Greetings - we have a winner of this new title - Lynne-Marie.
Thank you everyone, for participating!
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Introducing Georgia Heard's BOOM! BELLOW! BLEAT!
with illustrations by Aaron DeWitt
picture book poem collection + giveaway
By JG Annino
I'm chirpy today with news of a community chorus collected in
BOOM! BELLOW! BLEAT!
Animal Poems for Two or More Voices.
in this pitch-perfect picture book
invite us into a wild way of communication, some of which
I didn't know existed. You, your students, family, friends
will be baffled, excited and jubilant about questions raised and
answers given in this clever approach to sharing creature sounds.
I can especially see
this title selected by youth chorus directors,
music teachers & and youth musical theater directors,
beyond
the family, library and school market.
Poems mentioned here are c.2019 by Georgia Heard
Cricket Arithmetic
Cold pierces evening
crickets crouch in
corn stubble-
last chant of the year
chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp
The crickets (channeling Georgia) provide two other poems
and also work on counting (in back-of-book nature notes.)
Right whales offer a deep-sea song,
elephants speak in their own two voices,
from trunk tip, or, their mouths.
So many other creatures (I counted at least 40) also chime in.
Georgia Heard's spare poems provide room for child readers
(or their older companions) to expressively play the parts
of
lungs (frogs, toads,)
swim bladder (some fish,)
claw (snapping shrimp)
to attempt to emulate sounds from origins other than mouths.
I knew a little bit about cricket wings, but not as much as this
book joyfully shares, not did I ever guess much about other body
parts
that animal language tumbles from.
I like how illustrator Aaron DeWitt's double spreads
evoke a here and now mood in me, employing an uncluttered
digital painting style that is transportive,
making me feel as if I am in the scene.
I hope you can read BOOM! BELLOW! BLEAT! soon.
As someone who sometimes writes to pals whatdoyouthink? I melted
at these two ending lines from Georgia Heard's poem, titled
" Bigclaw
Snapping Shrimp"
...Fast,fishswimawayfast,
watchoutforshimp'sbubbleblast!
Call me a punster but I will mention that Georgia heard
the sounds in creating these poems and Aaron illustrates with
wit.
You will likely read this book several times to select a
favorite
voice, sound, or back story of how specific community chorus
members
create their communicating ways. I finish the book and want to begin
again, thinking what a marvelous universe this is.
And no, I'm not identifying the wild individuals who are the source
of the three title sounds. You. Will. Be. Surprised.
- COMMENT here by March 15 for a chance to receive my review
copy.
Other Georgia Heard illustrated books for children I am fortunate to
already have on
my shelves, include
FALLING DOWN THE PAGE, which is a collection of list
poems
and also, THE PLACE I KNOW, poems of comfort for all of us,
especially students, in these troubled times. More recently I have found
Georgia's guide, WRITING TOWARD HOME and also,
HEART MAPS and eventually expect to share some discoveries in these
at Bookseedstudio, my blog.
Aaron DeWitt also created
the huggable art for DREAMING OF YOU
by Poetry Friday's AmyLudwig VanDerwater, so it's time to meet
Aaron's work if he is new to you.
* * * *
Bunny selects a winner! Lynne Marie will receive this title. Let us know your postal address.
