I love living in a place where there are four seasons. I look forward to the crisp air of the fall, the cozy days by the fire in winter, the first signs of life in spring, and the bright skies and warm sun of summer. Each season is packed with gifts that I can anticipate and then enjoy. Today's poetry title celebrates some of these gifts using beautiful language and charming illustrations.
When Green becomes tomatoes: Poems for all seasons
When Green becomes tomatoes: Poems for all seasons
Julie Fogliano
Illustrated by Julie Morstad
Poetry
For ages 6 to 8
Roaring Brook Press, 2016, 978-1-59643-852-1
We live in a world where we are constantly being told
that we need this thing or that thing to be happy and to feel fulfilled. The
truth of the matter is that often the things that truly make us happy are the
simple ones, the ones that are all around us and often free for the taking: seeing
the first daffodil in spring, tasting the first bite of summer watermelon,
jumping in a pile of leaves in the fall, and watching the snow fall in winter.
These are seasonal gifts that are both priceless and precious.
In this
wonderful poetry collection Julie Fogliano brings us delightful little poems
that are paired with expressive illustrations to take us through the year a
season at a time. We begin in spring when a bird perching on a snow-covered
tree branch starts to sing, “each tweet poking / a tiny hole / through the edge
of winter.” Another messenger of spring is a little crocus “a tiny, blue hello”
that sends its little blossoms up through the snow.
In summer we
have “a day that drips / hot and thick like honey,” and on that day the
narrator will find respite from the heat by swimming in the river. Summer is
the season of fireflies, ripening tomatoes, and picnics on the beach, where
plums and peanut butter sandwiches are “a little bit salty / and warm from the
sun.”
No matter how
much we love “sunshine and swimming and sea / and strawberries,” when September
arrives many of us are eager to “move on / to something that’s new.” This is
the time when we wait for sweater weather, “when notebooks are new” and when
leaf jumping is around the corner.
Then in
December, we wake up one morning to see that the first snow has fallen; “just
like magic” it has arrived “on tiptoes / overnight.” Under a canopy of snow,
pretty trees become stunning and things that we would consider unattractive are
“suddenly beautiful / with snow on top.”
Though minimalist
in nature, the poems in this collection are rich with emotion and imagery.
No comments:
Post a Comment