Module 4: Poetry Across The Curriculum

                                                          Science Poetry

Bibliography

Florian, Douglas. 2007. COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS: SPACE POEMS AND PAINTINGS. Orlando: Harcourt. ISBN 978152053727 

  

Summary

COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS: SPACE POEMS AND PAINTINGS offers the reader twenty easy to read poems about the solar system. Explore the galaxy, in poetic form, with this informative book detailing facts about the planets, moon, sun, stars, and beyond.

Quality and Appeal

Douglas Florian provides the words and illustrations for this delightful and humorous journey through space that won the 2008 Mind the Gap Award. The book begins with a table of contents, which is quite extensive, providing a thorough outline of topics covered for the reader. The initial poem, “Skywatch” encourages the reader to explore space in a fun way. The author then introduces the reader to broader subjects including poems about “The Universe,” “ A Galaxy,” and “ The Solar System.” As the book continues the author introduces the inner and outer planets, sun, comets, constellations, black hole, and that what might lie beyond our galaxy.  Science vocabulary is abundant yet not overwhelming as to make the subject matter unappealing. Included in the vocabulary for this book, are names of Roman gods, famous classical composers, artists, science terminology, and multilingual use for the word, sun.

A galactic glossary is included at the back of the book, which provides additional information about each topic covered. For those interested in pursuing even more information, a selected bibliography and further readings page is included.

In addition to the text, Mr. Florian also created the illustrations. The illustrations were created with gouache, collage, and rubber stamps on primed brown paper bags. Each topic and illustration is given a two-page spread. The illustrations are cleverly detailed with visually appealing features. For example, in the poem “Venus,” there is a thermometer located on the left of the planet with numbers ranging from 100 – 900. A photograph of a sculpture of Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, is in the center of the planet illustration with tiny, red hearts dispersed throughout the two-page spread. The illustrations provide just as much information as the text.

Most poems included in this selection are concrete in meaning, including those about the planets. There are some poems that could be defined as abstract including “The Universe,” “A Galaxy,” and “The Great Beyond.”  The addition of the concrete poem, “A Galaxy” spiraling inside its words has a somewhat hypnotic hold on the reader as the poem is read. All poems are short and each has a rhyming pattern that will entice and entertain the reader. The pattern of most poems is an ABAB rhyme scheme, but some differ. The poem, “Neptune,” is composed of couplets, two lines that rhyme and have the same meter. 

The poetic element of sound is heard with the use alliteration in the poems, “Jupiter” with the words “Jupiter’s jumbo,” and “Jupitererrific.” In the poem “Venus, ” alliteration is present with the words “nine,” “nothing,” and “no.” Onomatopoeia is present in the poem “Mercury” as the planet is described as “Speedy, nimble, quick, and fast.” “Jupiter” also offers the element of onomatopoeia with “Gigantic, Immense. So wide.”

Descriptions of figurative language in the form of personification are cleverly written with the depiction of Mercury “always racing, on the run.” The author’s sense of humor comes out in this poem when he adds tiny bare feet to encircle the planet, Mercury. An example of the sense imagery of sight is detailed in “Comet,” described as “A dirty snowball / of space debris. The biggest snowball / That you’ll ever see.”

A reader’s emotional response to the poems within this book will be one of curiosity and intrigue. The element of humor that Mr. Florian adds to this informative book will keep readers turning each page, whether that interest is from the whimsical words or creative illustrations.

Comets, Stars, The Moon, And Mars: Space Poems And Paintings will appeal to elementary age students exploring the solar system. The book is playful in design, but informative enough that it could be used for upper grade levels. The book would be an excellent choice for a unit study on the solar system with the integration of language arts and poetry curriculum as well. To add to the appeal of this book, the author has wittily illustrated himself on the inside book jacket as a green alien with red eyes who “writes poetry, and stargazes in New York City.” Funny!

Spotlight Poem

The Moon

A NEW moon isn’t really new

It’s merely somewhat dark to view.

A CRESCENT moon may seem to smile,

Gladly back after a while.

A HALF moon is half dark, half light.

At sunset look due south to sight.

A FULL moon is a sight to see,

Circular in geometry.

After full, the moon will wane

Night by night, then start again.

