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The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations
by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong
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Saturday, February 20, 2021
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Poetry Review #39
Lilah Tov Good Night
Hebrew for "good night"
Author: Ben Gundersheime (Mister G)Illustrator: Noar Lee Naggan
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2020
ISBN: 978-1524740665
Reading Ages: 3 and up
Genre: Poetry for Early Learning, Children's Jewish Fiction Books, Stories in Verse, Lyrical Lullaby
Genre: Poetry for Early Learning, Children's Jewish Fiction Books, Stories in Verse, Lyrical Lullaby
I Gave This Book 5 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁
Appeal: This book is deceptively simple. On one level it is a simple children’s story about a little girl saying good night to common things around her, but on a deeper level you see a family leaving their home in search of a new one. The Jewish diaspora was a major part of Jewish history and is unobtrusively discovered in the lovely artwork that accompanies the poem.
Connections:
Lailah Töv,
Why 5 Roars? This is one of my new favorite books! It was originally a
song that was made into a lyrical lullaby. I fell in love with the art and rhymes. This is a book that you should buy as
a printed copy, not an ebook, in my opinion. The artwork is just too fabulous
not to appreciate in print format.
Poetic Elements: The rhyme and rhythm are a song that became a poem, a visual story, and a moving combination of all of the above.
“Lovely illustrations depicting a Jewish immigrant tale. The text is concise and simple. . . . The rhymes work well. . . . The luminous, digitally colored pencil illustrations tell a more expansive story. . . . This book can be read as a simple bedtime story or discussed as an immigrant tale. Either way, it will likely find a receptive audience with Jewish families in search of bedtime books or families looking for immigrant stories.”
~~School Library Journal
Appeal: This book is deceptively simple. On one level it is a simple children’s story about a little girl saying good night to common things around her, but on a deeper level you see a family leaving their home in search of a new one. The Jewish diaspora was a major part of Jewish history and is unobtrusively discovered in the lovely artwork that accompanies the poem.
“As the sun sets and the moon rises, an unnamed young child says good night to everything in the natural landscape. . . . Simple, brief, descriptive text... Lush, detailed, soft-edged landscapes provide another, deeper, and more nuanced level to the proceedings. . . . The protagonist is saying good night to the creatures and places spotted on what readers will see as a lengthy journey. . . . At the end of their travels, there is a new home awaiting them. They travel quietly and surreptitiously. . . . Each young reader will interpret the work differently depending on individual understanding and knowledge of history, or perhaps with a wise adult to help. Haunting and beautiful.”
~~Kirkus Reviews
Overall Quality: The book is oddly peaceful and does not present a stressful version of the Jewish diaspora, so young readers will be comforted by the book's simple story and rhyme. The superiority of the lyrical lullaby, sweet, quiet, and effortless with the charming artwork, is exceptional.
Gundersheimer's work is well known. He has two bilingual albums, "Chocolalala" and "ABC Fiesta," a GRAMMY-winning album, “Los Animales,” Jewish albums “The Mitzvah Bus” and “Seeds of Shalom,” and an environmental bilingual album, “Mundo Verde/Green World.” He promotes multiculturalism, unity, and peace.
Noar Lee Naggan is an illustrator born in Israel and graduated from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem.
Layout: The layout is a story in verse.
Connections:
Spotlight Poem -
“The moon is rising,
big and bright
Time to wish everyone
good night.”
Sharing—This book would be perfect for reading before bed.
Activity—I would suggest teaching the poem in song to younger readers. This would be a great way to connect the art of songwriting and poetry.
Shalom!
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Poetry Review #38
Out
of the Dust
Publisher: Scholastic, 2009
ISBN: 2009 978-0590371254
Reading Ages: 10 & up
Genre: Teen & Young Adult United States Historical Fiction, Teen & Young Adult Poetry
I Gave This Book 5 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁
I also think this book is significant because it was one of the few poetry books awarded a Newbery Medal before 2009.
“from 1987 to 1997, only 1 out of 42 books awarded was a poetry collection, the 1989 medal winner Joyful Noise, by Paul Fleischman. From 1998 to 2008, 3 out of 43 books were poetry (Carver, Show Way, and Out of the Dust)”
~~ Roxanne Hsu Feldman
Poetic Elements: This book is written as a series of free verse poems in the first person as journal entries. It does not rhyme or use regular patterns. Free verse allows the author to use their own ideas to shape the work. The poetry is beautiful, but I could see how younger readers
might be confused by the lack of backstory. Younger readers might need an explanation or brief history lesson on the conditions that led to the American "Dust Bowl."
Appeal: I have read a great many mixed reviews on this book, and I agree
that the book might not be for younger, more sensitive readers. However, I believe
that the reality of the world we live in is portrayed in many uncomfortable
situations, and the retelling of history encourages us to be a more grateful and a
more prepared people. This should be embraced in the appeal of this book.
