Red Sings From Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman

Bibliography:

Sidman, Joyce. 2009. Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors. Ill: Pamela Zagarenski. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. 9780547014944


Poetry Book Summary:

This colorful poem picture book offers a whimsical explanation of the seasons of the year, in color. Together, author Joyce Sidman and illustrator Pamela Zagarenski present their idea of the four seasons and the season’s colors using harmonic words and beautiful artwork.


Critical Analysis: 

Sidman leads readers on a journey through the seasons with poetic color descriptions for each season: “Green is queen / in summer. / Green trills from trees, / clings to Pup’s knees, / covers all with leaves, / leaves, leaves! / How can Green be / so many different Greens?” Readers will not be able to help having a sense of happiness and curiosity from reading and viewing this poem picture book.  

This is yet another wonderful book of poems which begs to be read aloud to an audience full of young eyes and ears. The natural rhythmic beats of this work of art uses rhymes at the end of lines for added effect. Even without the beautiful, scrapbook-like images done by Pamela Zagarenski, the imagery in the poems speak for themselves. Each color poem paints a vivid picture of vibrant blues, reds, greens, purples, oranges and yellows in an effort to fully describe each season to the fullest. Many of the descriptions are so dramatically stated that the reader can almost imagine the smell of the season such as when the author describes spring’s white color: “White / can be quiet, too: / delicate petals fill with light / smell / White.”  

In honor of the month of October I would like to post my favorite poem taken from this beautiful book of poems. Reading this poem makes me think of pumpkin bread baking in the oven and warm apple cider on the stove. See if you can guess what the poem is describing:

(This poem is taken from the “Fall” poems section)
“Orange ripens in
full, heavy moons,
thick with pulp and seed.
Orange flickers,
all smoke and candles.
Orange eyes.
Orange cheeks.
Orange teeth.” 

Give up? It is a carved jack-o-lantern!

This book is recommended for children ages 4 and up.


Review Excerpt(s):

• Caldecott Honor Award (2010)
• Claudia Lewis Poetry Award (2010)
• Kirkus Reviews – Given a blue star for remarkable merit – (2009) “Fresh descriptions and inventive artistry are a charming inspiration.”
• Publishers Weekly (2009) "The regal elegance is sure to charm." 

Connections:

• Pair this title with other great favorites such as:
         I Am the Book by Lee Bennett Hopkins
         The Tree That Time Built by Mary Ann Hoberman, Linda Winston, and Barbara Fortin 
         Bookspeak! by Laura Purdie Salas and Josee Bisallon 
• Use a large poster board to section off four equal boxes to write the four seasons in. Write each color listed in Sidman’s book associated with each season and ask the child(ren) to list things which fit under each season’s color (under Fall and Orange they might say pumpkins, leaves, decorations and so on).
• Create a matching game! Using card stock, print pictures which are often associated with each season (for example: spring and flowers or butterflies or winter and snowflakes or scarves) and encourage the children to match the picture card to the correct season card.
  
  

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

Bibliography:
Willems, Mo. 2003. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. by Mo Willems. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 978078681988

Plot Summary:
In this silly story, a bus driver decides he has to step away from his bus for a moment and asks his audience to watch over the bus for him. The audience’s only real job is to prevent the curious and persistent pigeon from trying to drive the bus. All throughout the story the pigeon desperately tries to convince the audience to let him drive the bus. The pigeon tries to do everything in his power, including bribery, to get his audience to let him drive the bus. Eventually the pigeon realizes he is not going to get to drive the bus and throws a temper tantrum, all the while screaming, “LET ME DRIVE THE BUS!!!” Finally the bus driver returns and thanks the audience for preventing the pigeon from driving the bus. In the last few pages as the pigeon walks away he spots another vehicle of interest and begins to dream about driving it.

Critical Analysis:
Anyone who has been around toddlers long enough will recognize pigeon’s behavior. How many times have we seen a child whine about wanting to do something to the point of throwing a temper-tantrum and in the end the child gives up and finds something else more interesting to consider? As a mother, I have most definitely witnessed this behavior! Children will find amusement in Pigeon’s behavior throughout the book; you might be surprised to see the children telling the pigeon he cannot drive the bus rather than sympathizing with the pigeon and offering to let him drive the bus.

The text is easy to follow along with and gives children the opportunity to understand and recognize pigeon’s behavior. The illustrations are simple, effective and pleasing to the eyes. The pigeon’s body is made up of a strong, simple black line that is intentionally made to look as though the drawing was done by a preschooler.

This title is ideal for children ages 2 and up.

Review Excerpt(s):

• Caldecott Honor Book (2004)
• American Library Association Notable Children's Book (2004)
• Added to the Indies Choice Picture Book Hall of Fame (2009)
• Starred Review (2003) School Library Journal "A brilliantly simple book that is absolutely true to life"
• Starred Review (2003) Booklist "Willems finds the preschooler in a pigeon: a cajoling, tantrum-throwing, irresistable bird"
• Number 18 on the National Association of Education's "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children" list
• Number 3 on School Library Journal's "Top 100 Picture Books" list

Connections:

• Pair this title with other great favorites such as:
            Giggle, Giggle, Quak by Doreen Cronin
            The Wheels on the Bus by Paul Zelinsky
            No, David! by David Shannon
• Have the child(ren) interact with the book as though the pigeon is talking to the child(ren).
• Create the pigeon using a child's handprint as the body of the pigeon.