TOUR AMERICA

Siebert once again mines her knowledge of the United States, gained during a ten-year motorcycle odyssey with her husband, to produce poems that celebrate sites famous and lesser known. The combination of familiar sights, like the Golden Gate Bridge and Mount Rushmore, with less celebrated landmarks such as Lucy the Elephant (found in N.J.), helps to give the book a fresh appeal, as do the evocative illustrations by Johnson, which are executed in a variety of media. This engaging diversity of approaches and styles meshes well with the variety of forms Siebert employs. The inclusion of a small map, as well as additional information for each location, adds charm and browsability. Those unmoved by Siebert’s paeans may be fascinated by the facts, such as the note that “Keeping the [Golden Gate] bridge painted is an endless task accomplished by a team of 38 painters who brush on 3,000 to 8,000 gallons of orange vermillion (International Orange) paint every year.” Entertaining, educational and possibly even inspirational. (list of art and mediums) (Poetry/nonfiction. 8-12)