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Poetry: Adventures in Color
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From: Karen L. Simonetti <karensue>
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1998 11:42:13 -0500
So, did the subject matter header give you all any clues? My all time favorite book (which my Mom read to me as a little kid and I now use with every age group) is: -Hailstones and Halibut Bones- By Mary O'Neill, illustrated by John Wallner (New York: Doubleday, 1961). First, I must point out that there are two versions of the book. The original one with wonderful illustrations and a 1989 also illustrated by Wallner, with
"updated" illustrations that continues to look "dated" to me.
In any event, for those unfamiliar with the book: there is a poem for each color that begins with "What is..." And the words capture all flavors, emotions and possibilities of each color. It is a great book to use with almost any age group and I have used it in many creative writing units from 2nd to 8th grade.
Aargh, I wish I could just insert one poem here to give you an idea...so, how about a few lines? (If I'm not within fair use of copyrights, I plead ignorance.)
"What is Brown?" Brown is the colour of a country road Back of a turtle Back of a toad. Brown is cinnamon And morning toast And the good smell of The Sunday roast. Brown is the color of work And the sound of a river, Brown is bronze and a bow And a quiver. Brown is the house On the edge of town Where wind is tearing The shingles down. (okay, enough of the poem...and edges of copyright infringement)
But, using these poems certainly triggers the imagination of many children
(and adults). The poems are both soothing, exciting and just GOOD! Now, about those illustrations...the new version has illustrations that distract and interfere with the words. Oh! I should mention that the poems to each color are set within a drawing that frames the one or two pages.
Is anyone else still using this book? And what about those illustrations? I wish I could explain it better, but it does the exact opposite of what Tom Feelings' -Soul Looks Back in Wonder- (another all-time favorite of mine) does.
Karen Sue...and if you can guess my favorite color...well, there is no prize, sorry...
Karen L. Simonetti email: karensue at mcs.net phone: 312.337.7114
"Walk gently, breathe peacefully, laugh hysterically."
Nelson Mandela, 1994 Inaugural Speech
Received on Tue 28 Apr 1998 11:42:13 AM CDT
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1998 11:42:13 -0500
So, did the subject matter header give you all any clues? My all time favorite book (which my Mom read to me as a little kid and I now use with every age group) is: -Hailstones and Halibut Bones- By Mary O'Neill, illustrated by John Wallner (New York: Doubleday, 1961). First, I must point out that there are two versions of the book. The original one with wonderful illustrations and a 1989 also illustrated by Wallner, with
"updated" illustrations that continues to look "dated" to me.
In any event, for those unfamiliar with the book: there is a poem for each color that begins with "What is..." And the words capture all flavors, emotions and possibilities of each color. It is a great book to use with almost any age group and I have used it in many creative writing units from 2nd to 8th grade.
Aargh, I wish I could just insert one poem here to give you an idea...so, how about a few lines? (If I'm not within fair use of copyrights, I plead ignorance.)
"What is Brown?" Brown is the colour of a country road Back of a turtle Back of a toad. Brown is cinnamon And morning toast And the good smell of The Sunday roast. Brown is the color of work And the sound of a river, Brown is bronze and a bow And a quiver. Brown is the house On the edge of town Where wind is tearing The shingles down. (okay, enough of the poem...and edges of copyright infringement)
But, using these poems certainly triggers the imagination of many children
(and adults). The poems are both soothing, exciting and just GOOD! Now, about those illustrations...the new version has illustrations that distract and interfere with the words. Oh! I should mention that the poems to each color are set within a drawing that frames the one or two pages.
Is anyone else still using this book? And what about those illustrations? I wish I could explain it better, but it does the exact opposite of what Tom Feelings' -Soul Looks Back in Wonder- (another all-time favorite of mine) does.
Karen Sue...and if you can guess my favorite color...well, there is no prize, sorry...
Karen L. Simonetti email: karensue at mcs.net phone: 312.337.7114
"Walk gently, breathe peacefully, laugh hysterically."
Nelson Mandela, 1994 Inaugural Speech
Received on Tue 28 Apr 1998 11:42:13 AM CDT
