Poetrees
By Douglas Florian
Cover image retrieved 3/30/13
from
Bibliography
Florian, Douglas.
Poetrees. New York: Beach Lane Books, 2010. ISBN 9781416986720
Critical
Analysis
Douglas Florian’s
poetry is as rich and descriptive as his magnificent paintings, which serve as
the backdrop for each poem. In crafting this collection, Mr. Florian created
eighteen poems about a variety of trees, describing their unique attributes.
With each poem transposed onto the illustration, a complete literary/visual
connection is achieved. Readers will be fascinated with the facts about the
tree or tree part on each page. A table of contents sets the stage for the
book, with the “glossatree” slyly occupying the spot typically reserved for the
glossary.
As is typical with
Florian’s poetry, clever wordplays hook the reader. Figurative language
abounds, as does sensory imagery. It is difficult to determine which is more
appealing, the construction of the poem or the illustrations. Full-page
illustrations provide the background for each poem. The illustrations are mixed
media, sprinkled with a canny mix of images that offer a play on words. Rhyme and rhythm provide a hook that leads the
reader to want to reread it often, for the pleasure of how the words trip off
the tongue. Ancient seers / Of three
thousand years. / Heavenly high. / Friends to the sky. from “Giant
Sequoias” flows freely when read aloud. The poems and illustrations are a treat
to the senses.
Text arrangement is key
to the impact of many poems. Concrete poetry is cleverly used in poems such as
“The Seed,” which is scripted in an infinity loop, and details the never-ending
cycle of seed to tree to seed. In “Roots” several words are printed down,
evoking the growth of the root. Other text is spread out, to mirror the girth
or magnitude described in the poem. Each poem begs to be read again and again,
as the reader will discover new images, wordplays, and connections with
repeated readings.
Readers of all ages
will connect to the poetry and learn from it, as well. This book is a wonderful
resource to integrate Science and Language Arts. Though the book is officially
for ages six and up, all levels of learners will find something to please them
here. It is recommended for all school libraries.
Book
Reviews
Hazel Rochman
(Booklist, Mar. 1, 2010 (Vol. 106, No. 13))
Starting with the
book’s title and ending with a final glossatree, the wordplay in Florian’s
latest poetry collection provides plenty of fun. Each of the 18 poems
celebrates the wonder of trees, from the giant sequoia (the world’s tallest
trees) and the Banyan (an acre in its canopy) to the bristlecone pine, one of
the oldest trees on earth (alive for fifty cen-trees). The final fascinating
notes on each tree, and on leaves, stems, and roots, spell out the call for
conservation that is part of the poetry and pictures.
CBC Reviewer (National
Science Teachers Association (NSTA))
More than a dozen
species of trees are the subject of the poems in this illustrated anthology.
The accurate science and inspirational lyric text earned this book a place on
the list of NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books for 2011. Detailed
information about the trees as well as leaves and roots is provided at the end,
so that the teacher or mentor can effectively continue the discussion long
after the students' awe has been evoked.
Publishers Weekly
(Publishers Weekly)
In this unusual
collection, Florian focuses on several types of and parts of a tree, with poems
about seeds, roots, bark, leaves, and tree rings. Solid in their meter and
rhymes, the poems are idiosyncratic rather than comprehensive, creating a
hybrid of information, wordplay, and artistic invention.
Book
Awards
Best Children's Books
of the Year, 2011 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Outstanding Science
Trade Books for Students K-12, 2011 ; National Science Teachers Association;
United States
Poetry
Break!
Spotlight Poem
Bristlecone Pine
I am no ordinary tree-
I’m master of longevity.
One of the oldest trees on Earth,
With swirling branches, twirling girth.
And where it’s cold and dry I thrive:
For fifty cen-trees I’m alive.
I cope on slopes ten thousand feet high.
I’m Bristlecone Pine-
I never say die!
Learning
Extensions
Introduction:
§
Display a
photograph of a Bristlecone Pine, such as the one found at http://www.yourdictionary.com/bristlecone-pine
§
Share the
poem orally, lingering over the lines for impact.
Extensions:
§
Invite
students to read the poem chorally. Ask them to share words and phrases that
catch their attention.
§
Distribute
drawing paper. As you read the poem aloud again, invite students to sketch
their interpretation. Engage students in a discussion of how this tree looks
and feels different from others in this book, such as the Banyan tree or
Sequoia.
§
Challenge
students to represent this poem in a concrete format. Encourage them to share
ideas of how the words could be placed on the page to reflect the imagery of
the tree in this poem.
Other
Books by Douglas Florian
Shiver Me Timbers!
Poem Runs: Baseball
Poems
UnBEElievables
DINOTHESAURUS
Poetrees
Comets, Stars, the
Moon, and Mars
zoo's who
bow wow meow meow
Omnibeasts
insectlopedia
mammalabilia
Handsprings
in the swim
lizards, frogs, and
polliwogs
Laugheteria
beast feast
Winter Eyes
Summersaults
Autumnblings
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