red sings from treetops: a year in colors written by joyce sideman and illustrated by pamela zagarenski

Sidman, Joyce. Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors, Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski. New York: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2009. ISBN: 9780547014944

Critical Analysis:
     Red Sings from Treetops, is a thematic collection of poetry encompassing the essence of each season. The author, Joyce Sidman, utilizes descriptive poetry in a manner that touches her audience’s sense of feeling, hearing, taste, and smell. Sidman utilizes each season in a way that divides this title into chapters. Within these season chapters, each individual poetic piece directly correlates with the appropriate season. She focuses this thematic compilation around the colors that resonate within each season. In the Spotlight Poem Excerpt, “Fall”, the author introduces the season with the colors green and brown. She personifies the color green as she describes how ‘green is tired,’‘sighs with relief, and ‘time for brown to take over.’ These lines also symbolize how during this time of the year green grass begins to turn brown. The author’s utilization of descriptive language also contributes to the vivid images that the illustrator, Pamela Zagarenski, incorporated within this collection.
     Zagarenski uses mixed media paintings on wood and computer illustration vibrant colors that collaborate with the context of each poem. Again, each poem focuses on the colors pertaining to each season, and the illustrator focuses her illustrations around these colors. In the poems that focus around purple, her illustration shows a variety of purple hues; in the poems that focus around the color red, her illustration is centered around red and its various shades. The collaboration between author and illustrator provides their audience with an array visual appeal.

Spotlight Poem Excerpt:

"Fall"

In FALL,
Green is tired,
dusty,
crisp around the edges.
Green sighs with relief:
I've ruled for so long.
Time for Brown to take over.

Connections:

• Ask children what colors are they reminded of during each season and why.
• Have children choose one color and create a poem (it could be free verse) about things that only relate to that color. 

the friendly four written by eloise greenfield and illustrated by jan spivey gilchrist

Greenfield, Eloise. The Friendly Four, Illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006. ISBN: 9780060007591

Critical Analysis:

     The Friendly Four is a compilation of poetry created as a means for performance poetry through free verse. The author, Eloise Greenfield, creates a story that incorporates the help of readers while including elements of poetry. The structure of this compilation entails three of ten strategies of reading poetry aloud: unison, solos, and two-voices. Greenfield introduces her story with one solo reader that is depicted in red text. In the Spotlight Poem, "The New Boy,"she proceeds with a poem intended for two-voices -- depicted in red and blue text. In this same poem, she also uses black text to depict the intention for a unison performance. By incorporating these strategies, the author provides her audience with elements of participation for oral reading and performing. 

Spotlight Poem:

"The New Boy"

Dorene:                      Ms. Lynn Bunton has a new son.

Drum and Dorene: She said he is the perfect one,

                                     for her.

Drum:                        We think he'll be perfect

                                     for us, too. He's six,

Dorene:                      we're seven.

Drum and Dorene: He's having a party

                                     today at eleven,

Dorene:                      for Drum, himself and me.

Drum and Dorene: We can't wait to meet him,

                                     then two friends will be three.

                                                                     - Eloise Greenfield

Connections:

• Assign random children with a part to perform in this compilation. In the parts where they perform in unison, have them practice in order to perform this exceptionally. 
• After performances, eventually add gestures and props to enhance the performance of this compilation. 
• In the parts that call for 'all' readers, have the whole class perform these parts in unison. 

water sings blue: ocean poems written by kate coombs and illustrated by meilo so

Coombs, Kate. Water Sings Blue: Ocean Poems, Illustrated by Meilo So. California: Chronicle Books LLC, 2012. ISBN: 9780811872843

Critical Analysis:

     Water Sings Blue is a compilation of poetry directly attributed to the ocean. The author, Kate Coombs, cleverly utilizes many elements of poetry such as stanzas, imagery, and rhyme schemes to resonate the essence of the ocean. Within the Spotlight Poem, "Not Really Jelly," Coombs incorporates an end rhyme scheme in every other line. This end rhyme presents the opportunity for children to grasp on the sounds of each rhyme among the words fish, dish, and squish. Along with the usage of end rhymes, the author also uses a vast amount of imagery. In the poem, "What the Waves Say," there is an abundance of imagery throughout this ten line poem. Shimmer, foggy, whisper, swish, and roar are all words that appeal and vividly describe the waves of the ocean and provide readers with illustrative appeal. Recipient of the 2013 Lee Bennett Hopkins award, Kate Coombs demonstrates excellence in providing children with an outstanding compilation of poetry that encompasses the essence of the ocean and its components. 

Spotlight Poem:

"Not Really Jelly"

You're not really jelly,

you're not really fish --

you're free-floating noodles

escaped from a dish,

all slither and jiggle

and tremble and squish.

                  - Kate Coombs

Connections:

• Perform the poetry for the children and ask them what words remind them of the ocean and why. Provide children with paper and pen to write these words down and educate them on the importance of descriptions and imagery within poems. 
• Prior to reading the poems, ask children what they think of when they think of the ocean. 
• After reading this compilation, choose a random oceanic element and have each child write a small poem about it by incorporating end rhymes and imagery.