From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5–In Math Curse (Viking, 1995), a teacher's chance comment causes a girl to see every aspect of her life as a math problem. This time around, the fun starts when a boy hears this remark: "…if you listen closely enough, you can hear the poetry of science in everything." What follows is a series of poems that parody the styles of Joyce Kilmer, Edgar Allan Poe, Lewis Carroll, Robert Frost, and many others, as well as familiar songs and nursery rhymes. "Once in first grade I was napping/When I heard a scary yapping" begins a lament about studying dinosaurs year after year. In "Astronaut Stopping by a Planet on a Snowy Evening," the narrator bemoans the fact that he can't figure out what planet he's on because "In science class I was asleep…." Children need not be familiar with the works upon which the spoofs are based to enjoy the humor, but this is a perfect opportunity to introduce the originals and to discuss parody as a poetic form. The dynamic cartoons are an absolute delight. The expressions on the face of the beleaguered boy keep readers smiling and the pages are chock-full of funny details that are in perfect sync with the poems. Printed in a cream-colored, readable font and set against solid backgrounds, the text is never overwhelmed by the frenetic illustrations. Fans of Scieszka and Smith will be in heaven, but the book will appeal to one and all.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 3-5. In this worthy companion to Math Curse (1995), a boy sits in science class listening to his teacher drone on about "the poetry of science," when he is stricken with a "curse of science verse." Every thought comes to him in rhyme, and not just any rhyme, but parodies of famous poems and songs. Not just any parodies, but hilarious ones, particularly for those familiar with the originals, from Kilmer's "Trees" and Poe's "The Raven" to "I'm a Little Teapot" and "Eenie, meanie, mynie, mo." Clever and often droll, the verse ably juggles facts, meter, and rhyme schemes and usually reflects a student's point of view: grossed out by the human body, bored by yet another year of dinosaur study, more concerned about writing down the right answer than getting at the truth. Smith's multimedia collage artwork, incorporating drawings, paintings, and printed materials, is sophisticated yet accessible. The CD that comes with the book includes a reading (sometimes singing) of the verse, along with several poems that didn't make it into the book and some comic byplay between Scieszka and Smith. A beautifully designed book--intelligent, irreverent, inviting, and downright irresistible. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
"Amoeba" Don't ever tease a wee amoeba By calling him a her amoeba. And don't call her a him amoeba. Or never he a she amoeba. 'Cause whether his or hers amoeba, They too feel like you and meba. What if a boring lesson about the food chain becomes a sing-aloud celebration about predators and prey? A twinkle-twinkle little star transforms into a twinkle-less, sunshine-eating-and rhyming Black Hole? What if amoebas, combustion, metamorphosis, viruses, the creation of the universe are all irresistible, laugh-out-loud poetry? Well, you're thinking in science verse, that's what. And if you can't stop the rhymes . . . the atomic joke is on you. Only the amazing talents of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, the team who created Math Curse, could make science so much fun. A CD with text read by Scieszka and Smith is included.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Switching subjects from math to science, the bestselling team of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith teach another hilarious lesson for fans, telling how one student acquires "Science Verse" and begins hearing "the poetry of science in everything." Following a similar format to Math Curse but including a CD of the co-creators reading many of the book's poems, this refreshing romp covers topics from evolution to astronomy as one boy dreams up zany scientific poetry during class. Scieszka comes up with loads of knee-slapping poems -- including many based on classics -- such as the colorized spin on Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky" called "Gobblegooky" (" 'Twas fructose, and the vitamins / Did zinc and dye (red #8)"), and "Scientific Method at the Bat." Readers are also taken on an imaginative journey in "Mini Ha Ha (Or, the Atomic Joke Is on You)" as well as "Astronaut Stopping by a Planet on a Snowy Evening," finally landing back in the class with the boy, who declares himself cured of his illness -- until the next class and ailment, that is. As usual, Scieszka and Smith make a dynamic pair, always keeping the energy flowing throughout the book with effervescent text and remarkable collage illustrations. Anyone who might be described as science challenged will surely enjoy the book, making it a cool companion to Math Curse and an essential addition for those looking to build their Scieszka/Smith collections. An invigorating book and CD with all the right chemistry for jovial reading. Matt Warner

ANNOTATION

When the teacher tells his class that they can hear the poetry of science in everything, a student is struck with a curse and begins hearing nothing but science verses that sound very much like some well-known poems.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Amoeba"
Don't ever tease a wee amoeba
By calling him a her amoeba.
And don't call her a him amoeba.
Or never he a she amoeba.
'Cause whether his or hers amoeba,
They too feel like you and meba.

