Yuck, You Suck!

Poems about Animals That Sip, Slurp, Suck

By Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple

Informational Resources:

Author Information:

Jane Yolen’s Website:

https://www.janeyolen.com/

Heidi E.Y. Stemple’s Website:

https://www.heidieystemple.com/

Illustrator Information:

Eugenia Nobati’s Website:

https://eugenianobati-ilustracion.blogspot.com/

Activities & Resources:

Activities:

Suck it Up game

https://youtu.be/ocGFVCee2d0?si=LKMoAC4oX7m4AJ6i

https://youtu.be/ojrN2_MjcSk?si=yWZVbn3TjB2hQid2

Use the Glossary on page 32 to create a vocabulary list. Play matching games with the word and their definitions.

https://cieraharristeaching.com/2019/06/vocabulary-games-for-any-word-list.html/

Exploring what suction means:

https://karacarrero.com/exploring-what-suction-means/

Research the animals:

Have each child or group of children pick one of the poems and do more research about the topic of the poem. Create an infographic of the animal using a program like Canva or on a piece of paper.

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/search?q=butterfly&location=srp&type=manual

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/search?q=elephants&location=srp&type=manual

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/search?q=stingray&location=srp&type=manual

Have each child or group of children pick one of the poems and do more research about the topic of the poem. Create a lapbook about the animal.

https://www.homeschoolshare.com/how-to-make-lapbook/

https://www.homeschoolshare.com/butterfly-lapbook

https://www.homeschoolshare.com/elephants-lapbook

https://www.homeschoolshare.com/honeybee-lapbook/

Poetry:

Have each child or group of children pick one of the poems and fill out a fact sheet about the poem (TeachingBooks):

https://school.teachingbooks.net/content/Poetry_Level2_sample.pdf

Identify the types of poems used in the book.

https://vibrantteaching.com/types-of-poems-for-kids/

Poetry speed dating.

https://teachnouvelle.com/poetry-speed-dating/?pp=0

Write a poem about another animal that sucks.

https://www.poetrygames.org/poetry-machine/

Honeybee is a haiku. Create a haiku tunnel book.

https://www.teachkidsart.net/haiku-tunnel-books/

Butterfly Puddle Party is a concrete poem. Create one of your own.

https://the-room-mom.com/2015/12/20/concrete-poems/

Magnetic poetry online.

https://play.magneticpoetry.com/poem/Kids/kit

Makerspace activities:

Butterflies:

Flapping Butterfly craft:

https://onelittleproject.com/flapping-butterfly-craft/

Butterfly suncatcher:

https://simplemomproject.com/butterfly-suncatcher/

Elephants:

Elephant with moving trunk:

https://youtu.be/qZ92agnUZjY?si=AzKwYavv1g94mXog

Vampire Bats:

Clothespin bat

https://onelittleproject.com/clothespin-bat-craft/

Origami bat

https://www.thecraftaholicwitch.com/origami-bats/

Stingrays:

Paper stingray

https://thiscraftyfamily.com/07/12/paper-stingray-craft/

Honey Bees:

Multiple honey bee crafts

https://craftulate.com/bee-crafts/

Jellyfish:

Colorful jellyfish

https://iheartcraftythings.com/colorful-jellyfish-craft-kids.html

Pigeons:

https://learncreatelove.com/pigeon-printable-craft/

Discussion Questions:

Based on the title and cover of the book, what are some predictions you can make about the story?

What do you think of the book’s title? What other title might you choose?

''Yuck, You Suck''

What do you "see" when you read this poem? What pictures pop into your head?

''The Goods on the Mosquito''

There is an interesting fact in this poem. What is it?

''Doggy's Flea Dilemma''

What is your favorite line in the poem? Why?

''Stingray: The Ocean's Vacuum''

The author lists many things that the stingray will eat in the ocean. What are some things you think it won't eat?

''Butterfly Puddle Party''

This is a concrete poem which is a poem written in a shape. What shape is this poem written in?

''Remoras Don't (Actually) Suck''

Why do you think the author added this poem if remoras don't suck?

''Jellyfish Locomotion''

Does this poem belong in the book? Explain your answer.

The poem says that jellyfish do not have a brain. How do you think it is able to survive without a brain?

''Pigeon's Evolutionary Beak''

Why do you think pigeons suck water up like a straw in a cup but other birds have to tip their head back?

''Lampreys: Before and After the Big Suck''

The author says that a lamprey's mouth looks like a flower. What do you think it looks like? What type of figurative language is this?

''Vampire Bat's Bad Reputation''

Were you surprised by this poem? Why or why not?

''Elephant's Trunk''

What new vocabulary did you learn in this poem?

''Bloodsucking Leech Both Ways''

This is not the first bloodsucker in this book. Name the other four.

"Yuck, You Suck Redux"

This poem says "mammals, all are suckers too", so what is another animal that sucks?

What is the most interesting thing you learned while reading this book?

Which one of the animals that suck surprised you the most?

Give some examples of figurative language that the authors used in the poems.

Which poem was your favorite? Why?

