edited by William Cole & illustrated by Lynn Munsinger ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1992
A welcome companion to A Zooful of Animals (1978): 45 poems, from sources old and new, many of them spread over several pages as Munsinger elaborates on the humor in loving detail. Whether capturing the bemused expressions of a kangaroo and an opossum comparing notes on being marsupials, following the comical disasters in Daniel Pettiward's ``Pets,'' or presenting A. B. Paterson's lonely ``Old Man Platypus,'' she brings imagination, a perceptive eye, and warm good humor to her appealing pen and watercolor illustrations. Cole has rounded up a fine supply of poems, mostly humorous; a few provide a welcome challenge with their vocabulary and intricate rhythms (e.g., Geoffrey Dearmer's ``The Giraffe,'' which merrily echoes W. S. Gilbert); most have a more immediate popular appeal. A winning collection. (Note: as is customary, the acknowledgments serve the legalities but frustrate the reader who cares about sources. Dates would be nice; so would designating poems first published here.) Index. (Poetry/Picture book. 3-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-395-52278-1
Page Count: 88
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1992
Categories: CHILDREN'S POETRY
Share your opinion of this book
Did you like this book?
More by William Cole
BOOK REVIEW
by Willie Perdomo & illustrated by Bryan Collier ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 2001
A little girl is going with her daddy to visit the home of Langston Hughes. She too is a poet who writes about the loves of her life—her mommy and daddy, hip-hop, hopscotch, and double-dutch, but decidedly not kissing games. Langston is her inspiration because his poems make her “dreams run wild.” In simple, joyful verse Perdomo tells of this “Harlem girl” from “Harlem world” whose loving, supportive father tells her she is “Langston’s genius child.” The author’s own admiration for Hughes’s artistry and accomplishments is clearly felt in the voice of this glorious child. Langston’s spirit is a gentle presence throughout the description of his East 127th Street home and his method of composing his poetry sitting by the window. The presentation is stunning. Each section of the poem is part of a two-page spread. Text, in yellow, white, or black, is placed either within the illustrations or in large blocks of color along side them. The last page of text is a compilation of titles of Hughes’s poems printed in shades of gray in a myriad of fonts. Collier’s (Martin’s Big Words, 2001, etc.) brilliantly complex watercolor-and-collage illustrations provide the perfect visual complement to the work. From the glowing vitality of the little girl, to the vivid scenes of jazz-age Harlem, to the compelling portrait of Langston at work, to the reverential peak into Langston’s home, the viewer’s eye is constantly drawn to intriguing bits and pieces while never losing the sense of the whole. In this year of Langston Hughes’s centennial, this work does him great honor. (Poetry. 6-10)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-8050-6744-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2002
Categories: CHILDREN'S POETRY | CHILDREN'S BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR
Share your opinion of this book
Did you like this book?
More by Willie Perdomo
BOOK REVIEW
by Willie Perdomo & illustrated by Bryan Collier
by Juan Felipe Herrera ; illustrated by Lauren Castillo ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 2, 2018
Former Poet Laureate Herrera encourages his young readers to imagine all they might be in his new picture book.
Herrera’s free verse tells his own story, starting as a young boy who loves the plants and animals he finds outdoors in the California fields and is then thrust into the barren, concrete city. In the city he begins to learn to read and write, learning English and discovering a love for words and the way ink flows “like tiny rivers” across the page as he applies pen to paper. Words soon become sentences, poems, lyrics, and a means of escape. This love of the word ultimately leads him to make writing his vocation and to become the first Chicano Poet Laureate of the United States, an honor Herrera received in 2015. Through this story of hardship to success, expressed in a series of conditional statements that all begin “If I,” Herrera implores his readers to “imagine what you could do.” Castillo’s ink and foam monoprint illustrations are a tender accompaniment to Herrera’s verse, the black lines of her illustrations flowing across the page in rhythm with the author’s poetry. Together this makes for a charming read-aloud for groups or a child snuggled in a lap.
A lyrical coming-of-age story in picture-book form that begs to be shared. (Picture book/memoir. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7636-9052-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S POETRY | CHILDREN'S BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR
Share your opinion of this book
Did you like this book?
More by Juan Felipe Herrera
BOOK REVIEW
by Juan Felipe Herrera ; illustrated by Blanca Gómez
BOOK REVIEW
by Juan Felipe Herrera ; illustrated by Juan Felipe Herrera
BOOK REVIEW
by Juan Felipe Herrera ; illustrated by Raúl Colón
© Copyright 2021 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!