WINTER BEES & OTHER POEMS OF THE COLD

a. Bibliographic data: Sidman, Joyce. WINTER BEES & OTHER POEMS OF THE COLD. Ill. By Rick Allen. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2014. ISBN 9780547906508.

b. Plot summary: In this exceptional poetry book consisting of twelve poems, author Joyce Sidman leads the readers into an enlightening experience regarding the life of nature and how its inhabitants transition from fall to winter, back into springtime. From honeybees, chickadees, tundra swans, and more, Joyce Sidman pairs with the illustrator, Rick Allen, to elegantly portray how the inhabitants in the poems find creative ways to stay alive and survive the sometimes brutal and treacherous winters.

c. Critical Analysis: 
      WINTER BEES & OTHER POEMS OF THE COLD, by Joyce Sidman, is brilliantly made into a book consisting of twelve poems, which reveal necessary adaptations that animals and nature must make in order to transition from season to season, especially during the winter. Not only does the author of this book include animals in the poems, but there are also poems about inanimate objects such as snowflakes, trees, and skunk cabbage.

      Following each poem, the author also includes a non-fictional section of information and details about each phenomenon, which encompasses a wide range of vocabulary-rich text that students can gain factual knowledge from. The rhythm of each poem can facilitate the flow of poetic wording, which does not always end in a rhyme. The author utilizes a variety of alliteration techniques on several of the pages, offering a pleasing sound and flow. The images do, in fact, help the reader visualize the words of the poem, but in a sense that does not distract from the author’s intended messages.

      Emotional responses can vary from humor to wonder to complete fascination, depending on the subject of the poem. Although this book has the capability to captivate an eager audience, it can be overwhelming for the primary grades due to the intense vocabulary and overflow of information.

        

d. Reviews:

"Each poem brings a sense of humor, respect, or wonder to its subject."

—Publishers Weekly

"Concluded with a glossary of big but fascinating words, this is equally suited to curricular units and cozy reads in front of a fire."

—Booklist

"A work to be savored by young artists and scientists."

—Kirkus

"Winter Bees distinguishes itself with a focus on the science of animal survival, coupled with superlative illustrations. Readers young and old will enjoy this winter journey and marvel at the wonders of nature."

—School Library Journal

"A handsome, persuasive, and authentic ambassador for creatures in their natural state."

—Horn Book Magazine

"A collection that's as crisp as the first snowfall, Winter Bees is the pefect way to pass a chilly afternoon."

—Bookpage

"This author-artist duo makes winter wonder-filled."

—Shelf Awareness

"Sidman is a master at retaining overall momentum while giving the individual poems their own form and style."

—Bulletin

Awards/Honors:

2015 Claudia Lewis Poetry Award

ALSC Notable Children’s Book

ILA Teachers’ Choice Award

Midwest Bookseller’s Choice Award

School Library Journal Best Book of 2014

Kirkus Best Book of 2014

The Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book

Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2014

New York Public Library's 100 Best Books for Reading and Sharing

2014 Nerdy Poetry Award

e. Connections:

I read this book aloud to my first grade bilingual class and the reading did not go over too smoothly. The students were very lost in the wording and poetic language; however, they definitely enjoyed the pictures and talking about seasons. Winter is their favorite season and, therefore, some great connections were made as a result of the discussion. 

WINTER BEES & OTHER POEMS OF THE COLD can be used to discuss the changing of seasons with students. This could be used to show the different ways that animals and plants hibernate/survive in harsh conditions. For younger students, this could be an excellent addition to the study of seasons and what type of clothes we would wear for the appropriate weather.

Students could choose one of the animals or plants in the book to research. They could use this expository-style project side by side with the poem section in the book and make comparisons in a presentation. 

A PIG IS BIG

A PIG IS BIG

a. Bibliographic data: Florian, Douglas. A PIG IS BIG. Ill. by Douglas Florian. New York, New York: Greenwillow Books, 2000. ISBN 9780688171254.

b. Plot summary: A PIG IS BIG is a creative and informative picture book that consists of poems comparing sizes of creatures and objects. The author, Douglas Florian, introduces a big, fat pink pig at the beginning of this book and takes us from something as small as a hat all the way to something as big as the universe!

c. Critical Analysis: 
     A PIG IS BIG is a wonderful book that takes its readers through gradual comparisons of things that are big, bigger, and biggest! The author incorporates objects and concepts that are from our everyday lives, with accurate depictions of size, especially in comparison to one another. A great example of this is on pages 7 and 8, when Florian places a pig and a cow in the same vehicle to represent the size of all three items.

     The rhythm is very pleasant in that it flows nicely, which helps readers stay engaged. The rhymes are consistent throughout the book and help students visualize the next word to come. A question appears on almost every page, which encourages participation from the reader because they have to think of what is bigger than the object on that page. This book is great for a read- aloud because students can answer the multiple questions such as, “What is bigger than a truck?”

     The wording is simplistic, yet ties in relative vocabulary to each object and concept. The illustrations perfectly complement the poem, without being too overbearing. The mix of fiction with non-fiction makes it exciting and silly, all the while teaching a lesson on the topic of size and comparisons.

        

d. Reviews:

“The world widens with each additional line, from the smiling, peachy pig to a city street and eventually to the wide blue universe. Florian's illustrations grow increasingly complex without overwhelming readers with detail…In general, though, the presentation is clever and humorous, well suited for elementary school children prepared to grasp the size of a universe as ‘the biggest thing of all. Compared to it all things seem small.’” 
–Publishers Weekly

"An accessible, well-designed picture book."
-ALA Booklist

“Florian's rhyming, ever-expanding verses make us turn those pages as fast as we can; his fabulous colored pencil and watercolor illustrations are what slow us down to a lingering pace. Explore the concepts of big, bigger, and biggest while giggling at the image of a cow squeezing into a car to drive a pig into town. Florian's well-loved Mammalabilia: Poems and Paintings and Winter Eyes are equally read-aloudable! (Ages 3 to 6)” 
-Emilie Coulter, Amazon.com

“Florian's illustrations, watercolors with colored pencils, expand the text to make this a satisfying picture book. The first illustration shows just the tip of a pig's ear and part of the cap he wears against a midnight-blue, double-page spread. The last page shows the same night sky with the constellation of a pig pinpointed by stars and roughly outlined in white. The artwork is sophisticated, but it remains accessible to young children, who will enjoy the blithe spirit and lively details of the paintings. The smiling pig on the cover beckons kids to this well-designed picture book.” 
-Carolyn Phelan, Booklist

Awards/Honors: Bulletin Blue Ribbon Best of 2000 Award

e. Connections:

I read this book to my bilingual first graders and they asked for it over and over again! They loved being able to participate in the reading and guess which object would come next. We discussed the size of objects in the classroom and compared things using superlative and comparative adjectives, which was great for English language development. 

Students can make their own flipbook starting with something small and moving on to something bigger and bigger. They can incorporate questioning and allow their reader to guess what comes next, as well. 

THE LIGHTNING DREAMER: CUBA’S GREATEST ABOLITIONIST

THE LIGHTNING DREAMER

a. Bibliographic data:

Engle, Margarita. THE LIGHTNING DREAMER: CUBA’S GREATEST ABOLITIONIST. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2013. ISBN-13: 978-0547807430.

b. Plot summary: 
        From an excruciating time of exile and oppression in Cuba come the words of a girl who, although entrapped by society’s harsh rules, can write the most freeing of words with the simple stroke of her feather pen. Margaret Engle is fully capable of making the reader experience life through the eyes of Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda, also known as Tula, a woman willing and brave enough to voice her thoughts on the injustice that surrounded her. “My life is a balancing act as dangerous as any carnival performance.” –Tula (p. 91).

