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DRAGON POEMS

Name: DRAGON POEMS
Author: John Foster
ISBN: 0-19-276096-3

edited by John Foster & illustrated by Corky Paul ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 9, 1992

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Many of these 23 poems are new, with a sprinkling from popular contemporaries like Jack Prelutsky, Lilian Moore, and X. J. Kennedy; the point of view is largely British, and what could be more appropriate for St. George's traditional antagonist? Whether the subject is a Doctor De Soto-style vet braving fiery jaws in a flame-proof suit, a ``very tame'' pet dragon that ``only eats a few'' of the children queued up to pat him, or a ghostly green emanation curled up in a castle courtyard, invisible to all but the young narrator, the mood here is light. Paul's illustrations have Tony Ross's wicked ebullience, with witty modern allusions, gruesome details, and the endearingly fierce protagonists limned in fine, energetic lines and artfully added color that recalls Henrik Drescher. A book with uproarious visual appeal, well matched to the comical, rhythmic verse. (Poetry/Picture book. 5-11)

Pub Date: April 9, 1992

ISBN: 0-19-276096-3

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Oxford Univ.

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1992

Categories:

CHILDREN'S POETRY

- BOOK REVIEW
A ROCKETFUL OF SPACE POEMS
edited by John Foster ; illustrated by Korky Paul

- BOOK REVIEW
DINOSAUR RAP
by John Foster ; illustrated by Debbie Harter

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A BUNCH OF PUNCTUATION

edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins ; illustrated by Serge Bloch ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 7, 2018

Both playful and enlightening, period.

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A collection of peppy poems and clever pictures explains different forms of punctuation.

Rebecca Kai Dotlich’s “A Punctuation Tale” kicks off the proceedings with a punny description of a day full of punctuation; goodnight is “cuddled / in quotation marks.” Ensuing poems discuss the comma, the apostrophe, the dash (“A subdued dude / in tweet and text / he signals what / is coming next”), the colon, the exclamation point, and ellipses. Allan Wolf’s poem about this last is called “…” and begins, “The silent ellipsis… / replaces…words missed.” Prince Redcloud’s “Question Marks” is particularly delightful, with the question “Why?” dancing diagonally down in stair steps. The emphatic answer is a repeated “Because!” Other poems pay tribute to quotation marks, the hyphen, and the period. Michele Kruger explains “The Purpose of Parentheses”: “inside a pair / ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) / of slender curves / we’ll hold your few / inserted words.” The final poem is editor Hopkins’ own, “Lines Written for You to Think About” (inspired by Carl Sandburg), urging young readers to write their own verses employing (what else?) punctuation. The 12 poets included work with a variety of devices and styles for an always-fresh feel. Bloch’s illustrations are delightfully surprising, both illustrating each poem’s key points and playfully riffing on the punctuation itself.

Both playful and enlightening, period. (Picture book/poetry. 5-8)

Pub Date: Aug. 7, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-59078-994-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Wordsong/Boyds Mills

Review Posted Online: May 27, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S POETRY

- BOOK REVIEW
BLESS OUR PETS
edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins ; illustrated by Lita Judge

- BOOK REVIEW
NIGHT WISHES
edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins ; illustrated by Jen Corace

- BOOK REVIEW
CONSTRUCTION PEOPLE
edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins ; illustrated by Ellen Shi

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A SPECTACULAR SELECTION OF SEA CRITTERS

CONCRETE POEMS

by Betsy Franco ; illustrated by Michael Wertz ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2015

At once light, visually playful, and educational, Franco and Wertz’s latest collaboration proves the third time’s a charm.

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In their third picture-book outing, Franco and Wertz (A Dazzling Display of Dogs, 2011, etc.) dive into the sea.

A sunny day provides the perfect entree for a poetic snorkeling trip revealing dozens of aquatic organisms illustrated through Wertz’s vivid depictions of Franco’s concrete poems (with the occasional limerick, cinquain, riddle, and haiku tossed in). Where the duo’s last effort rather literally threatened to “dazzle” the senses, here Wertz’s striking palette of blues, indigo, orange, reds, and yellow, showcased in richly detailed images and undulating lettering, effectively captures the sea’s dynamism. Franco spotlights interesting fish and other creatures one might glimpse during a dive, highlighting vital aspects of oceanic life cycles and special characteristics of organisms sure to pique a child’s interest. The “Spiny Puffer” is cleverly likened to a porcupine, and “Cleaner Fish” are “wary of fish with sharp white teeth, / so cleaner fish are wise. / They’ve found a way to get along, / help out, and harmonize. / They clean the teeth of scary fish / who’d eat them / otherwise.” Young and old Nemo devotees will delight to find among Wertz’s wavy orange fronds Franco’s revelation as to “why clown fish hang out in the anemones”—it “poison[s] all your enemies”—and other engagingly rhymed facts.

At once light, visually playful, and educational, Franco and Wertz’s latest collaboration proves the third time’s a charm. (Picture book/poetry. 6-10)