Review: Florian Poetry

Title: Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars

Written and Illustrated by: Douglas Florian

Citation: Florian, Douglas. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc., 2007.

ISBN: 978-0-15-205372-7

Awards: Nominated for the 2008 Texas Bluebonnet Award, Nominated for the 2009 Beehive Children's Poetry Book Award, Nominated for the 2009 Rhode Island Children's Book Award, Nominated for the 2009 Young Hoosier Book Award, Nominated for the 2010 Garden State Children's Book Award

Review: Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars is a collection of themed poetry written and illustrated by Douglas Florian. Creatively written with attention to scientific detail as well to the lyrical nature of poetry, Florian creates a high quality collection that would be an important addition to any science teacher's collection. With beautifully inspired illustrations done with gouache, collage, and rubber stamps on primed brown paper bags, readers will enjoy examining the paintings just as much as reading the poems. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars covers all aspects of the solar system, with poems describing each of the planets as well as other elements such as the universe, black holes, constellations, and the sun. An excellent educational tool, Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars will please adult and children alike.

Potential Use: Any unit on the solar system will be greatly enhanced by Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars. Learning about the planets can often be confusing for young students; the poems in this book offer a brief, accurate description of each planet that would help enhance students' understanding of the specific characteristics of each. Short and easy to memorize, students could learn each poem to have an understanding of the unique qualities of the different planets. For example, the poem Venus not only describes the physical characteristics of the planet, but also how it received its name:

Venus

Scalding-hot surface,

Nine hundred degrees.

Nothing can live there,

No creatures,

No trees.

Poisonous clouds

Of acid above.

Why was it named for the goddess of love?

Review: Multicultural Poetry

Title: Love to Mamá: A Tribute to Mothers

Edited By: Pat Mora

Illustrator: Paula S. Barragán M.

Citation: Mora, Pat. Love to Mamá: A Tribute to Mothers. New York: Lee & Low Books Inc., 2001.

ISBN: 1-58430-019-1

Awards: ALA Notable Children's Book, Children's Books of the Year for Outstanding Merit by Bank Street College Children's Book Committee, "Starred Review" by School Library Journal

Review: Love to Mamá: A Tribute to Mothers celebrates the bond between mothers, grandmothers, and children. A collection of poetry from a variety of well- and lesser-known Latino poets, this book represents a variety of perspectives and writing styles. Each poem is filled with beautiful figurative language that begs to be read aloud. The heavy Spanish-language influence throughout the book provides a flowing rhythm that is pleasing to the ear of native English and Spanish speakers alike. The large, colorful illustrations covering each page add life to the vibrant words; readers will enjoy examining the uniquely created pictures as much as reading the poems. In Love to Mamá: A Tribute to Mothers, Pat Mora has created an excellent compilation of poems that show just how important maternal figures are in the Latino culture.

Potential Use: Love to Mamá: A Tribute to Mothers would be an excellent tool in teaching elementary-aged students beginning Spanish. Many elementary schools are incorporating Spanish language lessons into the general curriculum; this book would complement this instruction perfectly. Many of the poems allow students to discover the meaning of Spanish words through the use of context clues, just as they decode unfamiliar English vocabulary in the same manner. The poem My Tongue is Like a Map by Rane Arroyo lends itself well to this type of lesson. Give students a printed copy of the poem or have it posted in the room where it can be seen. Ask students to listen carefully to the English and Spanish words in the poem, then share it aloud:

My Tongue is Like a Map

Mami said yes, Abuelita sang sí.

They said, Two languages make you a rich man,

But words never paid for my penny candy.

Agua, water. Arroz, rice. Niño, me!

Arroz con leche, sang Abuelita

As my mami said, A is for Apple.

My ears were like a radio, so many stations.

Sometimes I would dream in English and Spanish.

I was a millionaire each time I said yes and sí.

After reading the poem several times, highlight all the Spanish words on the printed copy of the poem. Allow students to volunteer guesses about what each word means using the context clues in the poem as a base for their guesses. Once all words have been identified, re-read the poem. As an extension, discuss what it would be like to live in a bilingual home. Allow any bilingual students to share their experiences.

Review: NCTE Award Poetry

Title: Scien-Trickery: Riddles in Science

Author: J. Patrick Lewis

Illustrator: Frank Remkiewicz

Citation: Lewis, J. Patrick. Scien-Trickery: Riddles in Science. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc., 2004.

ISBN: 0-15-216681-5

Review: Scien-Trickery: Riddles in Science is a collection of scientific riddles written by NCTE Award-winning poet J. Patrick Lewis. With topics ranging from germs to laser beams to humidity, this collection covers a broad spectrum of scientific concepts. Each poem contains clues to the topic either in the words or in the watercolor and colored pencil illustrations created by Frank Remkiewicz, followed by the answer to the riddle written upside down beneath the poem. Though accurate in detail and chock full of scientific vocabulary, Scien-Trickery lacks a unifying theme as well as creative use of figurative language. With patterns that often seems forced and little sense imagery, the poems in this collection lack emotional impact.

Potential Use: Educators could pick and choose poems from Scien-Trickery: Riddles in Science to introduce topics of study in the science curriculum. Many of these poems lend them self to warm-up introductory activities. For example, if the topic of study for the day was gravity, an educator might introduce the subject with the following poem:

Gee!

It keeps you from flying

Off into space.

It's what makes you fall

Flat on your face.

And if it could talk

Like you and I do,

I think it would say,

"I'm pulling for you."

Answer: Gravity

As a follow-up activity, students could also try to create their own riddles based upon the day's science topic. Using the poems in Scien-Trickery for inspiration, students could write their own riddles and exchange them with classmates to solve.