Marshmallow clouds : two poets at play among figures of speech

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Title:

Marshmallow clouds : two poets at play among figures of speech

Author:

Kooser, Ted, author.

Wanek, Connie, 1952- author.

Jones, Richard, 1977- illustrator.

Summary:

A freewheeling romp through the world of imagery and metaphor, this quietly startling collection of thirty poems, framed by the four elements, is about art and reality, fact and fancy. Look around: what do you see? A clown balancing a pie in a tree, or an empty nest perched on a leafless branch? As poet Connie Wanek alludes to in her afterword—a lively dialogue with former US Poet Laureate Ted Kooser—sometimes the simplest sights and sounds “summon our imaginations” and cry out to be clothed in the alchemical language of poetry. This compendium of the fleeting and unexpected turns the everyday—turtles, trees, and tadpoles; cow pies, lazy afternoons, and pillowy white marshmallows—into poetic gold. A brilliant and timeless collaboration that evokes both the mystery and grandeur of the natural world and the cozy, mundane moments of daily life, this exquisitely illustrated collection is the go-to gift book of the season for poetry fans of all ages. -- Amazon.

Audience:

Ages 6-9.

Edition:

First edition

Physical Description:

1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 29 cm

Genre:

Poetry.

Picture books.

Subject Term:

Children's poetry, American.

Imagination -- Juvenile literature.

Figures of speech -- Juvenile literature.

Four elements (Philosophy) -- Juvenile literature.

Nature -- Juvenile literature.

Author(s):

Wanek, Connie, 1952-

Jones, Richard, 1977-

Publisher:

Candlewick Press,

Publication Date:

2022

ISBN:

9781536203035

Publication Information:

Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2022

Call Number:

J 811 KOOSER

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003619098	New Juvenile Nonfiction	811 KOOSER	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Celebrated poets Ted Kooser along with Connie Wanek, and illustrator Richard Jones, explore figures of speech in a spirited and magical way--and invite our imaginations out to play.

A freewheeling romp through the world of imagery and metaphor, this quietly startling collection of thirty poems, framed by the four elements, is about art and reality, fact and fancy. Look around: what do you see? A clown balancing a pie in a tree, or an empty nest perched on a leafless branch? As poet Connie Wanek alludes to in her afterword--a lively dialogue with former US Poet Laureate Ted Kooser--sometimes the simplest sights and sounds "summon our imaginations" and cry out to be clothed in the alchemical language of poetry. This compendium of the fleeting and unexpected turns the everyday--turtles, trees, and tadpoles; cow pies, lazy afternoons, and pillowy white marshmallows--into poetic gold. A brilliant and timeless collaboration that evokes both the mystery and grandeur of the natural world and the cozy, mundane moments of daily life, this exquisitely illustrated collection is the go-to gift book of the season for poetry fans of all ages.

Author Notes

Ted Kooser was the US Poet Laureate from 2004 to 2006 and won a Pulitzer Prize for his book of poems Delights & Shadows . His picture books include Bag in the Wind and The Bell in the Bridge , both illustrated by Barry Root; House Held Up by Trees , a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year, illustrated by Jon Klassen; and Mr. Posey's New Glasses, an International Literacy Association Children's Choice, illustrated by Daniel Duncan. Ted Kooser lives in Garland, Nebraska.

Connie Wanek has been writing since her hand could hold a pencil. She is the author of four books of poetry, including Rival Gardens: New and Selected Poems , the second book in the Ted Kooser Contemporary Poetry Series. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota.

Richard Jones has worked for more than twenty years in the creative arts. He is the illustrator of numerous picture books, including The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To Poems , edited by Paul B. Janeczko, and Bird Builds a Nest and The Squirrels' Busy Year , both by Martin Jenkins. Richard Jones lives in Devon, England.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4 Up--Ordinary moments sparkle with imagery, beauty, and wit in this illustrated collaboration between former U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser and noted poet Connie Wanek. The introductory poem, "A Disappointment," defines the rest of this collection, which is organized according to the four elements: Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. Jones opens the scene with a fox zooming off page, a snowy hill and bare trees behind it. The poem is on the right of this spread, and the speaker states seeing a winter tree "clowning around" on one leg. Jones's art, paint that is rendered digitally, is muted and whimsical, delicately nuanced to illustrate a dancing tree for those who want to see. Although the speaker's friend replies it is "all in my imagination," it's clear the disappointment is for those who wish to no longer imagine. The 27 poems that follow invite readers to examine the every day in another way: Meteor showers are cat's claws scraping the sky, tadpoles are lively punctuation marks, and harps are golden moths bursting with song. Each poem has a full spread with fanciful illustrations matching the capricious tone of the work. An afterword, with an extra poem by each author and an invitation to imagine, is included. An enjoyable choice for introducing poetry and literary devices for all ages. VERDICT A must purchase for all libraries.--Rachel Zuffa

Publisher's Weekly Review

Former poet laureate Kooser and poet Wanek give life to inanimate objects in this collection of poems structured around expressions and the elements. In sections organized by Fire, Water, Air, and Earth, an overturned boat appears to be "peering out at the meddlesome world," while a harp is "a great golden moth." Some metaphors are lighthearted ("Oh, sandwich delicious, my book!"); others acknowledge trauma ("the place in your chest/ where it clawed you like a badger"). Jones echoes the authorial duo's restraint, and the speaker's rural familiarity with owls, meteors, plows, and more; contrasting hues provide drama, as in scenes of a bleached moon in a dark winter sky, or a red shirt against a blue sofa. The poems evoke interior perception, reveal life through the poetic gaze, and give voice to "the soft singing that goes on and on." Ages 10--up. (Mar.)