poetry

Instructions

| Tasha

Instructions by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Charles Vess

Making this poem into a picture book was pure genius, especially with illustrations by Vess.  Gaiman takes one fairy tale and folk tale image after another and offers them up as instructions for your journey (in life, reading and magic).  The book follows the journey of a cat-like creature who travels through a door into a strange world of myth and whimsy.  Readers, young and old, will be charmed by beloved motifs, surprised by familiar yet strange moments, and ultimately completely satisfied as the journey comes full circle.

Gaiman’s poem reveals why he is such a beloved storyteller as he weaves together giants, dragons, wolves, toads and gems into a book that is about story, myth and our lives as well.  Vess’s art adds greatly to the child-appeal of the poem, offering a vintage, classic fairy tale feel. 

Highly recommended, this book will be best appreciated by readers who know about story and tales, because page after page they will be visiting beloved moments from books and stories.  Get this into the hands of middle school kids who love to read, they will understand it, appreciate it, and let it guide them forward. 

Appropriate for a very wide range of ages.

Check out this online version of the book read by Neil Gaiman from HarperKids:

Reviewed from library copy.

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Poetrees

| Tasha

Poetrees by Douglas Florian

Florian has turned his poetic talents to trees in this newest collection.  His poems move from the parts of a tree like bark and roots to specific types of trees.  He includes oaks, baobab, Japanese cedar, yews and many more.  In each, he celebrates what makes them unique and special.  He merges puns with poetry, offering a funny twist or humorous phrase.  Florian evokes the essence of trees with ease here.  His forest is one that is definitely worth wandering in.

Florian has also done the art work in this book.  Done with a variety of media on paper bags, they evoke a roughness, a bark and a natural feel that perfect mesh with the poems.  I particularly appreciate that you can see the folds and creases in the bags.  They make you want to run your fingers across the page, only to find them glossy smooth. 

Ideal for Earth Day or Arbor Day, this is a beautiful way to spend time with the trees around us.  Appropriate for ages 5-10.

Reviewed from copy received from Beach Lane Publishers.

Also reviewed by Jama Rattigan’s Alphabet Soup.

The Firefly Letters

| Tasha

The Firefly Letters by Margarita Engle

I have adored Engle and her poetry since first reading her Poet Slave of Cuba.  This historical novel told in verse tells the story of early Swedish feminist Fredrika Bremer and her travels in Cuba.  While in Cuba she inspires and changes the lives of two women, a slave named Cecilia and a wealthy young woman named Elena.  At first amazed and shocked by the freedom Fredrika demonstrates, Elena warms to her as she begins to understand that the future could be different than just an arranged marriage.  Cecilia finds in Fredrika a woman who looks beyond her slave status and a role model for hope.  Told in Engle’s radiant verse, this is another novel by this splendid author that is to be treasured.

As with all of her novels, Engle writes about the duality of Cuba:  the dark side and the light, the beauty and the ugliness.  Once again she explores the horrific legacy of slavery without flinching from its truth.  Against that background of slavery, she has written a novel of freedom.  It is the story of a woman who refused to be defined by the limitations of her birth and her sex, instead deciding to travel and write rather than marry.  Fredrika is purely freedom, beautifully contrasted with the two women who are both captured in different ways and forced into lives beyond their control. 

Beautifully done, this book is an excellent example of the verse novel.  Each poem can stand on its own and still works to tell a cohesive story.  At times Engle’s words are so lovely that they give pause and must be reread.  This simply deepens the impact of the book.  Engle also uses strong images in her poems.  In this book, fireflies are an important image that work to reveal light and dark, as well as freedom and captivity.

Highly recommended, this author needs to be read by those who enjoy poetry, those who enjoy history, and those who simply are looking for great writing.  Appropriate for ages 11-14.

Reviewed from library copy.

Mirror Mirror

| Tasha

Mirror Mirror by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Josee Masse

This is a book of reversible verse.  Poems that read both up and down.  Doing so tells both sides of a fairy tale.  Little Red Riding Hood’s poem becomes that of the wolf when reversed.  Sleeping Beauty and the Prince both envy the other.  Beauty and the Beast find true love from two different directions.  And many more. 

Singer’s verse reads effortlessly but she offers such incredible skill that it is awe inspiring.  After reading the first poem aloud to my son, we proceeded to read the book to my older son and my husband.  All of us were amazed by the ability to write a poem that reads forwards and backwards and demonstrates another side of the story.  I think that is the most vital piece of the poems, that they don’t just work forward and back but that they illuminate the other side as well.  They are truly reversible verses. 

She also injects a lot of humor in the poems, a wry attitude, a sly grin, making them a delight to read.  Masse’s art has a traditional feel, done on wood, that really suits the fairy tale subjects.  Her art too offers humor and deftly demonstrates both sides of the verse.

Use this with older students to get them trying their own reversible poems.  It will also be a welcome addition to any poetry unit, fairy tale reading, or just simple for fun.  An awesome display of skill and humor, this book is simply amazing.  Appropriate for ages 5-12.

Reviewed from copy received from Dutton.