Connections:

This would be a great activity to reinforce a lesson on the phases of the moon. After reading the poem and having a class discussion to explain the different phases of the moon. I would distribute the poem to each student. Each student would also receive four Oreo cookies and construction paper. Students will take one Oreo cookie for each phase of the moon and show how that would look like with each Oreo cookie. For example, a new moon is “somewhat dark to view.” Students would eat or scrape off the inside filling and glue the Oreo cookie next to the stanza representing the new moon. Students could either cut their poem into four stanzas strips or keep as one complete piece of paper. I saw this activity conducted at my school with second graders, although the poetry book was not used. I think this a clever way to support a student’s understanding of a science concept as well as promote poetry across curriculum. I am going to pass along this poetry book to the teachers at my school, so that they too can see the benefits of its content.

                                                          Social Studies Poetry

Bibliography

Weatherford, Carole Boston. VOICE OF FREEDOM: FANNIE LOU HAMER, SPIRIT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. 2015. Ill. by Ekua Holmes. Somerville, MA: Candlewick. ISBN 9780763665319

Summary

Fannie Lou Hamer, civil rights activist extraordinaire, reflects on her life and the contribution she made to further the cause for equality and civil rights for Black Americans. From her dirt-poor upbringing as the twentieth child of Mississippi sharecroppers to her dedicated persistence for voter registration, Fannie Lou Hamer always kept her focus as a woman determined and dedicated to fight for what was right and fair.

Quality and Appeal

Carole Boston Weatherford pens a remarkable portrayal of Fannie Lou Hamer’s struggles and successes. The book is a 2016 Caldecott Honor and Robert F. Sibert Honor book.  Told in first person, the book contains twenty-two free verse poems that detail her life through the first glimpses of racism, her immense love she had for her mother, medical betrayals, vicious beatings, and a faith that sustained her through song. Each poem is given its own title from the beginning with “Sunflower County, Mississippi,” Fannie’s birthplace, to her emotional visit across the globe titled “Africa” that produces a range of emotions including pride, sadness, and joy. The book contains author’s notes, which reiterates Fannie’s story from verse poetry with additional details. A timeline is also included which not only encompasses aspects of Fannie’s life, but also contains information about race riots, the Ku Klux Klan, prominent Black History events, and also relevant United States historical events, including the dropping of the atom bomb on Hiroshima. Source notes, selected bibliography, audio recording, online resources, and copyright acknowledgements are found at the end of the book.

Euka Holmes, winner of the 2016 John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award, masterfully produces illustrations that depict many areas of Fannie’s life. From the vibrant colors displayed in a field of sunflowers in the opening poem, “Sunflower County, Mississippi” to the breathtaking mix of hues painted across a Mississippi sky in the poem, “Motherhood.” Examples of images that lean toward the darker, and more violent areas of Fannie’s life can be seen in the poems, “On The Move” and “The Price Of Freedom.” The two page illustration shows silhouettes of men holding shotguns in the back of a pickup truck, on the opposite page there is a display of a lone window and what looks to be the side of a home, each riddled with bullet holes. The illustration confirms the danger she faced on a daily basis and the threats she endured, all because of her skin color.

Examples of figurative language for simile and personification can be seen in  “Sunflower County, Mississippi” where Fannie describes the life of her sharecropper parents. She says, “where the soil was as rich as black folks was poor, where cotton was king and Jim Crow the law.” Other examples of similes are in the poem, “Worse Off Than Dogs” where Fannie describes her husband as “a good man of few words, as steady as a rock.” and “The Price Of Freedom” that described “the night riders / who cruised slow as molasses.” More examples of similes are in the poems “America’s Problem” and “No Rest.” In “America’s Problem,” Fannie proclaims, “no man is an island.” In the poem, “No Rest” Fannie is growing tired, yet still determined to fight. She says, “I was weary as an old soldier, but I couldn’t rest – no, I couldn’t.”  One last example of simile is written in the poem, “1964 Democratic National Convention, Atlantic City, New Jersey.” Fannie gleefully exclaims, “We stole the president’s thunder, and our support swelled like a storm cloud.”

Metaphor examples are seen in the poem “My Mother Taught Me” and “The Beating.” “My Mother Taught Me” is a beautiful tribute to a woman who always put her children’s needs first. Although I get the impression that Fannie’s mother had no schooling, she is wise beyond her years. The injustices that were thrown upon her did not leave her a bitter woman, but made her a strong role model for Fannie and her siblings. Respect for yourself was what she taught her children, so that others would return that respect. The closing verse of the poem pronounces, “My mother taught me years ago that black is beautiful.” One final example is seen in “The Beating” where the Civil Rights Bill is signed into law. After years of senseless killings and unnecessary delays, President Johnson signed the bill, but “The blood of freedom fighters was in his pen.”

