Children's Poetry Review

A Cat Named Fat
by Marie Gebel
ISBN-10: 1420871463
Review by Heather Froeschl



Fed up with morbid nursery rhymes, Marie Gebel tickled her tongue with new poetry for the youngest of people and published it. “A Cat Named Fat” is a delightful book to read aloud to a child, complete with colorful artwork and memorable thoughts.

Kids love rhythm and rhyme yet new poetry for very young children is sometimes hard to come by. Marie Gebel offers such delights as A Cat Named Fat about a feline who grows into his name, and Jack and the Mirror in which young Jack plays and waves to his friend inside…a game almost all babies play. Her poems are based on things a young child knows about, like love, Santa Claus, birthdays, and butterflies, Mom, and the magical moon. These happy poems are sure to make a child laugh and smile. An early exposure to poetry may infect a child’s life, for life, and such a chance is one we all must take.

Simple and sweet, this collection is one that will likely be read over and over again. Even the youngest of listeners will be enticed by the beat of the spoken words and the vivid illustrations. In time, adults will be listening to the same poems being read back to them by kids who have developed a love for verse…all thanks to “A Cat Named Fat” and Marie Gebel of course.

Poetry Review

Ordinary Poems for Extraordinary People
by Marie Gebel
ISBN-10: 059541897X
Review by Heather Froeschl




In verse, through which to speak her mind, Marie Gebel writes to everyone. Her collection of poetry, titled, “Ordinary Poems for Extraordinary People” is said, in her own words, to be for those who are kind, insightful, offbeat, and compassionate. Here you will see yourself and people you know, detailed in poetic style.

I know several teens that would love this book and relate to many of its poems, from Fashion Plate, the very first poem in the book, about being an individual rather than taking on assigned style, to Used to Be, which ruminates with memories of younger days. Yet readers of all ages will adore the works like, Pieces, where a person recognizes the various aspects of being human, and My Mind, in which the most valuable thing to cherish is the mind and not the possessions.

Poetry is often full of deep meanings and open wounds, and this collection has its share. Marie’s subtitle for the book is “An Undressing of the Soul.” It can be argued that it is also a mirror for the soul, since readers will be sure to see themselves within the words. The works are easy to read and understand, but what’s more is that they are easy to feel. The sense of emotions that come through is precisely why I enjoy reading poetry. “Ordinary Poems for Extraordinary People” is a delight.

Poetry Review

Mockingbird Come Home: A Book of Poetry
by Stephen B. Wiley
ISBN: 0-9766251-1-3
Review by Heather Froeschl


“Poetry cannot be made of words alone.” How very true, and being a poet, Stephen B. Wiley offers so much more than words in his wonderful collection, “Mockingbird Come Home.” The pages here are filled with memories and moments, emotions, settings, and paintings artistically created with words.

“Mockingbird Come Home” is what poetry is meant to be. Depicting a moment in time, a place in the heart, he writes of “Where We Live” and “Who We Are,” the two sections of the book. The “where” is about places I know personally, not that it matters, for the settings described in Vermont, Florida, and New Jersey are easily seen with the imagination, helped along with Wiley’s words. From a low-water Lake Champlain to the colorful vibrancy of Key West, the memories of places he shares are more personal than postcards. The “who” is even more endearing, with tales told so eloquently of gnarled and vein mapped hands, the grandparent naps before dinner, and the poet who becomes the poem.

Reading the verses of Stephen B. Wiley is a joy to be compared with spending a day in an art gallery. The admirer will see different aspects of each work of art, perhaps what the artist/poet intended, but maybe something else entirely. The joy is in the discovery. “Mockingbird Come Home” is a poetic delight of excellent work.

Inspirational/Devotional Review

Pure Thought
by Hollie Dawn Smith
ISBN-10: 1413756077
Review by Heather Froeschl

"Pure Thought" is aptly titled, for Hollie Smith shares her most purely spiritual thoughts with readers. Through poems and verse she offers her thoughts on God and life. Here is a touching testament to one woman's spiritual path.

I would call this a book of prayers more than a book of poetry. The style of each piece varies from page to page, while the theme of prayer remains throughout the book. Smith has put to words what many only "speak" in their minds.

A touching book, it is short in length but long on spirit. The writing is rich and full of feeling. The messages relayed are deeply felt and clearly very important to the author. The target audience will surely connect to the book and cherish it.