Alan Katz

ages 1-12+
April is poetry month. So read some poetry with your kids. One poet who I have found has spell-binding power with kids of all ages is Alan Katz. His poems are unique because they are set to the tune of popular, well-known songs. For example, his poem Take Me Out of the Bathtub, is set to the tune of Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Not only are they unique, but Katz's poems are extremely funny and easy for kids to relate to. My third graders wanted to sing them for music time, my first graders begged for the book and argued over who got to read it next, my one-year-old digs through hundreds of other books until he finds the Bathtub book and pulls it out for me to read to him multiple times every day. Trust me, your kids will be reading these books over and over again (until you know the songs by heart). And the great thing about that is that each time they re-read it they are practicing and building better fluency in their reading. The icing on the cake with Katz's books is that they are illustrated by David Catrow, whose bizare and quirky drawings top it all of perfectly!
Katz also has some other children's books, aside from his songbooks, which I am not familiar with. However, if you have older elementary kids, I'd give them a chance and see what other crazy things he has come up with.

My Favorites By Alan Katz:
Take Me Out of the Bathtub
I'm Still Here in the Bathtub
Where Did They Hide My Presents? (Christmas Songs)

Check Out His Website:
www.alankatzbooks.com