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A COLD SNAP!

Name: A COLD SNAP!
Author: Audrey B. Baird
ISBN: 1-56397-633-1

FROSTY POEMS

by Audrey B. Baird & illustrated by Patrick O’Brien ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2002

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The opening lines set the stage for these perceptive, descriptive poems about winter. The reader is cautioned to “put on a sweater to read this book” and “turn up the thermostat.” Baird (Storm Coming, not reviewed) is particularly adept at effectively engaging all the senses. Listen to the neighbors’ clichés and the roar of the wind as a storm approaches. See the trees that “undress in winter” and the frost that forms “a glittering gown all over town.” Winter breath “hangs frozen in the air—a balloon without strings.” Feel the “stinging winds” and the “sleet pushing hard at my back,” and feet that are “colder then Popsicles.” Smell and taste the stew and the hot chocolate and cinnamon bread. Every nuance of the season is charmingly presented. There is humor here too, as the child waits for the radio to announce that her school is closed, as she expresses her appreciation of long underwear, and in the playful discussion of chili. O’Brien’s illustrations are just right, some evoking the chill, some evoking the warmth, finding the perfect element of each poem. Curl up on a cold winter day and enjoy. (Poetry. 6-10)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2002

ISBN: 1-56397-633-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Boyds Mills

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2002

Categories:

CHILDREN'S POETRY

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VISITING LANGSTON

by Willie Perdomo & illustrated by Bryan Collier ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 2001

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A little girl is going with her daddy to visit the home of Langston Hughes. She too is a poet who writes about the loves of her life—her mommy and daddy, hip-hop, hopscotch, and double-dutch, but decidedly not kissing games. Langston is her inspiration because his poems make her “dreams run wild.” In simple, joyful verse Perdomo tells of this “Harlem girl” from “Harlem world” whose loving, supportive father tells her she is “Langston’s genius child.” The author’s own admiration for Hughes’s artistry and accomplishments is clearly felt in the voice of this glorious child. Langston’s spirit is a gentle presence throughout the description of his East 127th Street home and his method of composing his poetry sitting by the window. The presentation is stunning. Each section of the poem is part of a two-page spread. Text, in yellow, white, or black, is placed either within the illustrations or in large blocks of color along side them. The last page of text is a compilation of titles of Hughes’s poems printed in shades of gray in a myriad of fonts. Collier’s (Martin’s Big Words, 2001, etc.) brilliantly complex watercolor-and-collage illustrations provide the perfect visual complement to the work. From the glowing vitality of the little girl, to the vivid scenes of jazz-age Harlem, to the compelling portrait of Langston at work, to the reverential peak into Langston’s home, the viewer’s eye is constantly drawn to intriguing bits and pieces while never losing the sense of the whole. In this year of Langston Hughes’s centennial, this work does him great honor. (Poetry. 6-10)

Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001

ISBN: 0-8050-6744-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Henry Holt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2002

Categories:

CHILDREN'S POETRY | CHILDREN'S BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

- BOOK REVIEW
¡CLEMENTE!
by Willie Perdomo & illustrated by Bryan Collier

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POCKET POEMS

edited by Bobbi Katz & illustrated by Marylin Hafner ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2004

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With an eye toward easy memorization, Katz gathers over 50 short poems from the likes of Emily Dickinson, Valerie Worth, Jack Prelutsky, and Lewis Carroll, to such anonymous gems as “The Burp”—“Pardon me for being rude. / It was not me, it was my food. / It got so lonely down below, / it just popped up to say hello.” Katz includes five of her own verses, and promotes an evident newcomer, Emily George, with four entries. Hafner surrounds every selection with fine-lined cartoons, mostly of animals and children engaged in play, reading, or other familiar activities. Amid the ranks of similar collections, this shiny-faced newcomer may not stand out—but neither will it drift to the bottom of the class. (Picture book/poetry. 7-9)