poetry

There’s No Place Like School: Classroom Poems

| Tasha

9780060823382

There’s No Place Like School selected by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Jane Manning

Prelutsky has selected poems that focus on school in this funny and terrific collection of poetry.  The poems are written by thirteen poets and are filled with child appeal and an understanding of the mind of a child.  Turning from one to the next takes the reader through a school day, from heading out the door and the school bus ride to the show and tell and music class and eventually the ride back home.  The poems are well selected, offering a blend of different humor that makes moving from one poem to the next a delight. 

Manning’s illustrations offer a bright and colorful view of school.  She happily embraces the humor of each poem, from the strange foods at the school cafeteria to the delights of milk squirting out of a nose.  All are offered in a quirky and positive way.

An ideal book for the first days of school, this book will be appreciated by children of many ages.  Appropriate for ages 5-9.

Reviewed from library copy.

 

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Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave

| Tasha

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Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill, illustrated by Bryan Collier

Dave the Potter was an outstanding artist, poet and potter whose influence is still evident in South Carolina pottery.  He lived in the 1800s and created his pottery with amazing skill, building enormous pots that could up to 40 gallons.  He was one of only two potters known to have the strength and skill to create such large pieces.  Dave was also a poet, inscribing his verse on his pottery, offering two lines of poetry and then a date.  His poems have the beauty and simplicity of Haiku and offer a unique perspective of a poet surviving in slavery.  This is a picture book that makes an important figure in history come alive, revealing his art and poetry for children. 

Hill has created a free verse of his own to tell the story of the life of Dave.  Hill’s verse is simple and striking, drawing together the connections between the simple ingredients of the clay and what it can become and the simple life of a slave and the wonder of what Dave created.  The poem leads children through the stages of making a pot from the gathering of the clay to the magic and work of creating pottery.  The book ends with more of Dave’s poetry as well as an author’s note and an illustrator’s note.  All of them speaking to the influence and importance of Dave the Potter.

Collier’s art work here is stunningly beautiful.  His watercolor and collage art speaks to the strength of Dave, the skill of his hands and the glory of his work.  The colors are rich and deep, filled with a warm earthiness that evokes pottery and clay. 

A radiant tribute to an artist, this picture book echoes the transcendent artist that Dave was.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from library copy.

Last Song

| Tasha

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Last Song by Eric Rohmann

Marry an old Scottish poem to contemporary art and you have this beautifully simple book.  Follow the day of a squirrel family as they wake from nestling together and dash out of their tree hollow into the sun.  Smile as they wrestle together on the ground in the bright day.  Watch as the day turns to night and the moon rises.  See the stars sprinkle the sky, linger a bit, then return with them to the warm snuggles of sleep.  This book embraces the simple pleasures of life, the joy of simply being out in a sunny day and a clear night, and the brilliance of being together.  Done with a die cut cover, this book is sized in an inviting small way for little hands.

The poem is brief in itself and sprinkled throughout the book, it offers short phrases for a framework for the book.  The treat here is Rohmann and his ability to take an old poem and breathe new, modern life into it.  He also manages to make it entirely accessible for children, something that would not be possible if they just were read the poem.  Rohmann’s watercolor illustrations are deep colored and buoyant with happiness.  This is not a book that asks deep questions, rather one that basks in the small things in life.

A warm, cuddly book that would make an ideal gift for a child.  Due to its small size, it will work best with smaller groups or single children.  It would also make a great jumping-off point for discussions about the small things that matter so much in children’s lives.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Roaring Brook Press.

Also featured on 7 Imp.

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Where the Sunrise Begins

| Tasha

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Where the Sunrise Begins by Douglas Wood, illustrations by Wendy Popp

Wood’s poem asks the question “Where does the sunrise begin?”  He then offers ideas of where it might begin.  Perhaps the mountains?  Maybe the treetops?  Could it be the marsh, the lake or the sea?  Maybe different regions of the world?  The Middle East, Africa or the Far East.  In the end, readers will be warmed by his answer of where exactly the sunrise begins.  Written in beautiful language, this book truly celebrates our world and each one of us. 

Wood has written a lengthy poem that is ethereal and beautiful.  At the same time, he doesn’t rely on large words to convey his message.  His writing is simple yet compelling.  The use of the question as a refrain offers a necessary structure to the poem, giving young readers a place to return to and start again on another quest for the answer. 

Popp’s illustrations really make this book glow.  Each page is a powerful image, filled with light and softness.  The images are done in conte crayon and pastel that have a depth of color that is amazing.  The complex colors of daybreak are captured in the pages, with their pinks and blues that mix at no other time of day.  Popp has captured the special texture and weight of this light.

A beautiful book, this is a poem worth reading combined with illustrations that elevate.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Simon & Schuster.

