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kyera's review against another edition
3.0
Nothing about this book really struck me despite the fact that I wanted to love a poetic book about the seasons. Although I found the artwork to be cute at times, overall I just wasn't a big fan of it and I think that did not help my enjoyment of the poetry. I always tried to keep the idea of 'would a child enjoy this?' in the back of my mind and I think that's what made me struggle with it. Overall, the book just felt too adult to me. It feels more like a poem that was written and then they decided it might make an interesting, informative children's book about colors and the seasons - rather than being written with children's interests and needs in mind.
It was clear that the author was trying to engage the senses "In SUMMER, White clinks in drinks. Yellow melts everything it touches... smells like butter, tastes like salt" and does a wonderful job at it. Each season and color fills you up with the sights and sounds, the taste and touch, although you're not really surrounded by the smells as the only odd line about that sense was "Purple: the smell of all things mixed together" and one other time it is brought up when the dog sniffs, but nothing is described.
Some of the lines will appeal to children because of their rhythmic and rhyming flow, like "Green trills from trees, clings to Pup's knees, covers all with leaves, leave, leaves!". It wasn't always so rhythmic though and I wish that it was, because I feel like it could have been a fantastic example of poetry for me and it wasn't - but that's just my personal reaction to it. Horning (2010) wrote how important it was to "use musical, rhythmic patterns" to "delight small children" and as they age "they are better able to appreciate the subtleties of poetic form and content, but young children seem to be especially attracted to the regular structured patterns, more aptly called verse" (p. 69). It is lines like that that reinforce for me that this poetry felt too adult for the 'Ej' label that I see on its side.
Two read-alikes that I would recommend are All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon because it is also a celebration of the world around you and The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger because of the art style and poetic approach to the seasons (in this case, fall).
It was clear that the author was trying to engage the senses "In SUMMER, White clinks in drinks. Yellow melts everything it touches... smells like butter, tastes like salt" and does a wonderful job at it. Each season and color fills you up with the sights and sounds, the taste and touch, although you're not really surrounded by the smells as the only odd line about that sense was "Purple: the smell of all things mixed together" and one other time it is brought up when the dog sniffs, but nothing is described.
Some of the lines will appeal to children because of their rhythmic and rhyming flow, like "Green trills from trees, clings to Pup's knees, covers all with leaves, leave, leaves!". It wasn't always so rhythmic though and I wish that it was, because I feel like it could have been a fantastic example of poetry for me and it wasn't - but that's just my personal reaction to it. Horning (2010) wrote how important it was to "use musical, rhythmic patterns" to "delight small children" and as they age "they are better able to appreciate the subtleties of poetic form and content, but young children seem to be especially attracted to the regular structured patterns, more aptly called verse" (p. 69). It is lines like that that reinforce for me that this poetry felt too adult for the 'Ej' label that I see on its side.
Two read-alikes that I would recommend are All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon because it is also a celebration of the world around you and The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger because of the art style and poetic approach to the seasons (in this case, fall).
jshettel's review against another edition
4.0
Another lovely poetry book from Joyce Sidman. This one is an interconnected story about the colors of the seasons.
bkwrm127's review against another edition
5.0
An entire book of poems about colors and weather ~ how can it possibly keep the reader's interest? I was sceptical. However, Joyce Sidman's images are so evocative, so crisp, I was completely captivated ~ "In spring, Red sings from treetops: cheer-cheer-cheer, each note dropping like a cherry into my ear/Red turns the maples feathery, sprouts in rhubarb spears; Red squirms on the road after rain." I read the whole thing cover to cover in one sitting. Pamela Zagarenski's fanciful and colorful illustrations perfectly enhance the images in the poems. What a delight!
calistareads's review against another edition
3.0
Lovely poetry about the colors and changes in the seasons. I love the play of colors with emotions. The art work is worthy, it just doesn't do a whole lot for me. Joyce goes through the seasons picking out colors. For winter, a page states grey and brown are all that's left. Very true. She also talks about the trees being black and looking like skeletal bones.
I thought it was good. I enjoyed the verse and it didn't sweep me up and away either. I read this to the kids and the niece gave it 2 stars so followed the nephew.
I don't have a whole lot to say about it.
I thought it was good. I enjoyed the verse and it didn't sweep me up and away either. I read this to the kids and the niece gave it 2 stars so followed the nephew.
I don't have a whole lot to say about it.
middle_name_joy's review against another edition
4.0
Author Joyce Sidman blends a journey through the seasons with whimsical color poems in Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors. Some of the comparisons are standard ("Green is new in spring.") and others have wings ("Green sighs with relief: I've ruled for so long. Time for Brown to take over."). It is the imaginings of color as objects with emotions and sound and movement that make this an ideal model text for teachig color poems. I am using it in exactly that capacity, though this should be enjoyed for the simple pleasure of poetry and descriptive language that it provides.
raoionna's review against another edition
2.0
Collage illustrations of the four seasons and the colors that you see. Aesthetically not appealing to me.
maidmarianlib's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful free verse poetry of the seasons and their colors. Quirky illustrations that are very fun