Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
In the poetic picture book When You Breathe by Diana Farid, illustrated by Billy Renkl (Cameron + Company, 2020), the author, a physician, describes the connections between the wind and air around us and the breath that sustains our lives. Beginning with a breath that “fills the upside tree” in our lungs, Farid continues the
Animachines by Debora Pearson, illustrated by Nora Hilb (Annick Press, 2003) is a creative comparison book for very young children. On each page, there is an animal doing something as well as a vehicle of some sort acting in very much the same way. Each two-page spread features a large single verb: fly, stretch, dig,
This Raindrop Has a Billion Stories to Tell by Linda Ragsdale, illustrated by Srimalie Bassani (Flowerpot Press, 2020). As the title indicates, This Raindrop covers the maybes of a raindrop’s history. The text and illustrations capture just a part of this raindrop’s range, including the fur of a mammoth to the end of a paddle.
What is Poetry? by Trudi Strain Truit (Lerner Publishing, September 2014) is an attractive nonfiction book for young readers or middle grade readers. It teaches common types of figurative language and common formats of poetry (free verse, rhyming, and so forth). Even better, it provides sample poems to demonstrate the concepts. It has large text for
When I saw The Thirteen Clocks by James Thurber (originally published 1950; republished New York Review of Books) had an introduction by Neil Gaiman and was a part of The New York Review Children’s Collection, I was intrigued. The Thirteen Clocks is a short and bizarre fairy tale. Or fantasy story. Neil Gaiman describes it as
I love the complexities of the English language! I find it lots of fun to play with words and see where the meanings take me. I love the sounds of poetry and the silliness that comes when words are placed in different orders in sentences. A few books from VanitaBooks provide a humorous look at idioms,
Last summer, my son really enjoyed reading the Daisy books. Even with my limited blogging over the past year, we still managed to write about them both! To his complete delight, there is now another book in the series! In Daisy’s Big Night, Daisy is looking for something to contribute to her last day of school
Raisin enjoyed reading the early chapter books about a word-loving girl named Daisy. In Daisy’s Defining Day by Sandra Feder, Daisy discovers the joy of alliteration and finds herself as she seeks out the perfect alliterative title for herself. As she searches for some fun phrases to enjoy, she also learns a few lessons about friendship
I have been struggling to write this post for a week now. I really like reading poetry but I feel a little clueless as to how to talk about it! Here is my attempt. I love Billy Collins’ poetry, so I can honestly say I was delighted to receive a digital copy for review consideration.
Summer by Edith Wharton (published 1917) is a short novella about a young woman searching for her place. In some places, it’s been cited as Wharton’s most “erotic” work1. Charity Royall does come to her own sexual awakening over the course of a summer, but Wharton writes about Charity’s choices without too much sexual reference.
I sometimes think poetry is at it’s best when it’s written and illustrated for children. Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman and Pamela Zagarinski is one such example. The illustrations capture the metaphors of a world changing with the seasons, and the poem is simply beautiful. In the poem, Joyce
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