Although the book’s subject matter deals with the injustices and harsh realities of the cruel treatment of Black Americans in our nation’s history, this book should be shared in classrooms across our country. We, as educators, would be doing Fannie Lou Hamer a disservice to not include her contribution to our country as part of a lesson on civic heroes. The language, at times, can be vulgar with the mention of inappropriate terms for women and African Americans, but I do not believe the language distracts from the overall message. The book will invoke emotions ranging from anger, frustration, sadness, and joy, but the one emotion that this book should have the reader feel is curiosity. That desire to inquire into learning more about the Civil Rights movement, segregation, sharecropping, and the remarkable life of one Fannie Lou Hamer.

On a personal note, every year I have my students research a famous and not so famous African American who has made a significant contribution to society. I feel it is important to acknowledge the sacrifices and celebrations of people who for so long were treated as less than human. My students have learned about so many compelling figures in history over the years. I always make it point to include Fannie Lou Hamer as a person one of my student’s research that year. Her contribution to this nation is a story that every citizen should be familiar with. She should never be forgotten.

Spotlight Poem

America’s Problem

On my fund-raising tour, I called racism

America’s problem. Whatever you give,

I told the crowd, it’s not only to free me in Mississippi,

but also to free yourselves

because no man is an island.

Racists can be some kind of rats, though.

In 1967, my daughter Dorothy took sick

after her second child was born.

I drove more than ninety miles

all the way to Memphis, Tennessee,

to find a hospital that treat blacks.

Then, right outside the hospital main entrance,

my Dorothy passed away in my arms.

Gone – just like that ‘cause she sick

and couldn’t get enough to eat.

Now me and Pap got grandbabies to raise.

I prayed their future would be brighter.

In 1967, Robert Clark, a Freedom Democrat,

cracked the door to the statehouse.

He was the first black person elected

to the Mississippi legislature since Reconstruction –

when slavery had just ended.

In 1968, Dr. King and Bobby Kennedy,

a senator running for president,

were both killed. Those were dark days.

Connections:

In light of today’s racial tension that has been sparked by this election year and previous events involving racial strife, read the poem to students. Have students dissect lines within the poem such as “racism America’s problem,” “free me in Mississippi, but also to free yourselves,” “no man is an island,” and “Racists can be some kind of rats.” Ask students what they believe these words mean to them. Show footage to students, from actual Civil Rights protests, maybe even footage of Fannie Lou Hamer, to help students understand the struggle and persistent demeaning conditions African Americans had to tolerate in order to survive. Discuss how events depicted in this poem affected the lives of so many and the impact they had on individuals. Show students the adjoining illustration that goes with the poem. Have students create posters as part of the Civil Rights movement.

                                                        Biographical Poetry

Bibliography

Engle, Margarita. DRUM DREAM GIRL: HOW ONE GIRL’S COURAGE CHANGED MUSIC. 2015. Ill. by Rafael Lopez. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780544102293

Summary

On an island filled with the sound of music, one girl is determined to play the drum, an instrument forbidden to females. Despite the obstacles laid out before her, the girl continues her quest in secret. At first, her father sides with the age-old tradition of only allowing boys to play the drum, but eventually decides to seek out a teacher for his daughter’s talent. The teacher is so impressed with the girl’s musical ability that he is able to find a venue for her to perform for others. Her musical ability is undeniable and the decision is made to allow girls to also play drums. This poetic picture book is based on the life of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, who broke the gender barrier and was able to fulfill her dream of playing drums. 

Quality and Appeal

Margarita Engle has written a free verse poem picture book that flows as rhythmically as the beating, tapping, and rippling of the drum sounds heard throughout the selection. The text is simply written with non-rhyming prose. The author’s word choice is congruent with the sounds that depict the cadence of the drum dream girl’s home. An example of this cadence would be at the introduction as the girl gazes upon the moon the words are written, “on an island of music /in a city of drumbeats.” Illustrator Rafael Lopez has distinctly conveyed the passion and dreams of the drum girl through vivid, colorful illustrations. Adding to the layout of the book are two vertically arranged illustrations with depictions of “towering dancers on stilts” at carnivals and another of the girl looking up at a birdcage, enclosed inside is a drum with wings just waiting to be free. This last illustration reminded me of the image from Maya Angelou’s autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Although confined by bars, a dream cannot be imprisoned. The end of the book includes historical notes, which consist of the inspiration behind the poem and details about the life of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, including performing in the United States for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It is clearly justifiable why Margarita Engle and Rafael Lopez were chosen as the 2016 Pura Belpre Award winners for Drum Dream Girl.

