FOLD ME A POEM

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:

George, Kristine O’Connell 2005. FOLD ME A POEM. Ill. by Lauren Stringer. San Diego: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 0-15202501-4

2. PLOT SUMMARY:

This book of poems provides an introduction to origami, the art of paper folding. Origami was first developed by the Chinese, but was later adopted by the Japanese. In this book, a young boy uses his active imagination to create an incredible group of “living creatures” such as roosters, camels, robins, cheetahs and lions. All of these creatures come to life in a variety of shapes and sizes made of colorful pieces of paper. It is beautifully illustrated by Lauren Stringer.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Fold Me a Poem is a delightful book blending 32 clever poems and related one- and two-page illustrations about origami creatures. The cover is cleverly done to show a beautiful and colorful zoo menagerie of folded paper animals. You can almost see the lively, vivid imagination of the boy. It is entertaining to try to figure out what the animals are and how they were folded. Lauren Stringer’s bright, colorful, expressive acrylic illustrations illuminate the pages. The poems are sequenced by time of day when the boy is playing. Most of the poems are unrhymed verses. Some of the poems use the 5- 7- 5 pattern.

The illustrator provides notes and a listing of 9 books on how to make origami animals. Also included are two websites, www.KristineGeorge.com and www.LaurenStringer.com, where one can learn more about fun paper-folding activities.

Kristine George has received the following awards for her books and poetry: Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, International Reading Association / Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award, the Golden Kite, Myra Cohn Livingston Poetry Awards, Claudia Lewis Poetry Award, ALA notables, NCTE notables, School Library Journal Best Books, Hornbook Fanfare, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, and IRA-CBC Children's Choice.

4. EXCERPTS

BOOKLIST Review: “Gr. 1-3. From morning until night, a boy spends his day folding squares of colored paper into animals. The opening poem, "Origami," follows the five-seven-five-syllable haiku form while defining the magic of the paper-folding art: "Square sheet of paper-- / folded, suddenly wakes up. / Good morning, Rooster." While many of the other poems have the terseness of haiku, they follow their own syllabic patterns. Each appears on a single page or a double-page spread along with a large-scale painting of the boy making his animals, playing with them, observing them, or, in one case, repairing them after a cat attack. In "Hungry" he comes to a realization: "All afternoon / the paper cows / have been eyeing / the green paper. Oh. / Grass!" Warm in colors and often large in scale, Stringer's acrylic paintings capture the world of the boy's imaginative play as well as the intricately folded paper figures that inspire and inhabit it. Unusual, handsome, and good for reading aloud.” Carolyn Phelan

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY review: “"A dazzling celebration of imagination...Each turn of the page brings a clever new perspective or insight-even humor."


5. CONNECTIONS

For additional information on origami, see Kristine George’s website (listed above.) This website also includes information on how to use George’s books in your lesson plans.

Other publications by George include THE GREAT FROG RACE AND OTHER POEMS and HUMMINGBIRD’S NEST AND OTHER POEMS.

BEAST FEAST

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Florian, Douglas. 1994. BEAST FEAST. San Diego: Harcourt Brace, Inc. ISBN 015295178-4

2. PLOT SUMMARY
BEAST FEAST is a collection of twenty-one (21) pairs of poems and paintings about animals, insects, and birds. The following animals are included: anteater, ants, armadillo, barracuda, bat, boa, camel, caterpillar, chameleon, firefly, grasshopper, kangaroo, kiwi, lobster, mole, pigeon, rhea, sloth, toad, walrus, and whale. The poems are “silly”, humorous, and quirky. The pictures match the rhymes and they often leave room for further explanation by the reader. The illustrations are as funny as the poems; Florian did an excellent job with both the poems and illustrations.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The book is one of the 1996-97 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominees. There seems to be no rhyme or reason for the order of text. And, obviously one poem is not directly (or indirectly) connected to the next. One could begin and end the reading at any point without losing any of the meaning. Although he book may be informative, it seems to be written for the enjoyment of reader and listener. It is most fun when read aloud.
There are full-page illustrations that are similar to a picture book. A table of contents helps the reader locate specific “beasts”.
BEAST FEAST is the winner of the 1995 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award and is an ALA Notable Children’s Book.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “Grade 1-4-A colorful and clever assemblage of 21 animals, from the walrus ("The pounding spatter/Of salty sea/ makes the walrus/Walrusty.") to the kiwi ("Wings so small./No tail at all./ Very rare./Feathers like hair./Quiet and shy./Cannot fly./They call you a bird,/But I don't know why."). Each brief poem employs an Ogden Nashian twist of language, a small surprise, or a happy insight into the familiar. The book's design is as appealing as the verses themselves, pairing each selection with a full-page, splashy, bordered watercolor. Large type, surrounded by plenty of white space, will appeal to younger readers. This collection is an uncluttered, short presentation by an author/illustrator who knows what children will find funny-add to that the bonus of factual information tucked into each poem, and the result is a winner. It's easy to imagine readers becoming inspired to write and illustrate their own poems after spending time with Florian. Clearly a wonderful book.Lee Bock, Brown County Public Libraries, Green Bay, WI”

