BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lewis, J. Patrick. 1998. DOODLE DANDIES: POEMS THAT TAKE SHAPE. Images by Lisa Desimini. NY: Atheneum. ISBN 0-689-81075-X.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In a mix of traditional concrete and closely illustrated poetry, Lewis and Desimini pair up for a delightful collection of poems for young children. Some poems are almost riddles and depend upon the illustrations for their full meaning, and some illustrations simply add to the experience. The same is true of the concrete poems -- some take the form of riddles and depend on the title, which is not always at the top of the page, to fully reveal the topic of the verse.
As with most poems, a second or even third reading reveals subtle meanings. For example, “The Turtle is a giant hurdle” is one poem in its entirety. Only the most observant reader may see the tiny ant on the turtle’s back and the slightly larger font used for the last three syllables, “-ant hurdle.”
Some of the poems are mediocre, at best, and without the clever illustrations would be just lame. For example, the only redeeming quality of “Lashondra Scores” is that it contains plenty of “O’s” which are substituted with basketballs. As the lines arch up and over the page, the balls leap from Lashondra’s hand through the hoop.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly Starred review
“The interplay between words and pictures effectively conjures images from seasons, to sports, to the jungle. From endpaper to doodled endpaper, this mix of clever language and visual delights makes a dandy treat for all ages." Ages 3-8.
School Library Journal“Doodle Dandies captures the joy that wordplay can bring. It deserves a place on every library shelf.”
CONNECTIONS
*A suggestion by J. Patrick Lewis: Have students use stencils or clip art to put various shapes of animals/ objects on paper. What words do these images inspire? From http://www.readingrecovery.org/pdf/conferences/NC06/Handouts/Lewis.pdf
*Have students choose their favorite poems to practice and read aloud to the class.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment