A lucky thing

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

This thoughtful book of poems celebrates the creative process. A girl with pen in hand--and a computer mouse as well as the furry, whiskered variety close by--sits in a barn writing poetry at a desk; this image frames the collection, which follows the writer from morning to night, closing with "a poem about a barn" where not only bales of hay but "stanzas/ are/ stacked/ to the ceiling." Some poems describe what the girl sees from her perch--the sheep that from a distance look like "soft gray caps of mushrooms/ too big to be believed" and a scarecrow whose "round astonished eyes/ observe with more than painted-on surprise/ a black snake flow like water down a hole." The imagery is crisp, taut and always apt. Many of the poems offer an invitation to view the world more closely: a mole says, "[C]ome on down... taste dirt/ on the tip of your tongue... wrap yourself in darkness/ see/ what you're missing." Another poem, "The Barn," describes the animals emerging from their shelter after a storm as if from the Ark, "From the damp shadows/ of its hold,/ the stamping, snorting/ voyagers come forward/ two by two." Minor's illustrations neatly combine fidelity to nature with emblems of the art of writing. Though a few of the connections seem forced (e.g., a rooster holds a piece of paper under his wing), others convey subtle whimsy, such as the scarecrow with pen and pencil tucked into his bib overalls. Those who discover this elegantly written, deftly illustrated book will count themselves lucky indeed. Ages 8-up. (Apr.)

Children's Literature - Sharon Salluzzo

With the lines, "I'll scatter some words, watch them grow. I'll plant a meadow," the reader is drawn into a world of marvelous images. Country life is celebrated in these fourteen poems featuring wild and domestic animals, the barn, and the weathervane. Here, one can feel what it is like to be a mole underground. Sheep at a distance look like "soft gray caps of mushrooms," "plumped-up pillows," and "piles of laundry." The title poem, in which the reader is invited to look at life from the viewpoints of a robin perched in a tree and chickens living in a coop, is perfect for a discussion on perception. Realistic watercolor illustrations parallel the emotions of the poems. Astute readers will discover a piece of paper or a writing implement in each illustration. This is a delightful collection to share with a friend.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 6A book thats filled with both rhyming and free verse to inspire childrens senses of observation. The 13 selections are loosely connected by the first and last poems written in the voice of the poet as she sits in her barn and observes the sounds and smells and movements of the world around her. She begins, Right here/on this/clean/white page/Ill scatter some words,/watch them grow./Ill plant/a meadow. Poems celebrating the natural life of the farm tell of the barn that rode the storm and the sheep that look like old tombstones/sunk down shoulder deep. The poignant title poem reflects on a robin and some chickens who consider it a lucky thing to be the other. Several poems are sure to be favorites of those who celebrate the creative process. Poem about Rabbit is A pink-eyed poem/that watches/from the/edges/of the page,/that nibbles/at the/corners/of my mind. Head Full of Turtle gives new meaning to writers block. Minors bright watercolor paintings fill the pages with warmth and humor. Children will love looking for symbols of writing in each of the pictures. A terrific choice for reading aloud to younger children and for encouraging upper-elementary graders to write about their worlds.Joan Zaleski, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Sutton

The imagery is fresh...Although the poems are generally reflective in nature, their robust language rewards reading aloud.
—The Horn Book Magazine