Also reviewed by 7 Imp.

The Beatitudes

| Tasha

The Beatitudes: From Slavery to Civil Rights by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Tim Ladwig

Weatherford has taken Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and created a poem that follows African-American history from slavery through to the election of Barack Obama.  The poem affirms that God has been with people even in slavery, during the Civil War, during the civil rights movement, and continues to be with them now.  Readers will discover historical figures from various times in the book, including Rosa Parks, Emmett Till, Ruby Bridges and Martin Luther King, Jr.  There are a wealth of heroes here, all surrounded by the strength of faith.

Weatherford’s words are strong and ringing.  They both celebrate and mourn, moving ever onward to a brighter future.  The book shines with a beautiful combination of faith and history.  Ladwig’s illustrations add to that shine with strong people shown in moments of strength.  Many of his paintings have interesting perspectives that make the book even more lovely.

Highly recommended, this is a book that truly captures the strength of a people.  Appropriate for ages 6-10.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Visit Carole Boston Weatherford’s website  and Tim Ladwig’s website.

All Kinds of Families

| Tasha

All Kinds of Families by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Marc Boutavant

Bottle caps, gingersnaps, buttons, or rings

You can make families from all sorts of things!

Explore the idea of family as a broader thing.  People are families, animals are families, but also socks, marbles, thimbles and more!  The idea of family is embraced here, going far beyond our everyday concept of it and allowing children to find families everywhere.  In the book, the human families are also celebrated and children’s roles in them are highlighted.  This flowing poem even has you seeing families in fingers and toes.  A celebration indeed!

Hoberman’s rhyme here is great fun, offering lists of items that are families and inviting readers to add their own ideas.  The highlighted text above nicely finishes each verse of the poem.  Boutavant’s illustrations are retro 1970s and equally fun.  They feature grinning objects, lots of animals, and small details to enjoy. 

This is a jolly book that is a warm hug of inclusion for everyone and everything into the world of families.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

We Troubled the Waters

| Tasha

We Troubled the Waters by Ntozake Shange, illustrated by Rod Brown

It takes a very special picture book to leave you with tears standing in your eyes.  This is that book.

This book of poems takes readers from slavery through Jim Crow to the KKK and the battles of the Civil Rights Movement.  It is a visual and poetic trip through African-American history, a journey that evokes the emotions, the cruelty, the hate and the oppression.  It lifts only at the end speaking of modern life in America with a hopeful tone and a unity that sees beyond color.

Shange’s poems are powerful, unflinching looks at historical moments.  They celebrate victories while continuing to honor the slain and victimized of the past.  She writes with an honesty that elevates these poems beyond simple historical facts, creating emotional and honest portrayals of what people felt and experienced during those times. 

Brown’s art is equally powerful.  His portraits of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks speak to the people themselves and their message even more than their outward appearance.  They are beautifully rendered in deep colors, a tribute to the history and the people.

Highly recommended, this is a book that is ideal for February’s Black History Month but should be used all year long.  This is our history no matter our color.  It is a history we should all be aware of so that it never repeats itself.  Appropriate for ages 8-12.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by TheHappyNappyBookseller.

The Duck and the Kangaroo

| Tasha

The Duck and the Kangaroo by Edward Lear, illustrated by Jane Wattenberg

Combine Lear’s classic poem with funky, modern collages and you get a winner of a picture book!  Duck is bored living in his pond.  He wishes that he could travel the world the way Kangaroo does so he asks Kangaroo to carry him on his back.  But Kangaroo has one major concern about the plan, Duck’s wet, cold feet would be awfully uncomfortable.  Duck has already solved this problem by getting knitted socks and a cape to keep himself warm.  So off they hop, the two friends around the world three times.

Lear’s poem would make a great pairing with his other more famous The Owl and the Pussycat.  This poem is silly, wild and rather surreal, which matches well with Wattenberg’s illustrations.  Her collages incorporate Lear’s own art and that of others, creating a cohesive and fascinating blend of old and new, all in vibrant color.  Duck’s wide-eyed view of the world enhances the humor of the poem, as do other small touches like the rainbow of knitted socks perfect for webbed feet.

A wild and funny book that will find a niche of eager readers looking for something joyous and surreal.  Just hop along with the story and you will find a real treasure of a friendship by the end.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

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Looking Like Me

| Tasha

Looking Like Me by Walter Dean Myers, illustrated by Christopher Myers

This father and son partnership has created a picture book that will work with a broad span of ages.   Walter Dean Myers’ poem explores everything that a person can be, all the various aspects of a person.  He focuses on what a person loves to do, relationships with others, and who that person really is.  It is an empowering message of both individuality and connections to others. 

The poetry in the book dances from one idea to the next with a jazzy rhythm and urban vibe.  Christopher Myers’ art is joyous, loose and loud.  The two work together to offer a book filled with rhythm and movement. 

This book is accessible enough to be used with children in elementary school, but may speak loudest to older children and teens who are asking themselves about their identity.  It begs to be used with students and reacted to in a personal way.  Appropriate for ages 7-14.

Reviewed from library copy.