
Member Reviews

4★
"I am a doodler. The diagnosis is clear.
Crack open my heart; you’ll find a doodle in there.
Whether pencil or pen, my doodles flow out
like cool water running in a fire hydrant spout.
When I start to doodle, I doodle a lot.
The best places to doodle are places to not:
On the corners of desks, I impale my depictions
of dragon fights with ghosts of disastrous infliction.
On the soles of my shoes, I draft a landscape
of blueberry tacos in pink permanent ink."
On and on it goes, from the spines of books to bathroom stalls to lockers, to posters on the wall until caught and stopped. No, not stopped – well not entirely.
"Some days they lock up all my utensils and tools,
but that doesn’t stop me from doing my doodles.
I close my eyes tight and the white canvas flies in.
I doodle in my thoughts until I’m free once again."
There are drawings galore to illustrate the feelings. Although this short poem (and illustration) is called DAYDREAM, I think it applies to doodling in your thoughts as well. I'm not sure how well the text will display, so I will write out the words to the poems I've included.
[My Goodreads review includes an illustration.]
"I’m dazing off to Daydream Land.
I’m leaving class behind.
Why use my focus for this class
when there’s a party in my mind?"
Some of these are simple rhymes about school, some are long, philosophical thoughts, and some are just silly imaginings that are bound to get a laugh from youngsters, especially in a classroom situation. Some scan like conventional poems, but many don't.
[My Goodreads review includes an illustration.]
"Mommy taught me not to sneeze
and hold my farts by locking knees
and bite my tongue to stop my burps
and swallow coughs, which really hurts
So now I know without a doubt
how my belly button innie
became an out."
Then there's the obligatory – ewww yuck stuff that kids love! There are severalpoems in this free-form style.
[My Goodreads review includes an illustration.]
"the graceful robin
pukes up lunch in her kid’s mouth
geez . . . nature is weird"
This last one is fairly long, written with short phrases so it is viewed as a poem, and it's a bit of a teaching opportunity without being too heavy-handed.
[My Goodreads review includes an illustration.]
"You have defeated me this time,
flu.
I might be sitting on the couch
half awake,
shaking from chills,
too weak to stand,
but I am plotting my revenge.
Oh yes.
I will be ready for you next winter!
I will wash my hands thirty times a day!
I will disinfect everything anyone touches!
I will eat all my vitamins, even the gross ones!
But before that
I am going to sip on this cold orange juice,
nibble on a graham cracker,
lie here,
and try not to throw up on myself
again
for the third time today.
But next year
you will not win!
I promise you that!"
There is quite an assortment, and I can see that some of them are designed to be across two pages, but I can't view them that way in the apps available for reviewing.
They aren't brilliant, but that's sort of the point. Some are clever - a plumber who can't cover his 'crack' – with illustration!, and another about a young boy who considers pranking his sick brother by texting ridiculous messages from the brother's phone to the brother's friends.
They touch on fear, anxiety, generosity – as I say, teaching moments. I think it's a great idea and a way to get non-readers to enjoy playing with words. When I used to volunteer tutor little kids who couldn't/wouldn't try to read, I found everyone loved riddles. To have a riddle on one page and the answer on the other side was a fun way to start.
Whatever works, I'm all for it. Good on you, Mr Eicheldinger. I bet your class is fun!
Thanks to #NetGalley and Andrew McMeel Publishing for a copy of #HolesInMyUnderwear for review.

What a wonderful collection of fun and nostalgic poems!
You have poems about pencils and school lockers and farts and everything in between. This is a sure thing for both young and old!

What a fun collection! I'll be putting this into the hands of my readers of chaos comedies like DOGMAN who are ready to make a foray into poetry. This is a solid addition to your poetry shelf.

There's not enough hilarious poetry for children! I got a huge kick out of this collection that uses anything and everything as a subject. Some of the poems are silly and some are clever and hilariously subversive. There's something here for every kid and for the adults in these kids' lives.
I also really loved that the author got his family involved in putting together this set of funny poems.

My students read poetry for our 10 Genre Challenge, but Shel Silverstein is the only poet they ever willingly check out and share with each other. Not anymore! Matt Eicheldinger is the heir apparent to Silverstein's poetic genius -- at last I will have a volume of poetry for my students to fight over! This one has it all for middle schoolers: farts, poop, boogers, zits -- my 6th grade boys will definitely share this one aloud with each other. If I can ever wrestle it away from them, I'll use several selections for our Poem of the Day.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the digital ARC. Can't wait to add this to my classroom library when it's released.

