by Joyce Sidman
illustrated by Rick Allen
image by Barnes & Noble |
Sidman, Joyce. Dark
Emperor & Other Poems of the Night. Ill. Rick Allen. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin Books for Children, 2010. ISB: 978-0-547-15228-8.
Poetic Elements
This
award winning picture poem book is the culmination of Joyce Sidman’s curiosity
about the mystery of darkness and creatures of the night, especially in the forest.
In the opening poem of Dark Emperor,
Sidman welcomes readers to the night: “To you who make the forest sing,/ who
dip and dodge on silent wing,/ who flutter, hover, clasp, and cling:/ Welcome
to the night!/ Come feel the cool and shadowed breeze,/ come smell your way
among the trees,/ come touch rough bark and leathered leaves:/ Welcome to the
night!” She continues to share her passion for the night with similes comparing
mushrooms to various things in “The Mushrooms Come”: “Like noses pink,/ in midnight
air,/ like giants’ ears,/ like elfin hair,/ like ancient cities/ built on
cliffs,/ the mushrooms come,/ the mushrooms come.” Sidman varies the poetic
form and rhyme schemes throughout this set of twelve poems and even has the
would-be prey (a mouse) narrate the title poem in the shape of the Great Horned
Owl. “Perched missile,/ almost invisible, you/ preen silent feathers,/ swivel
your sleek satellite / dish of head.”
Appeal
The
appeal of Dark Emperor & Other Poems
of the Night to young people is endless, from the unique and mystic
illustrations to Sidman’s poetic descriptions of creatures such as snails,
primrose moths, night –spiders, porcupettes, crickets, and bats. The sidebar of
science concepts related to each poem enriches the reader’s insight and
knowledge, making it a perfect fit for science curriculum. Sidman’s flair for
language and rhyme expands linguistic abilities and stimulates the emotions and
imagination of readers.
Overall Quality
All
twelve poems included in Dark Emperor
are consistent in quality and inform the reader with factual paragraphs of information
on the page opposite each poem. They are stimulating to the imagination and
rich in imagery and sensory language. Dark
Emperor received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist and was
the recipient of the following awards:
ALA
Notable Children's Books 2011
Newbery
Honor 2011
Librarian’s
Choice 2010
The Poet
Joyce
Sidman is the recipient of the 2013 NCTE Award for Excellence in Children’s
Poetry. She has written numerous books of poetry, including Song of the Water Boatman & Other Pond
Poems and Red Sings from Tree-tops,
both Caldecott Honor books. She says Dark
Emperor & Other Poems of the Night, a Newbery Honor book, was the
product of her exploration as to why and how nocturnal creatures prefer the
night and thrive in the dark. She lives with her family in Wayzata, Minnesota.
Illustrator,
Rick Allen, lives and works with his wife, Marian Lansky, in Duluth, Minnesota.
He prints wood engravings and linoleum cuts using multiple blocks and then hand
colors them resulting in a very unique and creative look.
Layout
A
full double page spread of an owl at sunset precedes the opening poem, “Welcome
to the Night.” It is followed by a table of contents in alternating
watercolors, blending nicely with the beautiful illustrations by Rick Allen.
Most of the relief prints made from linoleum blocks are hand-finished with
gouache, a heavily pigmented watercolor and complement Sidman’s poems
beautifully. A full double page spread of an owl at sunrise concludes the book
after the closing poem, “Moon’s Lament.” Included at the back of the book is a
glossary, explaining less familiar terms and consistent with the alternating
watercolor theme.
Spotlight Poem
“Welcome to the Night”
by Joyce Sidman
To
all of you who crawl and creep,
who
buzz and chirp and hoot and peep,
who
wake at dusk and throw off sleep:
Welcome
to the night.
To
you who make the forest sing,
who
dip and dodge on silent wing,
who
flutter, hover, clasp, and cling:
Welcome
to the night!
Come
feel the cool and shadowed breeze,
come
smell your way among the trees,
come
touch rough bark and leathered leaves:
Welcome
to the night.
The
nights a sea of dappled dark,
the
night’s a feast of sound and spark,
the
night’s a wild, enchanted park.
Welcome
to the night!
Poetry Break
Introduce this book by turning off most or all of the lights
in the room, asking students to imagine they are in a woodland at night. Then,
play sound recordings of the Great Horned Owl at: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/great_horned_owl/sounds
Extension Activity: Let pairs of students choose one of the
creatures or things (and accompanying poem) of the night and do a short
presentation on it based on information in the book and/or outside sources. They
may utilize power point, Prezi, or any other web 2.0 technology tool. Then,
they can perform the poem as a duet.
The Nature Conservancy: http://www.nature.org/newsfeatures/specialfeatures/animals/index.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment