An inspiring poetry book for all ages.
In their debut children’s book, Brower and Martin select a single word for each letter of the alphabet as part of their poetry about living a life full of compassion and integrity.
Tackling such complex concepts as consequence, focus, moderation and negotiating, Brower and Martin give each topic a thoughtful poetic definition. With considerable care in word choice, the authors convert simple words into a meditative exercise by distilling each idea into pleasing, cogent rhymes. In many cases, the poems simply illuminate lessons, such as “kindness”: “It’s showing concern when another’s in pain / And offering help though you’ve nothing to gain” or “yourself”: “You, yourself, and only you can build you or can break you / No matter how you’re treated, in the end it’s you who’ll make you.” To strengthen comprehension, a few empty pages at the end urge readers to write about ways the lessons might be enacted, thus turning the book from an exercise in learning into one of sharing and growing as well. However familiar the words may be, the authors find ways to make the concepts fresh by bringing new perspectives. Although categorized as a children’s book, the inspiring poems and lovely, full-color photography of people, places, animals and landmarks will also appeal to an older audience, even if the connection between the image and poetry isn’t always immediately clear. The poetry’s soothing meter makes this collection a perfect bedtime read and one that can be revisited as age brings a new understanding of the noble sentiments.
An inspiring poetry book for all ages.Pub Date: July 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0981678177
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Arkett Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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