BOOKLIST review: Ages 4-8. Twenty-one animals are each the subject of both a watercolor painting and a poem. Brief and largely humorous, the poems often make rhymes or puns with the animals' names. Read aloud, they reveal skilled alliteration--"The anteater's long and tacky tongue is snaking from its snout." The humor, in words and pictures, will win young children: "The caterpillar's not a cat. / It's very small / And short and fat." The accompanying picture, located on the facing page, shows a caterpillar that has eaten a cat-shaped piece from a large green leaf. Mary Harris Veeder

5. CONNECTIONS

This is another excellent Read-Aloud book, especially for students in kindergarten and Grade 1. Because the collection of “animals” exclude (I am sure by design) some common “pets”, each student could be asked to choose an animal and to write a short poem (with a simple illustration) about that animal. The teacher could screen the poem to make sure that an assortment of pets is chosen. This collection could then be read aloud by each student and collected to make a class collection of beasts.

ALEUTIAN SPARROW

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Hesse, Karen. 2003. ALEUTIAN SPARROW. Ill. Evon Zerbetz. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-689-86189-3

2. PLOT SUMMARY:

In June, 1942 during World War II, Japanese forces attacked the Aleutian Islands. In order to “protect the people”, the U.S. military moved the Aleuts to internment camps in the southwest section of Alaska. As a result of the deplorable conditions and much suffering, many of the Aleuts died during this three-year internment. Hesse tells this moving story through the eyes and voice of Vera, a half Aleutian girl. The story describes the community’s struggle to keep their heritage intact.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

ALEUTIAN SPARROW, a historical fiction novel written for ages 10-14, is a Junior Library Guild selection. It is a 160-page novel of unrhymed verse by Newbery Award winner, Karen Hesse. Told through the eyes of Vera, an Aleut girl, the reader begins to live the life of a people in an internment camp. The verses are short, unrhymed, and divided into four major time-dated sections based on location: (1) Kashega, May-June 1942, (2) Wrangell, July 1942, (3) Ward Lake, August1942-April 1945; (4) the Aleutians, April 1945. In this fast moving novel, each page has a heading which helps to keep the reader on track with the main focus of the page. Though in no way a “pity-party”, the reader will feel the suffering of the Aleuts during this difficult period in the history of that culture and our country. Evon Zerbetz’s black and white linocut illustrations support Hesse’s words and contribute to the recognition that these were not good times for the Aleuts.

The novel concludes with an author’s note. An excerpt from that note reads: “This book is a work of fiction based on true events. The Aleut characters described here are not intended to depict specific individuals, but rather to represent the experience shared by many during the three-year relocation.” A very short Aleutian glossary is included.
Hesse does a good job of tackling a little known and difficult story.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Review: “The novel begins at a happy time for Vera, in May, 1942, and ends with her return home in April, 1945. During the course of the story, readers see all that the Aleut people endure during these years-bewilderment, prejudice, despair, illness, death, and everyday living that does include moments of humor and even a budding romance for Vera. Hesse's verses are short and flow seamlessly, one into another. Her use of similes is a powerful tool in describing people, scenes, events, and emotions. Ending on a hopeful note, Aleutian Sparrow brings to light an important time in American history, and in the process introduces readers to Aleut culture.Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH”

KIRKUS Review: “with a whisper-soft touch, Hesse’s clear resonant verses and delicate imagery will break hearts.”

5. CONNECTIONS:

This book will make an excellent springboard for a thematic unit or webquest on the Aleuts and Aleutian culture.

At the site posted below, there is an extensive annotated bibliography and resource list for rare photographs, declassified government documents, congressional records that tell the Aleut Story. There is also a print bibliography and a list of online sources.

Unit inclusion suggestions: evacuation and internment of Aleut American, Aleut history and culture, the World War II battle for the Aleutians, and Alaska Naïve history.

http://www.aleutstory.tv/rsrcs_main.html
http://www.asdk12.org/schools/west/pages/Aleut_webquest/aleutwebquest.htm