Poetic elements that can be seen and heard throughout the poem include the element of sound. Alliteration is heard in the lines, “in a city of drumbeats / the drum dream girl / dreamed,” and “when she walked under / wind-wavy palm trees.” Another example of sound includes the use of onomatopoeia. A sampling of this element of sound consist of  “boom boom booming,” “she heard the whir of parrot wings / the clack of woodpecker beaks,” “rattling beat,” “dragon clang,” and “rapped and pounded.”

Figurative language, in the form of similes, can be observed on two different pages as outdoor cafes are compared to gardens. The lines read, “At outdoor cafes that looked liked gardens,” and “outdoors at a starlit garden / that looked like a garden.” Repetition is also evident when the girl is given the opportunity to work with a music teacher. The words heard are “more /and more / and more,” as well as “and she practiced / and she practiced/and she practiced.”

Sense imagery of hearing is identifiable throughout the book with the author’s extended use of sound words for the conga drums, bongo drums, sticks, and timbales (a cylindrical drum played with sticks in Latin American music). The sense of hearing is flawlessly presented with the lines “but when she closed her eyes / she could also hear / her own imaginary music.”  The reader can also find sense imagery of sight as you observe the illustrations of the drum girl dreaming visions of her drum playing.

The emotional tone for Drum Dream Girl invokes moods of determination and aspiration. Although drum girl was repeatedly told that she could never play the drums because “only boys should play drums,” she continued to defy tradition, if only in her dreams. I personally feel that the story offers a positive message not only for girls, but boys alike. I was particularly impressed with the closing lines of  “and both girls and boys / should feel free / to dream.”

Drum Dream Girl will appeal to both young and older readers. The young girl’s strength and determination promotes a message to readers that one should continue to pursue their dreams even though others around them may try to stifle that dream. The story also opens up discussion about discrimination against the female gender and the opportunities that are limited only to males. The book also invites discussion into the diversity of multiethnic cultures. Millo Castro Zaldarriaga was a Chinese-African-Cuban living on the Caribbean island of Cuba. The story not only acquaints the reader with the history of music in Cuba, but also inspires others that change can occur when only a dream was once thought.

Spotlight Poem

Her hands seemed to fly

as they rippled

rapped

and pounded

all the rhythms

of her drum dreams.

(Excerpt from Drum Dream Girl)

In this excerpt from Drum Dream Girl the element of onomatopoeia is shown with the inclusion of the words rippled, rapped, and pounded. I also chose this poem because I felt the illustration paired well with the words. The sun is depicted smiling down upon the girl, who is floating above the ground with a pair of butterfly wings. The birds flying around her have wings and feathers as well, but have human legs instead of bird-like legs. The foliage is portrayed as flowers with drums blooming within the center of the flowers. There is quite a bit of symbolism portrayed within the text and illustration.

Connections

Read the book/poem aloud to students as they close their eyes and use their sense of sound to hear the variety of “sound” words heard. After listening to the poem, have students begin to list all the words they could “hear” with their eyes closed. Chart the words on paper and write a class poem describing their drum. Students can also illustrate the images the see in their mind as the poem is read to them. As an extension, collaborate with the music teacher and give students the opportunity to play a variety of drums available at school. After playing the instruments, students can write about the way they felt playing the different drums, using sound words.

Module 3: Kinds of Poetry

                                                            

                                                                     Poetic Form

Bibliography

Graham, Joan Bransfield. 1994. SPLISH SPLASH. Ill. by Steve Scott. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 09780395701287

Summary

Splish Splash is a book of twenty-one poems written in concrete form. Each poem visually illustrates the many shapes that water can form either a solid, liquid, or gas. From clouds producing droplets of words to represent raindrops to the sweet treat of a popsicle being enjoyed by a child, these engaging poems and illustrations will delight the reader with their unique patterns of words.

