The Best Worst Poet Ever

by Lauren Stohler

Furry rivals Cat and Pug have a rhyme-riddled showdown in this picture book.

There once was a Pug and a Cat
Who engaged in a poetic spat…

Cat and Pug are each determined to become the World’s Best Poet, no matter what it takes. Whether they’re writing sonnets to sundaes or typing ballads with their butts, they will stop at nothing to outwit, out-write, and out-verse each other.

But perhaps there is an even greater prize to be had: Can these two rivals discover the wonderful joy of writing…together?

Genres: Picture Books, Poetry, Humor, Animals, Childrens, Writing, Cats

48 pages, Hardcover

First published August 4, 2020

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun little book about a poetic spat between a dog and a cat. They each think they're the best poet. They throw quatrains, haikus, and various verses at each other, until they finally realize that maybe, together, their talents can be put to better use.

With touches of humour and a relatable rivalry, The Best Worst Poet Ever shows what happens when a couple of enemies use their respective talents for ill... and for good. There are plenty of insults to go around, and even an instance of underwear theft. All of it is combined into a whimsically illustrated narrative about (eventually) cooperation.

I'd recommend this one to readers who enjoy poetry, wordplay, and fun stories about dog/cat rivalries.

Quotable moment:

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not a good fit for my elementary library. Hard to read aloud. Not a fan of font. Lots going on in the text. Kids would check out for art. Grown up reading it may chuckle and/or be frustrated reading the back and forth text, but so much will go over kids heads. I found it rather amusing but most kids will be confused.

[skcocnaH · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is gold. Both the illustrations and the prose. Pug is hilarious 🥰

[Kristin Guay · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I kept thinking about while reading this book is that I wish I had it when I was teaching middle school poetry--shows a funny perspective on what it takes to be a poet. In this story, Pug and Cat have decided that they are going to spend the day each writing the best poem ever. Throughout the day, this activity gets a little more competitive (and silly) and they each try different ways to sabotage the other. At one point, Cat steals Pub’s polka dot underwear and sends it into space while Pug wraps Cat in a package to send to Mars. After a while, they realize that they can write the best poem if they do it together.

The illustrations in this story are hilarious and will really get the giggles going with young children. At one point we see Pug’s ability to write a poem in different ways-with his toes, his tongue, even his butt. You can almost hear the children giggling at this part in the story. The story does mention different forms of poetry such as ballad, elegy, quatrains, limerick, sonnet, and haiku, so this would be a good introduction to these different types of poems.

This book is perfect for children between the ages of four and eight years old. Younger children will simply enjoy the story, but older children will be able to relate to some aspects of the story if they are working on a poetry unit at school.

[Abby Johnson]

Cat and Pug are both determined to become the best poet ever, but they each have very different approaches to their goals. These two artists who share a work space don't get along at first - Cat needs order and quiet; Pug needs snacks and the freedom to use his own process. But as these competing poets duel with words, they realize that their feud is sparking some great work. Imagine what a great poem they could write if they teamed up and worked together?!

Brimming with humor, in both the poems and the illustrations, this is a really fun introduction to poetry and the creative process. Read this with any class who has reservations about your poetry unit being boring. Pug types a poem with his butt! And the text includes many different types of poems - haiku and a dual voice poem, making it a tool for introducing different styles of poems. Hand this to fans of funny verse like Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, or Alan Katz.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too clever for its own good, this zany story pits a cat and a pug in an epic battle for supremacy, who finally capitulate into collaboration. The quirky illustrations are noteworthy, but the words are strewn across each page in a jumble, making the story challenging to read for story time and too chaotic to follow for bedtime. The wordplay and gags are humorous for adult readers, but they would float over the heads of wee ones and straight into outer space like Puggie’s underpants. This is a classic example of a story intended for an adult audience who would appreciate the “genius” the author foists on the picture-book poetry scene. Anon and forthwith indeed!

[Niffer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

Okay, to be fair, the artwork is phenomenal.

But I found it a challenge to read. Sometimes the dialogue takes place on two pages, but the only clue I should read it that was was a thin white line on the pale background, which was hard to see. I found the font difficult to read as well (parents might have old eyes--we should remember to make font readable for them).

And I found the poetry really didn't scan well, not even when the dog and cat started collaborating.

I had high hopes based on the beautiful artwork on the cover, but overall I was disappointed.

[Tiffany May Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is brilliantly written but is super annoying to read out loud and is probably better suited for late elementary to middle school ages (or even adults). Like I said, really clever writing, hilarious really. I was surprised when I finished reading that my 5 year old said that she knew what the story was about… things go better when friends work together. If there was a moral to the story that would indeed be it. I figured all she got out of it was “whitie tighties” or the butt jokes lol. So maybe I’m being a bit harsh in the ages.

[Annamarie Carlson (she, her)]

Pug and Cat are both determined to become the world's best poet--though they have vastly different poetic styles. A battle of wits and words ensues, with rapidly increasing hilarity, until the two realize that maybe they would work better as a team.

This was so much fun! I would have a lot of fun reading this to an elementary school classroom, but I am really looking forward to turning this into a reader's theater script.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cat and dog challenge each other to a poetry contest by working hard to upstage the other in creative writing as well as creative insults. A clever picture book filled with witty wordplay, snarky good humor, and a subtle message about getting along even if we don't always see things the same way. Readers who enjoy cat vs. dog humor will find this a delightful picture book! Also this would be a useful book to use for outside-of-the-box reading / teaching poetry units.

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cat and a pug challenging each other to a battle of verse!! HA HA HA

Seriously, I am most in love with these illustrations. They crack me up to my core. And references to haikus and all other forms of poetry is so comical. But those who understand a working of English language and poetry will enjoy this book. Storytime kids, they will just enjoy the pug writing a poem with his but and sending cat's underpants into the air.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

ANIMALS

This would have been fun for our family because my kids hated poetry and I loved it, so they keep noticing me trying to sneak it into our reading. The poetry fight between the pug and the cat would have been a great compromise, and I really enjoyed how their rapprochement happened over the pug's love of smelly rotten food.

I'm still baffled by how this got shelved under Animals and not like poems or concepts or something. Glad I don't make these calls.

[Dylan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really disappointing. The illustrations are cute and the premise is fun but it's much too cluttered. Also the type writer font would work if it was just for the pug, and then the cat should have a more handwritten font. I think that would also help make the difference clearer, as the speech bubble color difference is barely noticeable. Once they start working together it gets a bit better, but still disappointing.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was not very much I liked about this book. Two would-be-poets (a cat and a dog) are battling it out to see who the best poet is. Lots and lots of potty/underwear humor and most of the book is the 2 opponents slinging insults and saying mean things to each other. These are the books I find completely unnecessary and insulting to children.

[Paige Etheridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect book to read for Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) or for inspiration even if it isn't writing related. A comical view on Dogs vs Cats. The art does great showing which adds great foreshadowing and detail to the story. I still love InkPug's Pug poetry of "How I Eat Dis?" I look forward to sharing this book with children and adults alike!

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cat and pug battle to determine who is the better poet. The illustrations are hilarious but the text is a bit tough to read and follow. The font chosen is extremely small. Could be fun for middle graders to enjoy but I don't see my elementary students following along.
I loved the humor and the wide variety of poetry types Stohler used.

[Cheryl]

I question others' reviews who say this would go over kids' heads, or be unsuited for storytime or bedtime (as if those are the only times to read) or not for littles (as if tots are the only audience for picturebooks) or hard to read aloud.... I bet there's an audience for this, and possibly I can help define it, if I like the book myself.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is hilarious! A cat and a pug but heads but come up with some great poetry. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because the talk bubbles are hard at times to follow along and figure out who's talking. Other than that, great illustrations and story to introduce poetry to kids!

[Alicia Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

For: poetry/animal fans; readers looking for a book with rhyme.

Possible red flags: potty humor; fighting; long with difficult to read speech bubbles (background and bubbles are all muted, so it's difficult to see who's talking).

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

When an orange cat and a pug set out to write the best poem ever, they each require that the other not bother the other. But they soon find themselves in a battle of verse, and discover that together they can write a better poem together than alone.

[Julie Thurman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful

Exceeded my expectations for cuteness and creativity.
I devoured it the first read and I shall savor it the second and third.
I shall herald it a classic for pug and cat lover alike.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This funny story is about a cat and a dog who both are writers of poetry. They lay down rules to each other so they can concentrate - and that turns into a rhyming challenge! Cute story and illustrations.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I challenge you to a battle of verse!"

A Shakespeare-inspired cat, quill in hand versus a pug with a typewriter stand off in a poetry competition. Lively poems ensue, but they discover that they make a pretty good team.

[Lisa D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book!

[clivey · Rating 3 out of 5]

a silly poetry book for kids; fun for dog or cat lovers, too

[Jennifer Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute! Would be great for a two person read aloud

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be good for a couple of children to read aloud to kick off a poetry unit.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pug and Cat spend so much time fighting and making up that they don't even write a poem.

[SandyKay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing and so fun to read aloud!

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would work best as a read aloud by two voices. Lots of low-brow humor (farts, underwear, etc.).