Which poem in this book is your least favorite? Why?

What do you think about the illustrations? Do they make the book better? Do they match the poetry? Explain your answers.

This collection of poems is very humorous. What are some ways the author shows humor throughout the book?

The author uses a variety of conventional and unconventional types of poetry formats within this book. What is your favorite poetry format found in the book?

Which of his illustrations in the book is your favorite? Why?

Why do you think the author wrote this book?

Book Talk Teasers:

Read the reader’s theater for Yuck, You Suck!: Poems about Animals That Sip, Slurp, Suck on the Texas Bluebonnet Award website.

Watch the book trailer for Yuck, You Suck!: Poems about Animals That Sip, Slurp and Suck on the Texas Bluebonnet Award website.

Yuck, You Suck! | A Read-Aloud Sample from Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple (3:50):

https://youtu.be/hz-k-WgJf28?si=jA4ZNmnUw4KZ8zC9

Read Alikes: 

Poetry:

Yolen, Jane. Eek! You Reek!

Eek, you reek,

You make a funk.

Where you have been

Things stink, stank, stunk.

You've left a path,

A swath of smell,

And―yuck!

You did it very well.

Readers will be delighted by the malodorous melodies of poems calling out the different pungent attributes of a full cast of foul-smelling creatures. (Goodreads)

Worth, Valerie. Animal Poems. Each of the exquisite twenty-three poems in this posthumous collection by Valerie Worth carefully distinguishes one animal from all other creatures and captures it in all of its wonderful singularity - from wasp to snake to wren. The way Worth perfectly illuminates the uniqueness of each animal in her precise and elegant free verse will delight both fans of her celebrated Small Poems and readers encountering her poetry for the first time. Breathtakingly rich cut-paper illustrations by Steve Jenkins provide a perfect counterpoint to Worth's spare style, and together poetry and picture bring every animal vividly to life. (Novelist)

Jackson, Robert Bradley. Animal Mischief. Presents verse about such creatures as the armadillo, the dromedary, the sidewinder, the shark, the seahorse, and the archerfish, offering a way to appreciate the attributes and behaviors of animals. (Novelist)

Schur, Maxine. There's a Babirusa in my Bathtub: Fact and Fancy About Curious Creatures. Humorous rhymes and magical illustrations illuminate the lives and careers of little-known animals. There's a loris in your chorus? He's quite a singer! Care to play bingo with a dingo? Watch out, he's a sharp one. A babirusa in your bathtub? Better leave him there--he loves water! A variety of witty, lively poems makes learning about these unsung animals fun--and fun to imitate by writing similar poems about well-known animals. (Novelist)

Animals:

Stewart Melissa. Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs. Puny? Poky? Clumsy? Shy? A lighthearted look at the surprising traits that help some animals survive.

Written with a lively, playful voice, Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers introduces young readers to a variety of "animal underdogs" and explains how characteristics that might seem like weaknesses are critical for finding food and staying safe in an eat-or-be-eaten world.

Award-winning author Melissa Stewart offers readers a humorous and informative nonfiction picture book with a gentle message of understanding and celebrating differences. Stephanie Laberis's bright, bold--and scientifically accurate--illustrations add to the fun. (Goodreads)

Singer, Marilyn. Who Are You Calling Weird? A Celebration of Weird and Wonderful Animals. Celebrate the weird, wonderful, and the downright bizarre in this compelling compendium of unusual animals. From the green fur of a three-toed sloth, to the pink and wiggly appendage of the star-nosed mole, there’s something new to marvel at on every page.

Delve into the forests, burrow under the ground, and dive into the deep to discover nature's most peculiar creatures and learn about their behavior, diet, and habitat, as well as folk beliefs about each animal.

Hidden away in Earth’s forests, caves, and oceans, these creatures might look or behave in peculiar ways but, as you will soon find out, every oddity serves a purpose: Come face-to-face with the most curious creatures from across the globe, and decide for yourself who’s the weirdest of them all. (Goodreads)

Reviews:

School Library Journal starred (August 1, 2022)

Gr 2-6-Exuberant, busy, and brightly colored full-page illustrations show a variety of creatures who "sip, slurp, suck." Insects, birds, sea life, and animals are drawn with exaggerated features and expressions that give them a cartoonish appearance. The poems are printed directly, but unobtrusively, on the illustrations in a fun font. Most of the poems are bouncy rhymes, with a concrete poem and a haiku also included. Common and uncommon creatures are explored. Lampreys are described: "It looks like a flower, with petals of gold. Keratin fillings. Oh-beauty-behold! Get set to go nearer, through ocean and muck. Does that flower smell pretty? 'Tis a pity. Oops. Suck." Prologue and epilogue poems tie the theme together. End notes include an explanation on why animals suck, additional resources, anatomical terms for body parts that suck, informational paragraphs on each creature featured in the book, and a glossary of scientific terms. With a book talk or a display, it will be a hit in libraries or classrooms. VERDICT A delightful book that amuses and educates. Strong first purchase recommendation.-Tamara Saarinen © Copyright 2022. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.