WINTER BEES and Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman, illus. by Rick Allen
I have been waiting for MONTHS for this book to come out, and although I was sorry to have to wait so long, I can tell you that it was well worth the wait. I'm so excited about it, in fact, that I've put up my Poetry Friday post on Thursday!
Joyce Sidman's poetry sings from the pages, paired with some of the most beautiful images I've seen in a while. Rick Allen evidently made them by combining the very old practice of block printing (using linoleum) with hand coloring and digital scanning. The illustration note in the front matter claims to have found a way to make all processes even slower than usual.
Though there is not a single poem devoted to the red fox, it's a bit of a "spot the fox" book. The fox on the cover can be found throughout the entire book, including in the final two spreads, where only its pawprints are visible. Poems about moose, chickadees, bees, beavers, skunk cabbage and more are combined with Rick Allen's gorgeous, evocative pictures in a perfect marriage of text and art.
Because the book is a nonfiction collection, each two-page spread also contains a text box with factual information about the plant or animal(s) depicted, and there's an index of interesting/difficult words in the back. Informative, yes, but did I mention that the poetry also sings? From the beavers' pantoum to the skunk cabbage's triolet to free verse to couplets and more, Joyce Sidman's use of language is both lovely and precise.
Here's an example. It's a two-page spread containing the poem "Dream of the Tundra Swan", which you can embiggen if you click on it.
I am terribly in love with this book, if you can't tell. It's perfect for anyone interested in excellent poetry, excellent artwork, excellent nonfiction, books about animals, or books about winter. And that's regardless of age level, but it's a must for elementary and middle school libraries, in my opinion.
For more Poetry Friday poems, click the box below:
