poems simply as funny or touching poetry, but older students will begin to see the poetic possibilities in the unexplored voices of the inanimate.”

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“This collection contains well-crafted poetry that surprises with its deft wordplay and original points of view.”

Connections:
Invited students to write poetry from a different point of view like the poems in this collection. Share finished selections.