It is not uncommon to remind future generations of the hardships that were overcome and the value of not repeating mistakes in history in the form of literature. I believe that more and more American classrooms and younger generations are struggling to read books that value important historical lessons because of the uncomfortable information. The “Dust Bowl” warns us of agricultural elements that could have been prevented and the horrors that follow when humans disrespect the land.
The historical value of the book, written in a way that
is distinctive and creative, should not be discredited because the author portrayed
the sufferings of the people during this moment in history.
Overall Quality: The quality of the writing should not be confused with
the suffering that this time period holds. The author based the fictional family and characters on historical families and their accounts.
"Billie Jo tells of her life in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl: Her mother dies after a gruesome accident caused by her father's leaving a bucket of kerosene near the stove; Billie Jo is partially responsible--fully responsible in the eyes of the community--and sustains injuries that seem to bring to a halt her dreams of playing the piano. Finding a way through her grief is not made easier by her taciturn father, who went on a drinking binge while Billie Joe's mother, not yet dead, begged for water. Told in free-verse poetry of dated entries that span the winter of 1934 to the winter of 1935, this is an unremittingly bleak portrait of one corner of Depression-era life. In Billie Jo, the only character who comes to life, Hesse (The Music of Dolphins, 1996, etc.) presents a hale and determined heroine who confronts unrelenting misery and begins to transcend it. The poem/novel ends with only a trace of hope; there are no pat endings, but a glimpse of beauty wrought from brutal reality." ~~ Kirkus Reviews
Newbery Medal Book
Scott O’Dell Award
Connections:
Spotlight Poem -
“Daddy came in,
He sat across Ma and blew his nose.
Mud streamed out.
He coughed and spit out
mud.
If he had cried,
his tears would have been mud too,
but he didn’t cry.
And neither did Ma.”
He sat across Ma and blew his nose.
Mud streamed out.
He coughed and spit out
mud.
If he had cried,
his tears would have been mud too,
but he didn’t cry.
And neither did Ma.”
Dorothea Lange Photograph
Farm Security Administration (FSA)
Sharing—This book would be great for sharing within a combined lesson in American history on the "Dust Bowl." A book talk would work well for it, also.
Activity—The importance of the "Dust Bowl" and the environment would be a great activity to relate this occurrence to the present day. Possibly used for Earth Day reading material.
Friday, February 12, 2021
Poetry Friday!
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The Poetry Friday Anthology
by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong
Poetry Friday Schedule can be found at
"The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library."
~~ Albert Einstein
Thursday, February 11, 2021
Poetry Review #37
Won Ton and Chopstick: A Cat and Dog
Tale Told in Haiku
Illustrator: Eugene Yelchin
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co, 2015
ISBN: 978-0805099874
ISBN: 978-0805099874
Reading Ages: 4 - 8 years
Genre: Children's Picture Book, Children's Poetry, Japanese Senryū Poetry, Haiku
Connections:
Genre: Children's Picture Book, Children's Poetry, Japanese Senryū Poetry, Haiku
I Gave This Book 5 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁
Poetic Elements: I love the fact that the poetry is so catlike! It actually reminds me of a cat thinking out loud. The imagery and sound are part of what really makes this poetry book stand out.
Appeal: This is a must-read for poetry lovers. It is unusual, with a very different sort of feel to the book. However, it follows the traditional haiku pattern of three lines, 5 syllables, 7 syllables, and 5 syllables again.
NCTE Notable Poetry List Book
Muse Medallion - Cat Writers' Association
2012 Librarians' Choices List
2012 ALSC Notable Children's Books
2012 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award
Poetic Elements: I love the fact that the poetry is so catlike! It actually reminds me of a cat thinking out loud. The imagery and sound are part of what really makes this poetry book stand out.
“Young readers who fell in love with Won Ton in Wardlaw and Yelchin's first book, Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku,
will enthusiastically welcome this new adventure, and those not yet familiar with the earlier book will likely seek it out.”
~~ Booklist
Appeal: This is a must-read for poetry lovers. It is unusual, with a very different sort of feel to the book. However, it follows the traditional haiku pattern of three lines, 5 syllables, 7 syllables, and 5 syllables again.
“Each haiku is complete in itself, capturing the essence of cat...and together the poems create a whole tale of displacement and eventual mutual understanding.”
~~ The Horn Book
Overall Quality: The pictures are a
great way to help younger readers understand the meaning of the poetry. Eugene Yelchin is the
author of "Breaking Stalin's Nose." He does a fantastic job of
pulling it all together and giving life to the characters.
“The poetry is concise and witty...technically deft, and age-accessible. Yelchin's graphite-lined gouache art craftily echoes the verse.” ~~The Bulletin
Muse Medallion - Cat Writers' Association
2012 Librarians' Choices List
2012 ALSC Notable Children's Books
2012 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award
Layout: It is a story told in poetry. The layout is very similar to other picture books.
