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Summary
Summary
Tiana has a pocketful of words: green words like spring, night words like moon, and words with wings, like angel. Each word is the inspiration for a pair of poems--one, lyrical free verse and the other, haiku. The paired poems reflect Tiana's lively spirit and urban outlook and are showcased in Javaka Steptoe's inventive collages, which include a wide range of materials, from faucet handles to pumpkin seeds to a hand-sculpted, gilded alphabet. A fusion of two remarkable creative talents, A Pocketful of Poems is an engaging portrait of a down-to-earth girl who has a way with words, as well as a tantalizing introduction to poetry. Author's note on haiku.
Author Notes
Nikki Grimes was born and raised in New York City. She began writing poetry at age six and is well-known for writing award-winning books primarily for children and young adults. Bronx Masquerade and Talkin' About Bessie both won Coretta Scott King Awards, and her poetry collections featuring Danitra Brown are very popular. Grimes received the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children in 2006.
She has written articles for magazines including Essence and Today's Christian Woman, as well as hosted radio programs in New York and Sweden. She has lectured and read her poetry at schools in Russia, China, Sweden, and Tanzania. Grimes is also a prolific artist, creating works of fiber art, beaded jewelry, peyote beading, handmade cards, and photography.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4-A playful and thoroughly successful pairing of words and pictures. Most double-page spreads offer two poems, one in free verse, one in haiku, set on bright collages of cut paper and found objects. In an author's note, Grimes states that, with haiku, "-the poet can create a sort of painting in miniature." And she does that, many times, in this lively collection that begins on a spring morning and ends with a New Year. Graceful, rhythmic, and accessible, the poems depict sensory impressions and precisely observed moments. Take, for example, this haiku: "Hot days send me to/the water fountain where my/face goes for a swim." Humor is provided in abundance as well. Steptoe's illustrations are original and distinctive and sometimes a bit busy, but give the book an urban, upbeat, and contemporary look. Overall, this is a keeper, for both in and out of the classroom.-Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Mama's window box-- / purple flowers shout the news. / Finally--it's spring! Celebrating a young girl's urban life throughout the year, a haiku and a simple free-verse poem are paired on each double-page spread. Both verses are inspired by the same word (e.g., [cf2]spring[cf1], [cf2]pigeon[cf1], [cf2]hot[cf1], [cf2]pumpkin[cf1]). Steptoe's lively found-object collage illustrations, though sometimes a little cluttered, provide a rich visual experience. From HORN BOOK Fall 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
