Dirt on My Shirt

by Jeff Foxworthy, Steve Bjorkman (Illustrator)

Overview

In his bestselling picture book Dirt on My Shirt, Jeff Foxworthy warmed the hearts of kids both big and little. Now, in this I Can Read edition, poems have been hand selected for beginning readers to enjoy. From meeting Auntie Brooke and Uncle Keith to searching for tadpoles and snakes, young readers will love discovering Jeff's vibrant neighborhood all for themselves.

Filled to the brim with hilarious poems and beautiful art, this book is the perfect addition to any I Can Read library!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061765247
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	09/22/2009
Series:	I Can Read Book 2 Series
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	132,915
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.10(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jeff Foxworthy is one of the most respected and successful comedians in the country. He is the largest-selling comedy-recording artist in history, a multiple Grammy^® Award nominee, and bestselling author of more than twenty-six books. He hosts the hit television show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

This is Mike Gutch's first children's book other than his unpublished "book" he wrote in third grade about New York State, which coincidentally is where he resides, in the town of Pelham, just outside of New York City. Mike lives with his wife and four children. When he's not making peanut butter and honey sandwiches for them or working for the Man, he's enjoying the great outdoors. If you'd like to send him a note on the book or advice on how to get anything unstuck, you can email him at [e-mail].

Steve Bjorkman has illustrated more than seventy books for children, including the New York Times bestselling Dirt on My Shirt by Jeff Foxworthy, Emily's Everyday Manners by Peggy Post and Cindy Post Senning, I Hate English! by Ellen Levine, and Safari Park by Stuart J. Murphy. He also creates greeting cards with his brother, Carl, and together they have sold millions through Recycled Paper Greetings. Steve lives with his wife and three children in Irvine, California.

Editorial Reviews

Comedian Jeff Foxworthy doesn't claim to be smarter than a fifth grader, but by the evidence of this collection of hilarious poems, he does know how to keep them happy. With its homespun stories of Cousin Lizzy and Aunt Foo Foo, Dirt on My Shirt won't edify readers of Tennyson, but it doesn't matter; good-natured "redneck" Foxworthy obviously listens to a different drummer.

The bestselling author of You Might Be a Redneck If... and the host of the TV show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?turns his hand to versifying with this innocuous collection of rhyming poems about ordinary childhood experiences: "I like to play and splash and sing/ When I take my bath/ But it's the bubbles that I make myself/ That always make me laugh!" The humor stays mild-mannered and stresses the bonds of friendship and family, as in "Friends," which begins, "Friends come in all colors/ And sizes and shapes/ Friends share their jump ropes/ And friends share their grapes." Björkman (Aliens for Breakfast) punches up the text with plentiful illustrations in a cheery cartoon style. "Friends," for example, pairs with a picture of a grinning cat and dog, dressed up like pirates and together carrying a small treasure chest. A poem about sitting in a grandfather's lap gains interest when Björkman envisions it taking place in a small fishing boat, grandpa and grandson napping, a huge fish just about to bite on their line. As a bonus, a note at the front challenges readers to find the 30 creatures depicted in the book's most lavishly illustrated poem, aptly titled "What Do You See?" Ages 4-7. (Mar.)

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Publishers Weekly

Comedian Jeff Foxworthy writes poems about his Aunt Foo Foo, his cousins, his grandparents, and his friends, as well as other familiar childhood things, including dirt, deer, noises, fishing, and bubbles. Some of the poems take up a page and sometimes several fit on a page. Unfortunately, the poems fall a bit flat especially because they are paired with Bjorkman's whimsical illustrations. Steve Bjorkman's work has appeared on greeting cards for Recycled Paper Greetings, and they add much humor to many of the poems. The best illustration appears for the poem, "What Do You See?" Here, lots of creatures are hiding. A brief note in the front of the book asks a reader how many creatures can be found. The note comes with a humorous illustration about lemonade, so hopefully is not missed. This collection does not equal similar works by Jack Prelutsky or Shel Silverstein, but the poems do provide some smiles, especially to kindergartners and first grade students. The poems also show that even ordinary things can become topics for poetry. Reviewer: Elizabeth Fronk

Children's Literature - Elizabeth Fronk

K-Gr 2- This contribution to the celebrity canon is by no means the worst, and Foxworthy's collection of light verse courts both fans of the comedian and their children. The brief poems are perfect for rote memorization assignments and cover familiar, kid-friendly topics like lost baseball hats and bubble baths. Björkman's artwork peppers every page with tykes and friendly suburban wildlife in perpetual states of pop-eyed delight. Alert readers may spot a note on the verso of the title that suggests an "I Spy"-esque hunt for images in the illustrations for the poem "What Do You See?" The suggestion looks and feels like an afterthought, buried as it is in fine print amid the bibliographic data. But never mind; this is still a respectable choice. Kudos to Foxworthy for his role in the production of an appealing, easy read.-Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC

School Library Journal