What if a boring lesson about the food chain becomes a sing-aloud celebration about predators and prey? A twinkle-twinkle little star transforms into a twinkle-less, sunshine-eating-and-rhyming Black Hole? What if amoebas, combustion, metamorphosis, viruses, the creation of the universe are irresistible, laugh-out-loud poetry? Well, you're thinking in science verse, that's what. And if you can't stop the rhymes...the atomic joke is on you. Only the amazing talents of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, the team who created Math Curse, could make science so much fun. A CD with text read by Scieszka and Smith is included.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Here the science instructor takes over the role assumed by the math teacher in Math Curse, as the madcap collaborators deliver another riotous lesson. They cover such topics as the human body, black holes, dinosaurs, atoms, planets and the beginning of the universe, courtesy of Santa's big sneeze ("Merry big bang to all! And to all Gesundheit!"). A wide-eyed, bespectacled boy laments that Mr. Newton has "zapped [him] with a curse of science verse." Some of the liveliest poems can be sung to popular tunes: "Glory, glory, evolution./ Darwin found us a solution" inspires a hilarious time-lapse art panel beginning with a stooping ape sporting the hero's red bow-tie up to how he appears today. Sprightly spoofs on well-known poems also abound, such as ditties based on nursery rhymes and a nutrition-oriented spin on Jabberwocky, "Gobblegooky" ("Oh, can you slay the Gobblegook,/ Polyunsaturated boy?/ 3,000 calories! Don't look!/ The sugars! Fats! Oh soy"); Smith pulls out all the stops with the collage monster he unleashes, a horned, six-fingered beast bearing lecithin, phosphoric acid and the like. As their fans would expect, Scieszka and Lane lean toward the outrageous; alongside a picture of an electrified person-cum-skeleton sticking a fork in a toaster runs this limerick: "There once was a man of science,/ Not one of your mental giants./ He decided to settle/ The question: Does metal/ Fix an electrical appliance?" An accompanying CD of author and artist reading the poems adds another dimension of frivolity. Students attracted to this zany classroom will be thrilled by the book's closing hint of an art lesson next on the agenda. Ages 7-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Sharon Levin

The warped team of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith have done it again, Science Verse follows the book, Math Curse when everything was seen through a math filter. In this fun romp, the children are told "...if you listen closely enough, you can hear the poetry of science in everything." The beleaguered student from Math Curse now has science poems running through his head. For example, "Evolution. Glory, glory evolution. Darwin found us a solution. Your mama is that shape, and your knuckles always scrape...'Cause Grandpa was an ape." They also explain the age-old puzzler of "Why Scientists Don't Write Nursery Rhymes." Because this would be the result, "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick. Jack jump over the combustion reaction of O2 + heat + fuel to form CO2 + light + heat + exhaust. A fun read for kids from grade school to college and every science nut in your family. 2004, Viking, Ages 8 up.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-5-In Math Curse (Viking, 1995), a teacher's chance comment causes a girl to see every aspect of her life as a math problem. This time around, the fun starts when a boy hears this remark: "-if you listen closely enough, you can hear the poetry of science in everything." What follows is a series of poems that parody the styles of Joyce Kilmer, Edgar Allan Poe, Lewis Carroll, Robert Frost, and many others, as well as familiar songs and nursery rhymes. "Once in first grade I was napping/When I heard a scary yapping" begins a lament about studying dinosaurs year after year. In "Astronaut Stopping by a Planet on a Snowy Evening," the narrator bemoans the fact that he can't figure out what planet he's on because "In science class I was asleep-." Children need not be familiar with the works upon which the spoofs are based to enjoy the humor, but this is a perfect opportunity to introduce the originals and to discuss parody as a poetic form. The dynamic cartoons are an absolute delight. The expressions on the face of the beleaguered boy keep readers smiling and the pages are chock-full of funny details that are in perfect sync with the poems. Printed in a cream-colored, readable font and set against solid backgrounds, the text is never overwhelmed by the frenetic illustrations. Fans of Scieszka and Smith will be in heaven, but the book will appeal to one and all.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews