A Dad’s Perspective: The Upside Down House and Other Poems

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Dad here! When I get to take the reins of A Little Library blog posts I like to try and find unique and/or quirky books that might not always be found on the beaten path of well-known kids’ books. So today I was very excited to tackle a small-time published book by two dear friends of Lydia and me that we met long ago in the magical land of Disney.

The Upside Down House and Other Poems Book Review

the upside down house and other poems

Debbie and Jennifer Sleeper are identical twins that we met through mutual friends. Both are wildly creative and are the perfect fit for working at a place like Disney. In their spare time, they came up with a decent-sized kids book filled with original poems and artwork called The Upside Down House and Other Poems. Right out of the gate the book will catch your attention as the cover is purposely designed upside down! Once inside you will be greeted by close to 100 original poems that run the gamut from super short (one poem is exactly 10 words) to multiple pages that span fully realized stories. 

The rhyme schemes change depending on the needs of the individual poems, which, on occasion, threw me for a loop, but once I put the patterns together they all made for breezy and entertaining reads. They often stick to playful and silly plot lines that offer a twist in the final line or two. A personal favorite is ‘Solid Stomach Steven’, which may or may not be loosely inspired by a similarly named friend…  It’s a fun recounting of every person’s experience with school cafeterias and that one kid that will devour everything despite its questionable content.

sample page from the upside down house book of poems

While the majority of The Upside Down House is laid out in an easy to read format, many of the poems interact directly with the included artwork for a fun departure from standard tomes. ‘The Thirteenth Poem’ changes up the font to go for a creepy haunted vibe, ‘Shipwreck’ acts out a conversation from a Captain and First Mate (right and left justified as if each character were speaking from different sides of the page,) and ‘Washing Machine’ literally puts its words on spin cycle. Such fun change-ups will keep kids interested and engaged throughout the length of the read.

Speaking of artwork, every poem features a creative montage of characters, creatures, and scenes that are a delight to view. They are oftentimes the punch line to the poems themselves so it makes for a fully immersive experience in both reading and viewing.  The drawing style is clear and funny and is a testament to the multi-talented authors.

It should be noted that some of the poems are likely a little more grown-up than toddler fare. A couple have some minor dark tones such as ‘Camp-Scream-A-Lot’ and ‘The Continued Story of the Three Little Pigs’ but all are played for laughs and will likely fly over the grasp of any young-minded reader/listeners.

illustration from the upside down house book of poems

This book can be visited multiple times without reading the same story over and over. Storytime with the children can be fresh for several nights in a row without having to read the same plot. Inevitably kids will have their favorite poems, but like any collected book anthology, the adults will have a variety to read from right out of the gate.

Debbie and Jennifer’s book is a delight to read from and I’d encourage any reader to check out The Upside Down House. Admittedly we are a little biased as we are long time friends. We even have original artwork from our wedding that they created for us! Finding small gems from independent artists and writers is truly delightful.  Especially when it’s something so fully realized from concept to completed book.

For more book recommendations from A Dad’s Perspective, check out P is for Potty: A Sesame Street Potty Training Book Review, and Elbow Grease by John Cena: Book Review.

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