Title: Ivy in Bloom: The Poetry of Spring from Great Poets and Writers of the Past
Publication Date: April 1, 2009
Source: NetGalley
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Book Depository
Summary from Goodreads: Ivy in Bloom captures the weariness of a young girl tired of a long winter. "I stare out the window," she says on the first spread of brown and gray, "looking for birds or flowers / or even warm showers / but I don't see any such thing." But then Spring comes when "March is out of breath snow melting to flowery waters and watery flowers spring rose from its wintry rest." And Ivy's "heart dances with daffodils." As these words also dance across each spread, Ivy's world erupts into a riot of color.
Ivy in Bloom introduces the poetry of Dickinson, Longfellow, Browning, Wordsworth, Frost and others. Excerpts from their writings, as seen through Ivy's eyes, will open up poetry as a way for children to express their own feelings about the changing of seasons. This book includes longer excerpts and brief bios of each author.
Review
Personally, I enjoyed every page of this short poetry book and reread it more than once. Vanita has written a book combining her own poetry with the greats like Dickinson, Wordsworth, Frost and more. Following this little girl through the changing seasons is a great way for kids to be introduced to poetry. It uses regular things any child can experience and expands upon it with words written lyrically to enhance the senses. As an adult, I enjoyed it immensely as it reminded me of why I love poetry so much. So while made for children it has crossover capabilities with adult poetry lovers.
The illustrations by Kristin Blackwood also help draw children and adults alike into Ivy's world and the poetry that shows how the seasons change along with her reaction. Masterfully down in various colours showing emotions, seasons and so much more. I got this lovely e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
On a whole, this book is a beautiful quick read with lots of readability potential. At the end of Ivy's tale, you are shown what Vanita wrote along with the excerpts and full versions of poetry from the other poets used in this story. For those being introduced to poetry, this can be an excellent treat learning about different poets in a friendly non-text heavy environment. Reading this to children can help expand their vocabulary and interest in writing. Parents and Librarians alike will find great use for this book to read to children. Children get to enjoy reading poetry in a way they can grow to understand. I highly recommend this book and the art is just as amazing.
Rating: 5 Stars
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So glad you enjoyed this and that it was a quick read. I'm not a super poetry fan, but this sounds good.
ReplyDeleteThis does sounds like a good book to get back into poetry if you've been away from it for a while and a good introduction to poetry for kids.
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