Good Books, Good Times! - Hardcover

Rezensionen

An appealing collection of diverse poems about books and reading. A few have already been anthologized, but the majority are from magazines or single-author collections. The selections range from hypnotic to humorous; all testify to the unique joys of reading. Simple enough for good readers in the primary grades, they will also be appreciated (perhaps on a different level) by older children and adults. Poems range in length from a few short lines ("An Historic Moment" by William J. Harris) to Jack Prelutsky's 16-liner, "I Met a Dragon Face to Face." Stevenson's double-page pastel watercolors add dimension to the poems without overwhelming the text and are full of clever details. If there is a running theme, it is best expressed in the book's final poem by Beverly McLoughland. "The biggest/ Surprise/ On the library shelf/ Is when you suddenly/ Find yourself/ Inside a book--/ (The hidden you)/ You wonder how/ The author knew." A superb choice for avowed book lovers as well as for reluctant readers. --Barbara S. McGinn, Oak Hill Elementary School, Severna Park, MD
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The message runs through this arresting book with appropriately compelling force: pick up a book and read. Some poems are silly, none didactic, all fun. Myra Cohn Livingston, Karla Kuskin, Jack Prelutsky and X. J. Kennedy are among the 14 poets represented. One reader discovers pirates and trolls and pots of gold, another tries to keep dinosaurs from stumbling off the pages and a third--roller-skated--reader decides to "linger alone / in a place of my own / Lost / in a book." Stevenson's frequently fantastical illustrations are pure joy. While remaining true to the poetry's images, he brings grace and his own sense of humor to them. This collection might best be summed up by the opening lines of David McCord's entry: "Books fall open, / you fall in, / delighted where / you've never been." Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.