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BY DEFINITION

Name: BY DEFINITION
Author: Sara Holbrook
ISBN: 1-59078-060-4

POEMS OF FEELINGS

by Sara Holbrook & illustrated by Scott Mattern ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2003

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“TV came / out of radio, / free verse / came out of rhyme. / I am / coming out of middle school, / changing all the time.” In 40 short poems, half new, half gathered from previous collections, Holbrook captures the changeable emotional skies of early adolescence with clear-eyed observations on friendship’s responsibilities, on honesty, doubt, anger, grief, and similar topics. The poet not only steers clear of ambiguities, but displays such a consistent “ear” for vocal impact that her poems will make rousing, crowd-pleasing read-alouds. Newcomer Mattern’s unobtrusive line drawings reflect each poem’s topic and tone expertly. A fine choice for poetry breaks and a natural complement to the poet’s Wham! It’s a Poetry Jam (2002). (Poetry. 11-13)

Pub Date: April 1, 2003

ISBN: 1-59078-060-4

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Boyds Mills

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2003

Categories:

CHILDREN'S POETRY

- BOOK REVIEW
THE ENEMY
by Sara Holbrook

- BOOK REVIEW
WEIRD? (ME, TOO!) LET'S BE FRIENDS
by Sara Holbrook & illustrated by Karen Sandstrom

- BOOK REVIEW
ZOMBIES!
by Sara Holbrook & illustrated by Karen Sandstrom

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A BIRD OR TWO

A STORY ABOUT HENRI MATISSE

by Bijou Le Tord ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1999

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Less a story than an analysis of Matisse’s art, particularly after his move to Nice, this companion to A Blue Butterfly (1995), on Monet, also combines visual recasting of selected works with poetic commentary: “To his color palette he added the bluest sapphire blue he could imagine. And with it he painted the Mediterranean Sea.” Using a free style of brushwork that evokes Matisse’s own joy and energy, Le Tord alternates her versions of his art with scenes of the man himself, always nattily dressed, always industriously making art. This perceptive personal tribute will enhance readers’ appreciation for Matisse’s work; they won’t mind going elsewhere for biographical details, and reproductions of his actual paintings, sculpture, and collages. (Picture book. 8-11)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-8028-5184-3

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Eerdmans

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999

Categories:

CHILDREN'S POETRY

- BOOK REVIEW
SAINT FRANCIS SINGS TO BROTHER SUN
adapted by Karen Pandell & illustrated by Bijou Le Tord

- BOOK REVIEW
A BLUE BUTTERFLY
by Bijou Le Tord & illustrated by Bijou Le Tord

- BOOK REVIEW
PEACE ON EARTH
edited by Bijou Le Tord & illustrated by Bijou Le Tord

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HERE COMES MOTHER GOOSE

edited by Iona Opie ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1999

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This oversized companion to the much ballyhooed My Very First Mother Goose (1996) will take toddlers and ex-toddlers deeper into the playscapes of the language, to meet Old King Cole, Old Mother Hubbard, and Dusty Bill From Vinegar Hill; to caper about the mulberry bush, polka with My Aunt Jane, and dance by the light of the moon. Mixing occasional humans into her furred and feathered cast, Wells creates a series of visual scenarios featuring anywhere from one big figure, often dirty or mussed, to every single cat on the road to St. Ives (over a thousand). Opie cuts longer rhymes down to two or three verses, and essays a sly bit of social commentary by switching the answers to what little girls and boys are made of. Though Wells drops the ball with this last, legitimizing the boys’ presence in a kitchen by dressing them as chefs, in general the book is plainly the work of a match made in heaven, and merits as much popularity as its predecessor. (Folklore. 1-6)