Three Rivers Rising

| Tasha

Three Rivers Rising: A Novel of The Johnstown Flood by Jame Richards

Celestia has always been the daughter who obeys her father, preferring books over boys.  But when she meets Peter, a boy who works at the hotel she is staying at with her family, she falls in love.  The two of them spend secret hours together swimming in Lake Conemaugh, talking and stealing kisses.  Distracted by her budding relationship, Celestia is not aware that her sister is also in love, but Estrella has gone much farther and ends up pregnant.  Celestia must now give up her love and attend to her family.  When she returns a year later, Peter no longer works at the hotel, and Celestia must make a fateful choice – to be disowned by her wealthy family and follow her heart or to obey and marry a man she doesn’t care for.  Her choice, made in 1889, comes just before the historical disaster of the Johnstown Flood.  Far more is about to be at stake than being disowned.

Tautly written in verse, this book immerses the reader into the culture of the day.  It is a world where class is protected, where wealth is new or old, where hotel boys do not mingle with guests, where children are disowned, where love flourishes despite it all.  Richards has cleverly taken different voices and told their stories here.  The reader knows that disaster is about to happen, keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout the story.  As each voice speaks, there is another character to care about, another perspective to view the flood and the society from. 

Though this is the story of the flood, it is also the story of love that transcends barriers.  It is at heart a romance set in a terrible time.  Richards’ poetry is by turns sweet and bitter.  As the flood occurs, readers will find themselves amazed, saddened and devastated.  We are in Richards’ hands here and what great hands they are.  It is hard to believe this is a debut novel given the confidence and ability that she demonstrates.

Highly recommended, this book is historical fiction at its best combined with the best of a verse novel.  Prepare to be mesmerized.  Appropriate for ages 12-15.

Reviewed from library copy.

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The Dreamer

| Tasha

The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan and Peter Sis

Released April 2010.

Neftali is a boy with the spirit of a poet.  He loves to write series of words anywhere he can, he collects small objects like stones and keys, and he daydreams amazing adventures.  He is also a boy with a father who wants him to focus on the real world and become a doctor or dentist, definitely not a writer.  His father is a domineering force in his world, blowing a whistle to call him to attention and sneering at his scrawny build.  Despite this, Neftali continues to dream and write, eventually becoming one of the most read poets in the world, Pablo Neruda.

Ryan’s prose is profound and exquisite.  She has created here a book about a real person that takes you directly into that person’s mind, allowing a deep understanding.  She has taken some of the seminal events of Neruda’s life and written scenes that sear into your mind with their beauty and importance.  She writes to honor a great poet but also to allow people to understand him on a new level.  Beautifully done.

Combined with Ryan’s prose, Sis’ illustrations exude a simplicity and delicacy that work marvelously with the subject matter.  His illustrations verge on the surreal, taking us into Neruda’s thoughts and dreams.  The illustrations are deceptive in their simplicity, revealing far more than they seem to.  The partnership of these two has created something magical.

The Author’s Note at the end of the book is interesting and important.  I also appreciated the inclusion at the end of some of Neruda’s poems, because readers of this book are sure to want to read his poems.  I know that this book will reconnect me with his writing again.

A moving and beautiful tribute to a poet’s youth and development, this book also shines because of its focus on self-esteem, social consciousness, and individuality.  I can see it being used as a read-aloud in classrooms, though part of its beauty is reading it and savoring it.  Appropriate for ages 9-13.

Reviewed from Advanced Reader Copy received from Scholastic.

 

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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.

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.

All the Broken Pieces

| Tasha

All the Broken Pieces by Ann Burg

Matt Pin was airlifted from war torn Vietnam to the United States and has been adopted into a loving family.  Now at age 12, Matt is struggling with the internal scars of war, combined with his questions of identity.  He has haunting memories of his mother and brother whom he left behind in Vietnam.  Matt has trouble giving a voice to his internal struggles, while externally he is having difficulties at school and is being bullied by boys on his baseball team.  Can Matt manage to make peace with his past so he can embrace his future?  Or are the two so intertwined that they are one and the same?

A searing verse novel, this book offers powerful poetry that clearly conveys the emotional scars of Matt and of the community around him.  Vietnam is a multi-faceted subject and Burg does an admirable job in paying tribute to its many aspects.  Poetry is a wonderful medium for this sort of exploration, allowing things to be said clearly that would have to be danced around in prose.  Burg’s poems create a cohesive novel yet offer verses that will linger in the memory and mind, that speak to our humanity and our past.

Here is one verse from the early part of the novel that captures the power and talent of the writing:

He never saw my face.

But she was already swelled

with love for him when he left,

taking with him

his blue-eyed promise

that it would not end there,

with the smell of burnt flesh

and the sound of crying children.

Highly recommended for tween and teen readers, this book covers powerful subjects without turning away or flinching.  Readers who are not poetry readers and those who claim not to like verse novels should be encouraged to try this one.  Appropriate for ages 12-15.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by A Year of Reading.