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Dear Book Lovers, Welcome! I am delighted that you have found The Through the Looking Glass blog. For over twenty years I reviewed children's literature titles for my online journal, which came out six times a year. Every book review written for that publication can be found on the Through the Looking Glass website (the link is below). I am now moving in a different direction, though the columns that I write are still book-centric. Instead of writing reviews, I'm offering you columns on topics that have been inspired by wonderful books that I have read. I tell you about the books in question, and describe how they have have impacted me. This may sound peculiar to some of you, but the books that I tend to choose are ones that resonate with me on some level. Therefore, when I read the last page and close the covers, I am not quite the same person that I was when first I started reading the book. The shift in my perspective might be miniscule, but it is still there. The books I am looking are both about adult and children's titles. Some of the children's titles will appeal to adults, while others will not. Some of the adult titles will appeal to younger readers, particularly those who are eager to expand their horizons.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Poetry Friday - A review of Bug Off!

I know that a lot of people dislike creepy crawlies of all kinds. I happen to like them, and had numerous cricket and beetle pets when I was little. Jane Yolen used have an aversion for insects, but she now has come to appreciate that these little animals are really quite fascinating, and some can even be said to be beautiful. Jane  still would prefer that insects keep their distance, but their intriguing ways and looks have inspired her to write a collection of poems that even entomophobic and archanaphobic readers will enjoy

Bug Off! Creepy, Crawly Poems
Jane Yolen
Photographs by Jason Stemple
Bug Off!: Creepy, Crawly PoemsPoetry Picture Book
For ages 6 to 8
Boyds Mills Press, 2012, 978-1-59078-862-2
Many people (including the author of this book) do not like insects. They do not like how they buzz, they don’t like their large ‘buggy’ eyes, and they don’t like the fact that so many insects “creep, crawl, bite, sting.” It is true that insects can be a nuisance at times, but they also are vital component in countless ecosystems, and many of them are quite beautiful, if you take the time to look at them.
   The good news is that you don’t have to trot around with a large magnifying glass to see some of this beauty. Jason Stemple has done this for you by taking some extraordinary photographs that he has chosen to include in this book. The author, Jane Yolen (who as I mentioned does not like insects), was so amazed by the beauty of these little creatures that she has decided that perhaps insects are not so nasty after all.
   To accompany each of Jason’s photos, Jane Yolen has written a poem, and a section of text that provides readers with further information about the insects show in the pictures.  In “Oh, fly” Jane Yolen talks about how relieved she is that a fly “flew /onto / my leaf / and not / my food.” She even admits that the fly is quite attractive (on the leaf).
   Later on in the book, we see a photo of a daddy longlegs. In the informative text we read that this creature, a harvestman, is not a spider at all, which is what most people think they are. Instead it is a cousin of sppiders, and it is quite harmless, even though its long legs make it look a little sinister. In her poem, Jane Yolen wonders how the daddy longlegs knows which legs “go forward” and which “help / Pick up the slack.”
   With touches humor, brilliant descriptions, and a clever use of language, Jane Yolen gives her insect subjects a fair shake, showing us that they can be beautiful, interesting, and full of surprises. 

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