Dirt on My Shirt
Written by: Jeff Foxworthy
Illustrated by: Steve Bjorkman
HarperCollins Publisher
2008
27 pages
Poetry Book
Dirt on My Shirt is a collection of poems written by comedian Jeff Foxsworthy. The poems are about family, animals, friends, playing, and all the things children love most. One fun poem is all about dirt! The poems all follow the same type of style. The poems contain rhyme and are very informal. A lot of the poems are hilarious descriptions of Jeff Foxworthy’s various family members. Kids will be able to relate very well to these poems, and they will giggle at all of Jeff Foxworthy’s very humorous statements.
Watercolor is used to create the artwork in the book. The watercolor and outlines are a little messy to promote the excitement of the poems. The colors are bright and vibrant creating excitement. Brush strokes are used to show texture for hair, grass, dirt, and many other elements in the story. The text is very informal and combines with the illustrations. Some illustrations are large, detailed, and fill an entire page. The other pictures are small and highlighted by negative space. The pictures are very funny, and the characters are all sporting hilarious facial expressions. Each picture displays action and movement to go along with each poem’s story.
I would definitely use this poem in my elementary classroom, especially for younger grades. This would be a great book for introducing poetry or rhyme. Students can identify rhyming words and practice creating their own rhyming phrases. Students could also write poems about one of their own relatives. Foxworthy gives many funny examples, so the students could use them as a guide.
Grandma
My grandma puts on lipstick
It’s bright red like a rose
Because she cannot see too well
It ends up on her nose!
-Jeff Foxworthy
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