Overview
Two poetry masters create a slice of American life, in renga form. This portrait of a day in the life of an American village is told in an ancient poetic form known as the renga (meaning "linked verse"), in which one poet writes a verse and another poet responds to that. Then the first poet adds another verse, and so on. Each verse links somehow with the one preceding it but not with the others. This means that each new verse takes the story in a completely different direction as each poet comes up with a clever way to connect the new verse. Birds on a Wire, a Parents' Choice and IRA Teachers' Choice book, is a random romp around town.
Synopsis
Two poetry masters create a slice of American life, in renga form. This portrait of a day in the life of an American village is told in an ancient poetic form known as the renga (meaning "linked verse"), in which one poet writes a verse and another poet responds to that. Then the first poet adds another verse, and so on. Each verse links somehow with the one preceding it but not with the others. This means that each new verse takes the story in a completely different direction as each poet comes up with a clever way to connect the new verse. Birds on a Wire, a Parents' Choice and IRA Teachers' Choice book, is a random romp around town.Editorials
School Library Journal
Gr 3-6
The text of this book is a renga, a poem in which one author writes one verse (three lines) and another writes the next (two lines), linking the new verse to the previous one in some way. The poets describe with carefully crafted word images the places and people one might see walking down the main street of a small town. The connection between the verses is sometimes obvious and other times obscure. The cadence of the free verse poems feels like a slow amble and adds to the homey effect of the poetry. Realistic watercolors perfectly reflect the easygoing mood of the selections. Lippincott has managed to connect the illustrations in the same way that the authors connect the verses. Readers can find details from previous illustrations in the background of the next picture. In the introduction, Lewis and Janeczko explain the form of the poem and invite youngsters to try writing one with a friend. This lovely book will inspire readers to do just that. Birds on a Wire is more contemplative than this team's Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku (Little, Brown, 2006). It shows the versatility of the authors and is a fine addition to most collections.-Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT