Animal Poetry

Pupils really love animal poetry and there are so many to pick from.

Every child should experience this set of poetry books by KES GRAY & JIM FIELD

Begin with Oi Frog which is all about a frog who doesn’t want to sit on a log and is told by a very bossy Hare that he has to, explaining that every animal has to sit in their specific place:

I have used this book really successfully with KS 1 pupils by using lots of puppets and props. One little Year 1 boy created a lovely line:

Fishes sit on dishes getting kisses from the Mrs

Sometimes children need support by being given a wordbank:

I’ve been using the latest version of the book:

I have used this with a book packed with different breeds of dog and clever rhymes:

I can’t wait to get back into school to try out some ideas that I have been working on. I found a poem that I had completely forgotten about called The Hippopotamus Song by Michael Flanders

A bold hippopotamus was standing one day
On the banks of the cool Shalimar
He gazed at the bottom, as it peacefully lay
By the light of the evening star
Away on a hilltop sat combing her hair
His fair hippopotamine maid
The hippopotamus was no ignoramus
And sang her this sweet serenade

[Chorus]
Mud, mud, glorious mud
Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood
So follow me, follow
Down to the hollow
And there let us wallow in glorious mud

[Verse 2]
The fair Hippopotama he aimed to entice
From her seat on that hilltop above
As she hadn’t got a ma to give her advice
Came tip-toeing down to her love
Like thunder the forest re-echoed the sound
Of the song that they sang as they met
His inamorata adjusted her garter
And lifted her voice in duet

[Chorus]
Mud, mud, glorious mud
Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood
So follow me, follow
Down to the hollow

[Verse 3]
Now more Hippoptoma  began to convene
On the banks of that river so wide
I wonder now what-am-I to say of the scene
That ensued by the Shalimar side?
They dived all at once with an ear-splitting splosh
Then rose to the surface again
A regular army of Hippopotarmi  
All singing this haunting refrain

[Chorus]
Mud, mud, glorious mud
Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood
So follow me, follow
Down to the hollow

I am going to show them the clip from the film Madagascar and listen to the song:

https://youtu.be/bZdKVTyAgpY

Here is an extract to have some fun with:

Chunky, chunky, chunky, chunky, chunky

I like them big, I like them chunky
(Chunky)
I like them big, I like them plumpy
(Plumpy)
I like them round, with something, something
(Something)
They like my sound, they think I’m funky
(Funky)My name is Moto Moto, yeah, you say it double
Say my name girl (Moto, Moto)
Say it again (Moto, Moto)
I’m nice and smooth, so nice and sassy
(Sassy)
None of the hippo’s here don’t wanna get next to meI like them chunky
Chunky, chunky, chunky, chunky, chunky
And plumpy
Plumpy, plumpy, plumpy, plumpy, plumpy
Chunky, chunky, chunky, chunky, chunky
And plumpy
Plumpy, plumpy, plumpy, plumpyI like them hippos, that’s in the wild
(That’s in the wild)
I like the attitude, I like their style
(I like their style)