A collection of 16 poems, in picture-book format, by the well-respected poet and anthologist examines the journey in its broadest form—the outward, the inner, the metaphorical, as well as journeys in time and space. The poems vary in their accessibility and the addition of one of Nye’s memorable Forwards might have brought clarity to a group of poems that are intrinsically elusive (The Space Between Our Footsteps, 1998, etc.). Many are abstract and mysterious, full of subtle, teasing ideas to turn over in the mind. Pondering and reflecting are invited and required. One of the most accessible and successful is “Mad,” which fixes on the universal tension in the mother-daughter relationship, beginning: “I got mad at my mother / so I flew to the moon,” and ends “My mother sent up a silver thread / for me to slide down on. / She knows me so well. / She knows I like silver.” Although the poems are somewhat somber in tone, they are filled with a calm strength and a quiet sense of wonder when read aloud. Reading aloud also underscores the ineluctability of each perfectly chosen word. The small detail of page numbers placed on small torn pieces of map and the art’s strong linearity are appropriate to the journey theme. However, the collage and mixed-media illustrations fail to extend the text and threaten to overwhelm the delicate mood set by the quiet words and insinuated ideas. The saturated palette, strong line showing hasty brush strokes and the bold composition seem at odds with the poet’s rather pensive intent. But when Nye issues an invitation, “Come with me / To the quiet between two noisy minutes . . .” it is always worth the trip. (Nonfiction/Poetry. 8-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2000
ISBN: 0-688-15946-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2000
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)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-7636-0683-9
Page Count: 107
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Prose poems celebrate the feats of young heroines, some of them famous, and some not as well-known. Paul (Hello Toes! Hello Feet!, 1998, etc.) recounts moments in the lives of women such as Rachel Carson, Amelia Earhart, and Wilma Rudolph; these moments don’t necessarily reflect what made them famous as much as they are pivotal events in their youth that influenced the direction of their lives. For Earhart, it was sliding down the roof of the tool shed in a home-made roller coaster: “It’s like flying!” For Rudolph, it was the struggle to learn to walk without her foot brace. Other women, such as Violet Sheehy, who rescued her family from a fire in Hinckley, Minnesota, or Harriet Hanson, a union supporter in the fabric mills of Massachusetts, are celebrated for their brave decisions made under extreme duress. Steirnagle’s sweeping paintings powerfully exude the strength of character exhibited by these young women. A commemorative book, that honors both quiet and noisy acts of heroism. (Picture book/poetry. 6-9)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201477-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
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
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