Note: I received a DRC from Edelweiss and NetGalley in exchange for a review.
“From the creative brains of New York Times bestselling author and middle school teacher Matt Eicheldinger comes an all-new collection of 100+ funny and thoughtful poems and illustrations!
For fans of Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends, Bob Odenkirk's Zilot & Other Important Rhymes, and Chris Harris's My Head Has a Bellyache, comes New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Matt Eicheldinger's Holes in My Underwear—a side-splitting, thought-tickling collection packed with 112 poems and doodles that’ll leave readers giggling and thinking long after they've turned the last page.
The poems range in style, an ode to an egg-filled burrito, an elegy contemplating life’s purpose, a free verse about living with ADHD, a haiku about papercuts, a lyrical poem about basketball, a narrative verse about Shakespeare farting, and tons more! Also included is an author's note about the power of poetry.
Whether you’re pondering life’s big questions or wondering about the origin of the pink blob fish, this book has something for everyone. Each poem was hand-selected by real kids. Who knows—you might even discover some more hidden meanings woven into the very fabric of the stitches.
So, what are you waiting for?
Hold your underpants tight and start reading!”
While kids will definitely enjoy this book, I thought it was just okay. There are some poems that were really good, some that were not for me, and most of them were just okay. I enjoyed the illustrations in this book, and I do appreciate how the author, Matthew Eicheldinger, wrote this book for his students. But overall, while I did enjoy this book, I mostly thought that it was okay, but kids will definitely get a kick out of it.
⭐⭐⭐

This book is filled with funny poems which children and parents can read together and laugh at together

This was quite a funny read. In my opinion, it is perfect for children who want to have some fun and initiate themselves into the world of rhyme and poetry.

I was given an ARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for a review. This was a really cute and funny poem collection. Definitely better suited for upper elementary or middle school.
My 4 year old says “It was great! I thought it was so silly. 5 stars!” So there’s a little bit of something for all ages to enjoy!

Matthew Eicheldinger gives young readers a variety of poetry in this new collection of poems. There's certainly appeal to the 5th grade crowd with subjects like science fair farts, talking dogs, hairy dad bods, and playing video games.
Reading Holes in My Underwear aloud brought my 10-year-old over and away from playing with LEGO! (Not an easy task!) We sped through the book, reading and giggling at the words and illustrations. My kids, especially, loved "Coffee" and the accompanying illustration pairings. They laughed out loud and didn't want me to stop reading.
I'm labeling this a fun and silly read-aloud book. Thank you to Andrews McNeel Publishing for the gifted copy! #HolesinMyUnderwear #NetGalley

Although my Goodreads page might make you think otherwise, with all the countless romance books, I actually read quite a lot of books with poems. And most poem-filled books are "fun", or "inspirational", or "relatable", or "", almost always 'or'. This poem-filled book was all of it.
There were some poems that were very relatable, like the first one (which is also one of my favorites) called 'Doodler'. But then you get to the second poem, and that one was very deep.
And while some were about those relatable things or held some very inspirational life lessons, others were totally crazy (the good kind) or just very VERY fun.
With the poems also came some very fun illustrations. They really added some extra character to the words.
I got to read this book as an ARC, and I'm glad I got the chance. I had a great time reading it!

Lots of fun. Great to see yet another children's poet come on the scene. The poems are fun and well written perfect for the upper elementary school crowd.

Let me tell you, getting kids into poetry is hard. Getting boys into poetry? An impossibility.
I read this book on my iPad with a seven year old who hates reading and thinks Poetry is a lousy nickname for the Star Wars character knockoff on Roblox.
He was enamored. The title might’ve helped pique interest. We usually only read a few pages of a book before bed. But he kept asking for more more MORE.
His brother is 13 and stopped by to stay goodnight. Kiddo made him stay for a poem. He too was enraptured and stayed for a few more. He asked where I got the book so he could share with his English teacher. I told him it wasn’t out yet but that the author had other books to tell his teacher about.
Their mom might’ve kissed me on the mouth when I got home and told her that her 7 year old had read poetry with me for over 30 minutes and that I had to make him go to bed.
The giggles and joy we had and shared. I for one loved the text and style of it. The poetry was good, perfect for the age group, which is a rarity with kids poetry these days.
Will most definitely be buying a copy for my nanny kid the second it releases.

Holes in My Underwear comprises of a beautiful collection of over 100 poems and illustrations that harmoniously blends together humor, heart, and imagination.The author has done an incredible job crafting verses that resonate with readers of all ages, particularly those in the 8–10 age range.
What sets this collection apart is its authenticity; each poem was hand-selected ensuring that the content genuinely appeals to its intended audience. The accompanying illustrations add an extra layer of charm, making the reading experience even more engaging and interesting for young readers.
The true essence of childhood curiosity and humor is captured in the pages of this book. This book is not just a compilation of poems; it's an invitation to laugh, reflect, and find joy in the little things.
I highly recommend this read especially those who seek a fresh, humorous take on poetry, Holes in My Underwear is a must-read that promises to leave readers giggling and thinking long after the last page.

What particularly distinguishes Eicheldinger's poetic voice is its democratic accessibility coupled with linguistic playfulness. The poet never sacrifices technical craft for humor, nor depth for approachability. Instead, his verses operate on multiple levels simultaneously—offering immediate surface pleasures while rewarding closer reading with subtle wordplay, unexpected metaphors, and layered meanings "woven into the very fabric of the stitches," as his own meta-poetic reference suggests.