Quality and Appeal

Concrete poetry is a poetic form in which the words of the poem take on the shape of the topic of the poem. Joan Bransfield Graham introduces concrete poetry to young readers by grabbing their attention about water with superb examples of how water takes on many shapes. The poet begins the book by introducing the poem, ”Water.” In this poem the author touches on some of the topics explored in the rest of the book, including rivers, rain, snow, and brooks. In the poem the author also acquaints the reader with other elements of poetry with the words, “water has so many looks, sounds and moods and colors.”

Examples of concrete poetry can be seen with titles like "Clouds," “ Waterfall,” and  "Sprinkler." In the poem, “Clouds,” words take the place of raindrops forming as drop from the sky tilting saying, “put the water back!” The poem “Waterfall” shows the words cascading down, down, down just as water flows over a vertical drop into a river. “Sprinkler” is a fun poem with its visually representation of a lawn sprinkler spraying words into the air like, “shimmy through the sprinkler / sipping lemonade.” The letters in the word “shimmy” are staggered within the poem to look as if the word is actually wobbling.

Examples of figurative language can be seen throughout several poems. Onomatopoeia can be seen in the poems, “Waterfall,” “Ice Cubes,” and “Hail.” “Waterfall” uses the words “a kind of HOP  a CRASH  a  SMASH/ a giant SPLASH!” to describe water’s final descent.  “Ice Cubes” is an entertaining poem that expresses the sounds ice cubes make as “clinking / clatter / clink,” and “chattering / about / the cold.” A final example of onomatopoeia is seen in the poem, “Hail” with the words “a rain of ice/ such tiny balls /  that ping and pong / upon the walls.”

The poem, “Babbling Brook” exhibits the quality of personification with its implication that the brook can “tattle / gossip / gab / mutter / murmur /  mumble / hey / please / speak up / what / did / you / say?” Personification can also be observed in the poem, “Crocodile Tears,” as a crocodile is pitied for crying “so hard you soaked your pillow.”

Sensory images of touch and taste are identified in the poem, "Popsicle"  with the lines “popsicle /  popsicle / tickle / tongue fun” and “dripsicle / slipsicle /  melt, melt / tricky / stopsicle / plopsicle /  hands all / sticky.” In the poem, “Rain” the image of sight is clearly evident in the lines, “rain / has washed / the world today / the green’s / a greener / GREEN.”

A bulk of the poems produce a rhyme scheme that will appeal to young readers and those not quite fluent. The illustrations are unique to the topic, which will engage and hold the reader’s interest. Splish Splash is an outstanding example of concrete poetry and should be used within the classroom setting to introduce students to this particular form of poetry.

Spotlight Poem

WAVE

© Joan Bransfield Graham Illustration credit: © Steve Scott, illustrator, Splish Splash, Houghton Mifflin

The poem, “Wave” is an excellent example of how concrete poetry can be produced to show the word “wave” as a visual image. The poem is simplistic as to not intimidate young writers who are attempting to create their own concrete poem for the first time. The poem offers an example of personification by implying that as the wave reaches the shore it waves good-bye just as a human might do. The line “waves gather water building high” is also an acceptable example for the sensory image of sight.

  

Connections:

1. Lead a discussion about the different states of matter and their properties.

2. Introduce poems that represent each state of matter and have students identify the state

    of matter represented in each poem.

3. Lead a discussion about shape poems and identify the shape of each poem read.

4. Have students brainstorm a topic, possibly Science related, and write a shape poem

    about that topic.

                                                          Verse Poetry

Bibliography

Creech, Sharon. 2001. LOVE THAT DOG. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. ISBN 0060292873

Summary

Reluctant to write poetry because “I don’t want to because boys don’t write poetry. Girls do.” This verse novel tells the story of Jack, a boy who hates poetry. Written in a diary-like format, Jack journals his thoughts about poetry to his teacher, Miss Stretchberry, who continues to encourage Jack in his writings. While listening to Miss Stretchberry recite the works of master poets Robert Frost, William Blake, William Dean Myer, and others; Jack begins to realize that he has a voice in his writing. He touches on the emotional subject of the loss of Sky, his beloved dog and humorously comments on the works of several poets. As the school year comes to a close, Jack invites Walter Dean Myers to his classroom. His visit is a welcome surprise for Jack, whose interaction with the poet is expressed so vividly. It is through this interaction with Mr. Meyers and the connections Jack has made throughout the year with poetry that he begins to understand the possibility of the poet within.

Quality and Appeal

Love That Dog is written as a free verse novel in journal form. Each journal entry has a date at the top of the page. Some writings are Jack’s comments about poems shared in class. Jack’s other entries are poetry inspired by master poets. I italicized inspire because at the end of one of Jack’s poems, Miss Stretchberry, has written “Inspired by Walter Dean Myers” so Jack will not feel he has copied Mr. Myer’s words, only that his work has inspired him. Jack’s journal entries are a reflection of each poet’s writing style, whether it be the flexible rhythm of William Carlos Williams, the sense of imagery in the poems of Arnold Adoff, or concrete poetry of S. C. Rigg. At the end of the book there is a section that includes some of the poems that Miss Stretchberry used in class. This section is useful to the reader because without that resource some of the comments made by Jack regarding the poets and their poems might not have made sense.

When examining rhythm, “The Red Wheelbarrow” is an excellent example of meter. The poem consist of four couplets and depending on how you interpret the poem, the first line of each stanza could be dependent on the single word second line or vice versa. Either way the poem flows effortlessly. As Jack tries to understand the meaning behind the wheelbarrow poem, he is beginning to unravel the mystery of poetry with words like, “If that is a poem / about the red wheelbarrow / and the white chickens / then any words / can be a poem. You’ve just got to make / short / lines.” Assonance can also be heard in “The Red Wheelbarrow” with the line “beside the white.” In “The Tiger” rhythm and rhyme can also be heard with the lines “ Tiger! Tiger! burning bright / In the forests of the night.” This rhythm continues as Jack creates his own poem about a blue car reminiscing about Blake’s poem about a tiger. Jack recalls, “Some of the tiger sounds / are still in my ears / like drums / beat-beat-beating.”

Sense imagery is unmistakable with Jack’s January 24^th entry detailing the drive he took with his father, eventually ending up at the animal protection shelter. Sight and hearing are noticeable with lines like “red brick building,” “blue letters,” “dogs / big and small / fat and skinny,” and “bark-bark-barking.” This entry also has an emotional impact on the reader. Knowing that Jack had recently lost his beloved, Sky, his words tug at your heart. He writes, “We chose him. And in the car / he put his head / against my chest / and wrapped his paws / around my arm / as if he were saying / Thank you thank you thank you.”  A moment to celebrate and be moved to tears.

Love That Dog is a touching story about a boy, his journey to overcome the loss of his dog, and the power of poetry. Children will be drawn into story by Jack’s clever questioning of master poets, his interpretation of poetry inspired by the work of others, and how poetry can heal through emotional experiences. Children can relate to the character of Jack because they too experience the same life events. Children having difficulty with writing poetry will feel a connection to Jack. This book can also serve as an inspiration to teachers who feel that their impact on students has little or no results. This is simple, easy to read book with big life lessons to be learned.

Spotlight Poem

October 17

What was up with

the snowy woods poem

you read today?

Why doesn’t the person just

keep going if he’s got

so many miles to go

before he sleeps?

And why do I have to tell more

about the blue car

splattered with mud

speeding down the road?

I selected this poem to spotlight because it showcases the inquisitiveness of Jack. The poem reflects an informal tone with Jack's casual words when questioning Robert Frost's own word choice. All of this is achieved with a sense of humor that Jack probably does not realize is occurring, but draws the reader in with his honesty. The sense imagery of sight is seen throughout the poem with Jack’s description of the “snowy woods,” and  “blue car/ splattered with mud/ speeding down the road?”

Connections:

1. Read the poem from diary entry day, October 10.

2. Emphasize the structure of free verse with a visual reinforcement of Jack’s words 

    being a reflection of casual conversation.

3. Discuss the informality of Jack’s conversation with his teacher with focus on the poetic

    element of emotional impact.

4. Identify images within the poem and the use of italics to understand Jack’s dialogue.

5. Read the poem, "The Red Wheelbarrow" and have students interpret the poem.

                                                             New Poetry Book

Bibliography

Lewis, J. Patrick & Nesbitt, Kenn. BIGFOOT IS MISSING. 2015. Ill. by MinaLima. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. ISBN 9781452118956

Summary

Have you had a sneaking suspicion that Bigfoot was real or wanted to believe that outrageous stories circulating about the Chupacabra? Children’s Poet Laureates, J. Patrick Lewis and Kenn Nesbitt have co-authored a book about cryptozoology, the study of animals rumored to exist, but have not yet been definitively proven to exist. The cryptids are partially shown by cleverly integrating them into the paired illustrations created by MinaLima, the talented design team behind the graphic props for the Harry Potter Films.

Quality and Appeal

Bigfoot is Missing is written to introduce the reader to eighteen cryptids, a term coined by John Wall in 1983. Cryptids are, for the most part, creatures of myth and legend. The book is arranged with a definition of the word, cryptozoology, at the beginning of the book. At the bottom of the introduction page sits a typewriter with the initials of each author typed out on a single sheet a yellow paper. This inventive introduction sets up the format of how each cryptid will be made known. At the conclusion of the book the reader is given a more in depth description and background of each creature detailing the fascinating world of cryptozoology.

Each two-page spread on the beasts offers various means of communication. When talking about the “Beast of Bodmin Moor,” the poem is written as a person text messaging someone. The jargon includes abbreviations and emoticons, “smthg’s in yr garden disturbing the peace,”  “J maybe I shld call police?” The poem ends with an unfinished text message stating, “hold on there’s smthg scratching at my do-.” The illustration shrewdly plays into the language showing the naiveté of the homeowner opening the door allowing mystic Beast of Bodmin Moor easy access to the home. The authors have skillfully connected the rhyme scheme pattern into the common form of communication in today’s world of text messaging with the lines above.

Another example of the poetic element of sound is evident with the inclusion of onomatopoeia in the poem, “Giant Ananconda.” The poem has only three words, which are displayed on a giant, yellow crossing sign. The poem instinctively uses the letter “s” in the word “crossing” to produce the sound of the mammoth snake. The poem says, “GIANT ANACONDA CROSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSING.” The tone of this poem will intrigue young readers with its playful language. To add to the emotional impact of the poem, the reader can view a partial glimpse of the mysterious anaconda dragging a helpless four-legged creature, coiled in its grip. This visual supplies the reader with a feeling of distress.

In addition to use of sound and rhythm, the authors have effectively allowed each poem to impact the reader personally with the inclusion of varied fonts and communication tools when familiarizing the reader with each cryptid. Varied forms of communication forms include milk cartons, classified ads, park signs, wanted posters, and television newscasts. An example of this is in the poem, “Goatman.” The poem is written on a policeman’s citation pad describing the accident with details such as, “VIOLATION (1): Head-butted a car,” and “INSURANCE: Ate Farm.” The illustration provides a menacing overview as the reader views a lone car, totaled by the accident with skid marks and a lone ax lying on the ground next to the car. This visual enhances the mood of the poem.

The design team of MiraLima has superbly coordinated the artwork to entice the reader with a comic book feel. Each of the cryptid’s names appears in the upper left hand corner of each double page layout. The illustrations provide an extra quality to the poems, which at times are humorous and creepy. The bold colors offer depth and appeal to each poem as well as how cleverly the poems are inserted within picture scheme.

Bigfoot Is Missing is an easy to read eye-catching book that will appeal to young readers on topic alone. The poems are short and easy to read which will lend to its charm. Although the subject matter could have a tendency to frighten young readers, the way the book is formatted diminishes the possibility of one being spooked by the subject matter.

Spotlight Poem

Bigfoot

MISSING

LAST SEEN:

WALKING IN THE FOREST.

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT:

MUCH MORE THAN YOU.

GENDER: UNKNOWN

HAIR: ALL OVER

SHOE SIZE

(RUMORED): 92

I chose this poem because everyone, young and old, is familiar with the legend of Bigfoot. I like the way the poem is cleverly disguised on the side of milk carton with large letters atop the side that say, MISSING. The authors humorously describe the features of Bigfoot in a playful way as not to scare off the faint. The poem is eye catching with its depiction of the milk carton’s information, as well a mysterious, furry hand reaching into the cereal bowl for a few flakes of someone’s breakfast. The overall mood is lighthearted and offsets the intensity and foreboding danger that lurks on future pages of the book.

Connections

1. Introduce the book by defining the terms cryptozoology and cryptid.

2. Set the mood by telling students you will be reading several poems about

    cryptids.

3. Dim the lights and have music playing in the background, possibly Halloween music.

4. After reading one or two poems, have students illustrate how they think each cryptid

     might appear to look.