A delightful poetry anthology that readers of all ages will enjoy.
A collection offers poetry and coloring pages for children, parents, and educators.
This anthology showcases the talents of 15 writers as they wax poetic across the animal kingdom, from birds, fish, and bears to dogs, cats, and farm animals. These rhyming poems are simple and concise yet crafted to appeal to young readers. “Come with me, / I’m bluebird free! / With azure wings, / I’m feathered glee,” writes Margaret Simon. Other winged creatures featured include an itchy ostrich, a robin redbreast with a song to share, and a busy penguin. Dean Flowerfield’s imagination runs wild about different kinds of sea life while staring into a goldfish bowl. Turtles and gators “bump bounce boogie” on a log. A mother turtle “lays a clutch / Of moon-shaped eggs” on the shore before returning to the water. Editor Street explores the seasonal behavior of foxes, while Michelle Kogan zeroes in on the autumnal patterns of rabbits. A black bear takes a meandering walk through a cityscape in a poem by Debra Friedland Katz, while a slobbery dog named Mr. Jaws takes an elevator ride in a piece by Adrian Fogelin. Honeybees, monarch butterflies, spiders, and other insects get their due, too. The poems are interspersed with coloring pages that correspond to the pieces. The book also includes pages for readers to write their own poems and draw their own illustrations. The collection’s poems are playful and fun to read, as when Fogelin describes “the click of hard toenails, the damp of a snout, / the flump of butts furry, the breath tinged with trout” of “The Bears on the Stairs.” The poets also get creative with fonts and formatting. In addition to learning about animals, readers are exposed to different forms of poetry, like haiku, acrostic, and triolet. A few animals, like an okapi (a relative of the giraffe), may be unfamiliar to many readers, and some of the language, like Kogan’s description of sloths as “three-toed pygmies” that are “critically endangered,” may go over kids’ heads or require explanation.
A delightful poetry anthology that readers of all ages will enjoy.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 9781947536142
Page Count: 104
Publisher: Turtle Cove Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 19, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet and endearing feathered migration.
A relationship between a Latina grandmother and her mixed-race granddaughter serves as the frame to depict the ruby-throated hummingbird migration pattern.
In Granny’s lap, a girl is encouraged to “keep still” as the intergenerational pair awaits the ruby-throated hummingbirds with bowls of water in their hands. But like the granddaughter, the tz’unun—“the word for hummingbird in several [Latin American] languages”—must soon fly north. Over the next several double-page spreads, readers follow the ruby-throated hummingbird’s migration pattern from Central America and Mexico through the United States all the way to Canada. Davies metaphorically reunites the granddaughter and grandmother when “a visitor from Granny’s garden” crosses paths with the girl in New York City. Ray provides delicately hashed lines in the illustrations that bring the hummingbirds’ erratic flight pattern to life as they travel north. The watercolor palette is injected with vibrancy by the addition of gold ink, mirroring the hummingbirds’ flashing feathers in the slants of light. The story is supplemented by notes on different pages with facts about the birds such as their nest size, diet, and flight schedule. In addition, a note about ruby-throated hummingbirds supplies readers with detailed information on how ornithologists study and keep track of these birds.
A sweet and endearing feathered migration. (bibliography, index) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0538-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
A good choice for a late fall storytime.
Animal behaviors change as they prepare to face the winter.
Migrate, hibernate, or tolerate. With smooth rhymes and jaunty illustrations, Salas and Gévry introduce three strategies animals use for coping with winter cold. The author’s long experience in imparting information to young readers is evident in her selection of familiar animals and in her presentation. Spread by spread she introduces her examples, preparing in fall and surviving in winter. She describes two types of migration: Hummingbirds and monarchs fly, and blue whales travel to the warmth of the south; earthworms burrow deeper into the earth. Without using technical words, she introduces four forms of hibernation—chipmunks nap and snack; bears mainly sleep; Northern wood frogs become an “icy pop,” frozen until spring; and normally solitary garter snakes snuggle together in huge masses. Those who can tolerate the winter still change behavior. Mice store food and travel in tunnels under the snow; moose grow a warmer kind of fur; the red fox dives into the snow to catch small mammals (like those mice); and humans put on warm clothes and play. The animals in the soft pastel illustrations are recognizable, more cuddly than realistic, and quite appealing; their habitats are stylized. The humans represent varied ethnicities. Each page includes two levels of text, and there’s further information in the extensive backmatter. Pair with Joyce Sidman and Rick Allen’s Winter Bees (2014).
A good choice for a late fall storytime. (glossary) (Informational picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5415-2900-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Millbrook/Lerner
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
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