1. Bibliography
Sidman, Joyce. Red Sings from Treetops. Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 9780547014944
2. Plot Summary
From award-winning poet, Joyce Sidman, this beautiful children's topical poetry book introduces children to the changing colors in our world as the seasons change.
3. Critical Analysis
Most of the poems in this book are free verse with the exception of a couple of poems which contain end rhyme, such as "Green trills from trees, / clings to Pup's knees, / covers all with leaves, / leaves, leaves!" and a line of internal rhyme: "White clinks in drinks." The book is structured around the changing seasons beginning with spring, then summer, fall, and winter, with a hint of the returning spring in the last poem with the line "Red beats inside me," suggesting that spring is approaching. The poet has made the colors come alive, literally, by personifying each color as a character in the book. For instance, "Blue needs sun. / Without it, / Blue / hides" and "Gray and Brown / hold hands." While there is no rhythm to the lines, each word has been carefully chosen by the poet to create a beautiful image. The poet's use of vivid verbs enhances the personification of the colors and the beauty of the language: "Red darts, jags, / hovers; / a blur of wings, / a sequined throat." Additionally, the poet's use of onomatopoeia throughout the poem brings the colors to life with words such as "BOOM!" and "crunch." The poet also incorporates a concrete poem with the word floats, and her use of specific word placement shows the thoughtful creation of each individual poem.
The poet seamlessly incorporates imagery of all five senses into the poems. She uses taste imagery to describe red in fall: "crisp, juicy." She also uses sound imagery throughout the poems to give the reader a sense of the sounds of the season. For instance, in fall "brown rustles and whispers underfoot" and white "sounds like storms: snapped twigs and bouncing hail." The reader can smell yellow in summer because it "smells like butter." Likewise, the reader can feel the color of purple: "squishy plums with worms in them." Sight imagery is the most abundant in the poem with vivid images on every page. The poet's love of color is passed on to the reader through her detailed descriptions of the colors which are effortless and flow eloquently from the reader's tongue. This book is meant to be enjoyed aloud! The illustrations by Pamela Zagarenski enhance the beauty of the language. The colors are bright and fill the page with very little white space. Zagarenski has successfully captured the poet's images in her illustrations.
4. Review Excerpts
2010 Caledcott honor book
Horn Book, starred review: "Sustaining the playfulness of the text and its sense of awe, mystery, and beauty, the illustrations contribute gracefully to the celebration."
Booklist, starred review: "As the title implies, the colors that surprise on every page, do sing."
Kirkus Reviews, starred review: "A charming inspiration to notice colors and correlate emotions."
5. Connections
This poetry book has many options for use in the school setting:
--Teachers can use the book to introduce a unit on seasons or colors.
--For middle grade teachers, it can be used to discuss the moods that colors create. This can be used in an English class or in an art class when learning about color connotations.
--The poems can be used to discuss imagery, sound devices, and punctuation placement in poetry in any grade.
Other Joyce Sidman and Zagarenski books:
Sidman, Joyce. This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology. ISBN 0544105079
Sidman, Joyce. What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms, and Blessings. ISBN 0544106164
Other picture books about colors:
Lionni, Leo. A Color of His Own. ISBN 0375810919
Yolen, Jane. Color Me a Rhyme: Nature Poems for Young People. Photographs by Jason Stemple. ISBN 1590781724
No comments:
Post a Comment