Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices

by Paul Fleischman

illustrated by Eric Beddows

image by Barnes & Noble

Fleischman, Paul. Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices. Ill. Eric Beddows. New York: Harper & Row, 1988. ISBN: 978-0064-46093-4.

Poetic Elements

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman was written as a companion to I Am Phoenix, his first performance poetry book. Fleischman skillfully weaves the elements of rhythm and sound throughout these delightful insect poems with alliteration and an abundance of sense imagery. From the Whirligig beetles “spinning and swerving” and “whirling and weaving” to the mayflies “final, frantic act”, these musical duets are informative, humorous, and entertaining.

Appeal

This volume of biologically accurate poems about fourteen different insects is written with much humor and when read aloud or performed, will appeal to all ages. These poems not only extend and enrich one’s knowledge of insects, learning to perform them correctly will expand linguistic abilities as well. Fleischman’s creative writing will stimulate the imagination of the reader with descriptions of fireflies as “Insect calligraphers” or “Six-legged scribblers,” and cicadas as “mighty choirs.”

Overall Quality

Joyful Noise earned Paul Fleischman the 1989 Newbery Medal and was an ALA Notable Children’s Book in 1995. Each poem is compatible with performance for two voices, and present fascinating facts about the insect world.

The Poet

Joyful Noise was written by Paul Fleischman, who also wrote I Am Phoenix, a collection of two voice poems about birds. Paul was born in Monterey, California, attended the University of California at Berkeley and the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque. He has written several books for young readers including Graven Images, a Newbery Honor Book. He presently resides with his wife in Santa Cruz, California.

Eric Beddows illustrated this Newbery Award book as well as Fleischmans' prior two-voice poem companion volume, I Am Phoenix. He presently lives in Stratford, Ontario, Canada and has twice won Canada’s Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award. He has also had many one-man shows of his art and received numerous grants and awards.

Layout

Joyful Noise includes a table of contents and a very useful note describing exactly how the poems for two voices are intended to be read aloud with one person taking the left-hand part, the other taking the right-hand part. When both readers have lines at the same horizontal level the lines will be spoken simultaneously. Beddow’s detailed black-and-white soft-pencil illustrations are anatomically correct--yet witty, and add humor to the imaginative verse.

Spotlight Poem

Book Lice

By Paul Fleischman

I was born in a fine old edition of Schiller We’re book lice who dwell in these dusty bookshelves. Later I lodged in Scott’s works—volume50 We’re book lice attached despite contrasting pasts. One day, while in search of a new place to eat We’re book lice who chew on the bookbinding glue. We honeymooned in an old guide book on Greece We’re book lice fine mates despite different tastes. So we set up our home inside Roget’s Thesaurus We’re book lice adoring despite her loud snoring. And there we’ve resided, and there we’ll remain, We’re book-loving book lice which I’m certain I read in a book some months back that opposites often are known to attract.

While I started life in a private eye thriller We’re book lice who dwell in these dusty bookshelves. While I passed my youth in an Agatha Christie We’re book lice attached despite contrasting pasts. He fell down seven shelves, where we happened to meet We’re book lice who chew On the bookbinding glue. I missed Conan Doyle, he pined for his Keats We’re book lice fine mates despite different tastes. Not far from my mysteries, close to his Horace We’re book lice adoring despite his loud snoring. He nearby his Shakespeare, I near my Spillane We’re book-loving book lice plain proof of the fact that opposites often are known to attract.

Poetry Break

Introduction: To introduce this book of performance poetry, go to http://www.audible.com and let students listen to the rhythm of samples of these poems being read correctly in two voices.

Extension Activity: Let pairs of students select a poem from the book to practice and perform.