Russian picture-book hero Dunno - Незнайка, meaning "don't know," in the original - returns in this fourth adventure, once again deciding that he would like to imitate one of his fellow Mites, and reap the rewards of his craft, without doing any of the work necessary to truly master it. In Dunno Takes Music Lessons, he decides to become a musician like Trills, but has no patience for the idea that he must take lessons, and practice his instrument; while How Dunno Became An Artist sees him attempting to become a painter, like Blobs, but once again eschewing the notion that he must start at the beginning, and work his way up. Here, Dunno decides to become a poet, like Posey (real name: Turnips), but his little vignettes concerning his housemates don't go over very well, as he sacrifices meaning in order to create a rhyme...

One of ten "Dunno" books that I found at a rummage sale, some months ago - I believe that each of these picture-books is actually a chapter in the original work, which seems to have been more of a children's novel - How Dunno Became a Poet is, like its predecessors, a book that I found of interest, without really enjoying. Far too preachy in tone for my taste, it also rests on the curious notion that all poetry must rhyme (does all Russian poetry rhyme? I have no idea...), and while I get the sense that it must have been very humorous, in the original, something just feels a little lacking, in this English translation. Still, I'm glad to have read it, as I am interested in children's literature from other, non-English speaking cultures - something that we don't get enough of, here in the states - and I find the artwork cute, in a vintage kind of way. Which means, yes, I will be continuing on through the subsequent six titles I own, in this series... ( )