       Engle takes us through the life of Tula, from a young girl learning that being smart was the most unattractive thing she could do, to being forced into marrying a well-to-do man without choice, which meant providing her family with wealth and prosperity. Tula finds an outlet (poetry) to her not-so-secret, yet desperate, need to express her thoughts, which was inspired by her discovery of rebel poet books and daring abolitionists’ writings. Will she rebel against her mother’s wish for her? Will she be as brave as the rebels in the banned books that she reads?

    

  

c. Critical Analysis: 
         This book of deep-rooted, free verse poetry of a girl whose words speak freedom in a time of exile and oppression in Cuba’s late 1800 slavery-ridden world, puts us in the front line of what it must have felt like to be Tula. Margarita Engle, the author behind every word of every character, has the ability to express emotions that seem as though she were the one living in the shoes of Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda (Tula), Manuel (her brother), Mama, and so on.  

         Through the mostly one-paged, double-spaced poems expressed by Tula and other close people in her life, we see Tula grow in her passions and poetry. In the beginning, she expresses ideas in lively repetition and reiteration. Starting younger than age 13, she explains what a book even is, since it was something she was banned from touching. The free-flowing, yet rhythmic poetry evokes deep thought and emotion because Tula expresses her frustration of being told to amount to nothing, seeing orphans dropped by parents who love them, being told to marry at a young age for money, etc. As life continues, the words and language that Tula uses become more mature and intense in emotion, bringing us to the deepest expressions of how poetry is the soul of her life by her twenties. Although Tula was the main writer of poetry in this book, there are other characters that speak truth in the first person, giving us greater insight into who Tula was and how her life played out.

         This book is not for the young reader, containing concepts that may be too difficult to comprehend, such as arranged marriages, slavery, oppression, etc. Although there are no pictures for this book, Margaret Engle is able to help us “see” the scenery of Tula’s surroundings with her descriptive wording. This book carries a strong and powerful message of fighting injustice, striving for woman’s rights, and standing up for what one believes to be right. “We risk everything, all for the crime of listening to poems.” –Manuel (p. 89).

d. Reviews:

“This is the context for a splendid novel that celebrates one brave woman who rejected a constrained existence with enduring words that continue to sing of freedom.”
—Booklist, starred review

“An inspiring fictionalized verse biography of one of Cuba’s most influential writers. . . . Fiery and engaging, a powerful portrait of the liberating power of art.”

—Kirkus

“In these poems, their longings for freedom, their fears, their loves, and their heartaches are elegantly crafted through images that make the island of Cuba and its people vividly real and connect them to the hearts of contemporary readers.”

—Bulletin

“A quick and powerful read worthy of addition to any collection. The verses speak of tolerance and acceptance beyond the context of this story.”

—VOYA 

“Engle adds another superb title to her lengthening list of historical novels in verse. This is a must-have for collections where Engle’s other works are known and loved or for anyone in need of a comparative study to our own country’s struggle with slavery.”

—School Library Journal

Awards/Honors:

Pura Belpré Award Nominee for Narrative (2014)

A Pura Belpré Honor Book


Winner of the 2014 PEN Literary Award for Best Young Adult Book


VOYA Top Shelf for Middle School Readers 2013 list


2014 International Latino Book Award Honorable Mention


An NCTE Notable Book for the Language Arts


An ALSC Notable Children's Book for 2013


YALSA 2014 Best Fiction for Young Adults

2014 Notable Trade Books for Social Studies

e. Connections:

 This book could be paired with any of Margaret Engle’s other books to compare aspects of poetry.

Students could write their own poetic version of their life, based on the same writing style as Margaret Engle’s THE LIGHTNING DREAMER: CUBA’S GREATEST ABOLITIONIST.

This book could be used as a study on the abolitionist movement, learning about women’s rights or about Cuba’s history of slavery.

Students can write about the importance of the written word used in getting message across to certain audiences, even when that written word could mean serious consequences.

Women’s History Month would be a great chance to write about Tula’s mark in history.

Students could compare the fictional parts of this book to the non-fictional parts of Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda’s real life.