Connections:
Spotlight Poem -
"Master of escape!
High-flying, dog-defying
acrobatic cat!
Puthimoutputhim
outputhimoutputhim-wait!
I said him, not me!"
Sharing—This is not Won Ton's first starring role; you can find him in the shelter waiting to be taken home in "Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku." Combining the two books would be a great way to introduce both Won Ton and Haikai to students. Once you meet him, you cannot help but want to take him home, too! He would make a great addition to any classroom or library collection.Activity—Won Ton and Chopstick, anyone? I have quite a collection of chopsticks from all over Asia. Introduce readers to chopsticks and encourage them to pick up and eat different foods with them. It's great fun! Actually making wontons and using chopsticks to eat them with would also go nicely with this poetry book.
"Won Ton and Chopstick" Read-Aloud
Friday, January 29, 2021
Book Review #36
I Am the Tree of Life: My Jewish
Yoga Book
Author: Rabbi Mychal Copeland
Illustrator: Andre Ceolin
Publisher: Apples & Honey Press, 2020
ISBN: 978-1681155524
ISBN: 978-1681155524
Reading Level: 7 - 9 years
Genre: Children's Picture Book, Children's Jewish Life, Health, Religion, Yoga
Topic: Yoga, Children's Religion, Multicultural
I Gave This Book 5 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁
Why 5 Roars? This is a beautiful book that combines the practice of yoga asanas and the teachings of Judaism.
Critical Analysis
Accuracy: Mychal Copeland is both a rabbi and a certified yoga instructor.
Organization/Design: The organization of the book allows for the asana on one side and then the connection to Judaism on the other side of the book.
"The book begins with a basic balance
— tree pose —
which the author connects to the Torah, the Tree of Life. The author lists the simple steps needed for how to stand and breathe while in the posture. On the opposing page, Copeland describes the Tree of Life and its importance in Judaism."
~~ Paula Chaiken
Style: The style is quiet and calm. The illustrations included both a boy and a girl performing the asanas.
Awards: Sydney Taylor Honor Book Award 2021
Connections: This would be an excellent resource for teachers or school libraries.
Poetry Review #35
Monster Motel
Author: Douglas Florian
Illustrator: Douglas Florian
Publisher: Voyager Books 1997
ISBN:978-0152013868
Reading Ages: 5 to 10 Years
Illustrator: Douglas Florian
Publisher: Voyager Books 1997
ISBN:978-0152013868
Reading Ages: 5 to 10 Years
Genre: Children's Poetry, Halloween, Humor
I Gave This Book 5 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁
Poetic Elements: Repetition, rhyme, and the use of anthropomorphism are used frequently in this collection of poems. There is also the use of onomatopoeias, where the words make the sounds of things.
Humor
is the main topic throughout the anthology of 13 poems about monsters staying in a hotel.
"An excellent choice for youngsters who beg for something scary."
~~ Booklist
Appeal: The author is also the illustrator. He
uses illustrations done in a blend of watercolor, ink, and pen. I like the illustrations, and they really make
the monsters feel vivid and captivating for the reader’s imagination.
"In the introductory
poem, a bellhop greets readers: "Welcome to the Monster Motel,/ Where
mostly monstrous monsters dwell." Each of the remaining 13 poems describes
a different resident. Florian's creatures are, however, gentle and bizarre
rather than scary. Some of the more interesting ones are those that might exist
almost anywhere. "The Gazzygoo," for instance, lives inside the
cracks of a sidewalk. Others, such as "The Fabled Feerz" and
"The Brilly," are bigger and bolder. The language and the images are
creative and rhythmic, and the subject matter will certainly appeal to
children. The poems themselves, though, are not as consistently vivid or
successful as the illustrations. Florian's seemingly simple watercolors grow
more intriguing with each new book. His emphatic use of line, his imaginative
use of color, and his ability to convey mood and expression are
all superbly demonstrated here."
~~ Lauralyn Persson,
School Library Journal
Layout: The poems went with each monster on the page. The author added a watercolor picture of himself as a monster on the book jacket. I thought that was really cute!
Connections:
Spotlight Poem—The first lines of "The Brilly."
"The Brilly is a silly beast;
It has no sense, to say the least.
It wears its shoes upon its hands
And ties its feet with rubber bands."
Sharing—I think this would be a great book to introduce boys to poetry. It would also be a good choice to share during Halloween.
Activity—Allowing students to create their own monsters would be a fun activity. You could use simple colors, markers, and paper, or try it with playdough, purple and green slime, and googly eyes. There are a lot of options.
More books by Douglas Florian:
Shabbat Shalom!
Poetrees
Insectlopedia
Shabbat Shalom!
Poetrees
Insectlopedia
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