1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Heard, Georgia. 2002. THIS PLACE I KNOW: POEMS OF COMFORT. ill. Eighteen Renowned Picture Book Artists. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763628758
2. BOOK REVIEW
This book of serious poetry has poems written by several different gifted poets. Each of the poems in this anthology were selected by Georgia Heard. The poems in this book are poems of comfort, meaning that the poems in this book are written in a way that will help the reader heal after a loss or tragic event.
The poems in this book are a mixture of concrete and abstract. Some of the poems rhyme and some do not. Each of the poems has a natural rhythm that is appealing when read aloud. Many of the poems may be difficult to read aloud in spite of this, because of their emotional impact on the reader. These poems are written from the heart, with the intent to help heal, and in that process, may cause tears as the reader feels their emotional impact. This book of poems is almost sure to get a strong emotional response from the reader. Readers may cry, remember, and feel acceptance and hope as they read the poems found in this anthology. The poems are full of sensory images that the reader can almost see, such as trouble flying out of the house through an open window. The reader can almost feel how it would be to take a swim in "the skin shivering sea" and hear as "a warbler sings its familiar song and coyotes howl in disconcerting harmony."
The poems are naturally appealing to children, especially those who are seeking comfort after some type of loss or heartbreak. The poems that are more abstract may be hard for younger children to understand, but there are poems in this book that are appropriate for even the youngest children.
The illustrations in this anthology are beautiful. Each illustration adds to the emotional impact of the poems. The subject matter and the style of the artists vary from the colorful and busy New York City scene painted by Chris Raschka to the extremely detailed black and white drawing of a young girl flying high in the sky with a flock of geese by Matt Tavares.
The book begins with a Table of Contents, which lists the name of each poem, its author and illustrator, and the page where it can be found. Following the Table of Contents is a page titled, "A Note from the Anthologist." On this page, Heard explained that the original idea behind the anthology "was to comfort children in the aftermath of 9/11." In the back of the book, is a page titled, "About the Illustrators", which offers a short biography of the life of each of the illustrators featured in this anthology. The last page of the book is titled, "Acknowledgements." This page lists the titles of the books that the poems featured in the anthology were taken from, along with publication and copyright information.
3. SELECTED POEM
The poem I selected from this anthology is titled "Stars", written by Deborah Chandra. I chose this poem because it is a wonderful example of a poem which has an emotional impact on the reader. Most readers will find this poem difficult to read without tears welling up in their eyes because it is so completely moving. This poem has the power to help a child heal after a loss. It tells the child that it is okay to cry and that he or she is accepted and loved no matter what happens. This poem is simple, but says so much. This book of poems would be extremely useful for parents, teachers, school counselors, or therapists as they try to help children who have experienced a loss in their lives. The poems could be read individually to each child who needs comfort and understanding. After reading, each child could talk about how they are feeling and why they are hurting. In doing this, hopefully they will begin to heal.
STARS
I like the way they looked down from the sky
And didn't seem to mind the way I cried.
And didn't say, "Now wipe away those tears,"
Or, "Tell us, tell us what's the matter here!"
But shining through the dark they calmly stayed,
And gently held me in their quiet way.
I felt them watching over me, each one-
And let me cry and cry till I was done.
Heard, Georgia. 2002. THIS PLACE I KNOW: POEMS OF COMFORT. ill. Eighteen Renowned Picture Book Artists. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763628758
2. BOOK REVIEW
This book of serious poetry has poems written by several different gifted poets. Each of the poems in this anthology were selected by Georgia Heard. The poems in this book are poems of comfort, meaning that the poems in this book are written in a way that will help the reader heal after a loss or tragic event.
The poems in this book are a mixture of concrete and abstract. Some of the poems rhyme and some do not. Each of the poems has a natural rhythm that is appealing when read aloud. Many of the poems may be difficult to read aloud in spite of this, because of their emotional impact on the reader. These poems are written from the heart, with the intent to help heal, and in that process, may cause tears as the reader feels their emotional impact. This book of poems is almost sure to get a strong emotional response from the reader. Readers may cry, remember, and feel acceptance and hope as they read the poems found in this anthology. The poems are full of sensory images that the reader can almost see, such as trouble flying out of the house through an open window. The reader can almost feel how it would be to take a swim in "the skin shivering sea" and hear as "a warbler sings its familiar song and coyotes howl in disconcerting harmony."
The poems are naturally appealing to children, especially those who are seeking comfort after some type of loss or heartbreak. The poems that are more abstract may be hard for younger children to understand, but there are poems in this book that are appropriate for even the youngest children.
The illustrations in this anthology are beautiful. Each illustration adds to the emotional impact of the poems. The subject matter and the style of the artists vary from the colorful and busy New York City scene painted by Chris Raschka to the extremely detailed black and white drawing of a young girl flying high in the sky with a flock of geese by Matt Tavares.
The book begins with a Table of Contents, which lists the name of each poem, its author and illustrator, and the page where it can be found. Following the Table of Contents is a page titled, "A Note from the Anthologist." On this page, Heard explained that the original idea behind the anthology "was to comfort children in the aftermath of 9/11." In the back of the book, is a page titled, "About the Illustrators", which offers a short biography of the life of each of the illustrators featured in this anthology. The last page of the book is titled, "Acknowledgements." This page lists the titles of the books that the poems featured in the anthology were taken from, along with publication and copyright information.
3. SELECTED POEM
The poem I selected from this anthology is titled "Stars", written by Deborah Chandra. I chose this poem because it is a wonderful example of a poem which has an emotional impact on the reader. Most readers will find this poem difficult to read without tears welling up in their eyes because it is so completely moving. This poem has the power to help a child heal after a loss. It tells the child that it is okay to cry and that he or she is accepted and loved no matter what happens. This poem is simple, but says so much. This book of poems would be extremely useful for parents, teachers, school counselors, or therapists as they try to help children who have experienced a loss in their lives. The poems could be read individually to each child who needs comfort and understanding. After reading, each child could talk about how they are feeling and why they are hurting. In doing this, hopefully they will begin to heal.
STARS
I like the way they looked down from the sky
And didn't seem to mind the way I cried.
And didn't say, "Now wipe away those tears,"
Or, "Tell us, tell us what's the matter here!"
But shining through the dark they calmly stayed,
And gently held me in their quiet way.
I felt them watching over me, each one-
And let me cry and cry till I was done.
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