BOOKSPEAK!: POEMS ABOUT BOOKS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Salas, Laura Purdie, and Jose Bisaillon. 2011.Bookspeak!: Poems About Books. New York: Clarion. ISBN 9780547223001
PLOT SUMMARY
Salas introduces an astoundedly creative collection of twenty-one book-themed poems to children of all ages, poems that pay tribute to books, the library, the writing process of a book, the parts of a book, the relationship between the reader and book, and everything in between. Wacky and fun, the collection goes through books speaking to the reader, a character pleading for his life so that the reader will continue to read his story, an argument between the Beginning, Middle, and End of the story, and the woes of a Cliffhanger ending for both the reader and the book. Salas brings to life the love of stories and books in a clever way, weaving the joys of books into imaginative poems that can be enjoyed and understood by children and young adults.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The arrangement of the poems vary throughout the collection, some using rhyme and meter, while others are formed using free verse. The length varies as well, some only as long as a few verses, words carefully chosen to bring an interesting perspective to light, while others are made up of several stanzas. Salas uses personification and vivid words to create the stories that are sure to resonate with any reader. Even if the poems were read aloud without the illustrations, the meaning and voices of each of the poems are clear, creatively weaving various perspectives of all that is involved with books and storytelling.
One of such poems that presents a creative perspective is called “I’ve Got This Covered”:
“I’m the first thing you see when you walk by a book.
My picture is shouting, “please stop! Take a look!
However, it would be a great disservice to the reader to explore the bookish poems without the intricately detailed illustrations, because the whimsical pictures and the eye-catching font type pair beautifully with the carefully crafted words! The illustrations throughout show varying degrees of typography, with imaginative images created with mixed-media; some images are simple and straightforward, while others soar with various types of art elements, that skillfully create feelings of childlike excitement of the discovery of the world of books through vivid illustrations.
One such poem and its accompanying illustrations is the poem titled “A Character Pleads for His Life.”
It starts out with the lines:
“Open the cover, and liberate me!
Turn to that first page.
I’ll be boundless and free!
Both of us want to be daring and bold.
Make the decision.
Let the magic unfold…
If you don’t help me, I will not survive.
Only your actions can keep me alive.”
In the illustrations accompanying the poem, an outline of a surfer filled with pages from a book is surfing a multi-fabric color option, surrounded by turtles, also formed by words swimming by him.
The poems speaks to the power of the reader, who can let the character within “live” by reading it’s book, and go on adventures with! Just as we see from this poem example, the unique arrangement of the multi-faceted artwork by Bisaillon pairs well with the imaginative words crafted by Salas to form a delightful collection of poems paying tribute to the world of books and stories, the power of the reader, and an imaginative world that reader cam empathize with from their own experiences with reading.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
School Library Journal:
“Gr 3 – 5 — Some of these 21 poems are written in rhyme and meter, while others are free verse. They vary in length from a few to several stanzas, and all are well crafted and clever, covering a variety of aspects of books and reading. Salas includes poems about an index, a cover, cliff-hangers, and falling asleep while reading. The poems are, by turns, philosophical, humorous, and even instructional…Whimsical, mixed-media illustrations grace every page. Bisaillon skillfully incorporates the printed poems into the artwork so that the words and images have a single, unified, visual effect. This is an appealing offering that will be especially popular with librarians.”
Publishers Weekly:
“Put down the controller./ Switch off the TV./ Abandon the mouse and/ just hang out with me.” From the outset, this collection of poems makes its message clear: books are where it’s at. Salas’s polished verse demonstrates a deep love for all aspects of books, from their content to their creators, and she’s not above using a touch of guilt to get her audience invested: “If a book remains unopened/ and no reader turns its page,/ does it still embrace a story/ or trap words inside a cage”…
CONNECTIONS
Similar Poetry Books About Books
Hopkins, Lee Bennett, and Jane Manning. Jumping off Library Shelves. ISBN 9781590789247
Hopkins, Lee Bennett, and Yayo. I Am the Book. ISBN 9780823421190
Singer, Marilyn. Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse. ISBN 9781430110156
Books about Books, and taking care of Books
Alexander, Kwame, and Melissa Sweet. How to Read a Book. ISBN 9780062307811
Fox, Kathleen, and John Wallace. A Book Is Just like You!: All about the Parts of a Book. ISBN 9781602130609
McDonnell, Patrick, and Chris Mayers. A Perfectly Messed-up Story. ISBN 9780316222587
For younger readers (K-5):
- Pair BookSpeak! In a mini lesson about the different parts of a book: different levels per age level, such as characters, the beginning/middle/ end, rising and falling action, etc.
- Library mini lesson about taking care of our library books - Pair BookSpeak! With one or all choices from book choices above along with physical examples of what to do with your library book and what not to do. Play Act each part.
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