Bibliography:
Florian, D. (2007). Comets, stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space poems and paintings. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.
Book Summary:
My Thoughts:
My friend is going to be an astronaut, so I was immediately drawn to this book of poems. I was not disappointed by what I found inside! I really loved the paintings, especially the way the words would spiral in and out, even if I did have to tilt my head at a funny angle to read some of them! I also really appreciated the fact that the author included a bibliography for further readings on space, even if it was a bit advanced for children.Professional Reviews:
*"Though they're leavened with humor, the compact verses are genuinely informative rather than jocular, providing an enticing introduction to astronomy for kids fonder of language arts than science and offering the science-inclined some gems for recitation. Florian's in absolute top form in his celestial illustrations. . . . This offers a galaxy of possibilities for use for reading aloudand alone and for just poring over the enticing view. A glossary explains more about the poems' subjects, and a list of further reading (fairly ambitious reading, with titles including Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time) is included."
Stevenson, D. (2007). [Review of the book Comets, stars, the Moon, and Mars by Douglas Florian]. Bulletin Of The Center For Children's Books, 60(10), 413-414.
*Pluto was a planet. / But now it doesn't pass. / Pluto was a planet. / They say it' s lacking mass. / Pluto was a planet. / Pluto was admired. / Pluto was a planet. / Till one day it got fired." Moving from universe to galaxy to solar system to sun, then back out through the planets to the constellations and "the great beyond," Florian sums up the heavens in twenty snappy rhymes, all agreeably tongue-in-cheek but never so much so as to distort the information he conveys. Variants of flame-orange and its complementary blues predominate in the full-spread paintings , which incorporate collage-like accents that sometimes echo historical astronomy--antique sun-faces doubling as sun spots, snippets of maps on the moon , a Roman mosaic of Neptune. Casually positioned words add both texture and meaning--e.g., a tangerine Pluto is studded with possible new classifications: "Ice dwarf? Debris? Asteroid? Plan-etesimal?" With its gorgeous palette, sweeping vistas, and ingenious effects (including occasional die-cut holes), this is an expansive and illuminating view of its subject. A glossary pins down and somewhat extends the information; a minimal bibliography lists six sources, mostly for adults.
Long, J. (2007). [Review of the book Comets, stars, the Moon, and Mars by Douglas Florian]. Horn Book Magazine, 83(3), 296-297.
Suggested Activities:
We would paint/draw pictures of space and write our own poems on the pictures. They would be displayed for everyone to see and appreciate.
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