Marvin Bell (1937–2020)

The title says this is a primer about the flag, but it’s really a poem about flags, a meditation on flags, with fun illustrations.

“There are flags on the moon, flags in cemeteries, costume flags.
There are little flags that come from the barrel of a gun
And say,
BANG.”

Marvin Bell used to teach at the University of Iowa; listening to him read from this book is one of my most striking memories of the many poets I went to see during my time there.

Wry, complicated, and never exactly what he seems, The Dead Man is an unreliable narrator of the first water.

A flag, any flag stands for something Bell supplies the introduction for the commencement while Raschka illustrates it's beauty.

Just as it's title suggests A PRIMER ABOUT THE FLAG is a poetry book that is appropriate as an introduction to the concept of the flag for young children. I found it to be good those in preschool through first grade. I don't think a child over the age of six would find this book of much interest. A thought inspiring book for a parent to read to a child and explain show more as they go along what these flags in the book can mean. This is a poetry book to poke and prod a child into conversation, communication and to bring on questioning from a child. Each page brings fourth black and white illustrations with colorful flags that have no significant meaning in general except for the story teller and listener. The flags are not of any countries, not Russia, not Poland not even the United States. I found this books main idea to be, that whatever may be on a flag has meaning to someone, somewhere. Whether a parade or a ship, a flag, any flag is something to notice, something tangible that people tend to associate with. When you read "If you want to have a parade," in the book. It would be a perfect time to ask a child what their flag would look like if they were in a parade. So make up your own flags as you read along with A Primer About The Flag, it is a sure way to evoke feelings and memories during that special reading time with a child. show less

This caught my eye for a poem on poor people in Athens, Ohio,The language is plain but the ideas are hard to follow