Lauren Stohler lives and works with her husband Gareth in Connecticut, where they create art and pug poetry under their top-secret internet pseudonym, @Inkpug. When not writing stories or drawing pictures, they are probably on a walk to the ice cream shop. The Best Worst Poet Ever is Lauren's debut picture book. Find out more at Inkpug.com.
With clever illustrations of the mayhem, this is a wonderful story for two people to read aloud together, demonstrating the pleasures of poetry and language, not to mention how much fun a battle of wits can be for the participants and the spectators. . . . The pitch-perfect banter between pug and cat is almost Seussical in nature, using rhyme and rhythm to propel things along. For listening, looking, or reading aloud, this is a battle of verse worth joining. -- School Library Journal Stohler takes 'use your words' to literary, witty extremes via roly-poly Pug and orange, fluffy, and equally rotund frenemy Cat. . . . As the versifying escalates, expressively inky digital vignettes grow ever more rambunctious and gravity-defying; the typewritten text follows suit, skipping and swooping around the page. Eventually, poetry works it magic on both characters, who enthusiastically embrace each other, the muse, and all the tools in the meter toolkit, including slanted rhyme, enjambment, and poetic contractions. They're poets, and boy, do they know it. -- Publishers Weekly The scansion and prosody are remarkable, making for a truly rollicking read-aloud with extreme emotional highs. . . . There's plenty of humor and energy to keep audiences large and small enthralled. Delightful. -- Kirkus Reviews