An anthology of diverse voices united by the theme of giving thanks.
In her editorial debut, Paul (Nine Months: Before a Baby Is Born, 2019, etc.) pairs over 30 poems with Myles’ (Spirit Lake Dakota/Mohegan/Muscokee Creek) spirited illustrations capturing favorite things for which the nearly three-dozen poets represented here are thankful. Motivated by the sentiment that gratitude should be expressed year-round, Paul collects poems as varied in form as content. The poets not only select a wide array of objects inspiring gratitude—including dimples, “Deep indents in my brown skin / Inspired by the smile bouncing upward from my toes”; an alluring “ocean rock” too perfect for skipping across the water; and the rich experience behind “each scar”—but employ incredibly varied lyric forms such as acrostic, ballad, tricube, even “math poems” (“family + friends + love = a thankful heart”). Myles’ colorful digitally rendered illustrations help contextualize the poems, saturated, often abstract backgrounds complementing neatly outlined, diverse figures. While Paul’s choice of contributors and Myles’ depictions of characters are refreshingly inclusive, the collection succeeds more in its individual poetic efforts than an anthology as a whole. Backmatter includes a guide to the forms and devices on display, thumbnail bios of each contributor, and an author’s note complicating simplistic perceptions of Thanksgiving.
Lovely lyric lessons in appreciating the ordinary. (resources) (Picture book/poetry. 6-10)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5415-2363-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Millbrook/Lerner
Review Posted Online: June 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
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Both technique and imaginative impulse can be found in this useful selection of poems about the literary art.
Starting with the essentials of the English language, the letters of “Our Alphabet,” the collection moves through 21 other poems of different types, meters, and rhyme schemes. This anthology has clear classroom applications, but it will also be enjoyed by individual readers who can pore carefully over playful illustrations filled with diverse children, butterflies, flowers, books, and pieces of writing. Tackling various parts of the writing process, from “How To Begin” through “Revision Is” to “Final Edit,” the poems also touch on some reasons for writing, like “Thank You Notes” and “Writing About Reading.” Some of the poems are funny, as in the quirky, four-line “If I Were an Octopus”: “I’d grab eight pencils. / All identical. / I’d fill eight notebooks. / One per tentacle.” An amusing undersea scene dominated by a smiling, orangy octopus fills this double-page spread. Some of the poems are more focused (and less lyrical) than others, such as “Final Edit” with its ending stanzas: “I check once more to guarantee / all is flawless as can be. / Careless errors will discredit / my hard work. / That’s why I edit. / But I don’t like it. / There I said it.” At least the poet tries for a little humor in those final lines.
Here’s hoping this will inspire many children to joyfully engage in writing. (Picture book/poetry. 7-10)Pub Date: March 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68437-362-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Wordsong/Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: Dec. 18, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
Categories: CHILDREN'S POETRY
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A shoutout to heroes of nonviolent protest, from Sam Adams to the Parkland students.
Kicking off a proud tradition, “Samuel threw a tea party.” In the same vein, “Harriet led the way,” “Susan cast her vote,” “Rosa kept her seat,” “Ruby went to school,” and “Martin had a dream.” But Easton adds both newer and less-prominent names to the familiar roster: “Tommie and John raised their fists” (at the 1968 Summer Olympics, also depicted on the cover), for instance; “John and Yoko stayed in bed”; “Gilbert sewed a rainbow” (for San Francisco’s Gay Freedom Day parade in 1978); “Jazz wore a dress”; and “America [Ferrera] said, ‘Time’s up.’ ” Viewed from low or elevated angles that give them a monumental look, the grave, determined faces of the chosen subjects shine with lapidary dignity in Chen’s painted, close-up portraits. Variations in features and skin tone are rather subtle, but in general both the main lineup and groups of onlookers are visibly diverse. The closing notes are particularly valuable—not only filling in the context and circumstances of each act of protest (and the full names of the protesters), but laying out its personal consequences: Rosa Parks and her husband lost their jobs, as did Ruby Bridges’ first-grade teacher, and Tommie Smith and John Carlos were banned for life from Olympic competition. Pull quotes in both the art and the endnotes add further insight and inspiration.
Timely and stirring. (Informational picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-984831-97-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 2, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S HISTORY
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