David Elliott (1) (1947–)

I'm generally not a fan of poetry books *pauses while friends throw things at me* but poetic picture books can really work, if they bridge the gap between those who are uncertain/reluctant to check out poetry and the almost constant circulation of our picture books. David Elliott's picture books of short poems have always done very well for us. I've used selections in storytime, in displays, and they check out quite a lot.

When I borrowed this new one, I was at first confused that they'd show more switched to a new illustrator. Then I remembered that the illustrator for the previous three books in this series, Holly Meade, passed away several years ago. I was interested to see how the new illustrator, Becca Stadtlander, would measure up.

So, this follows the same format as the previous titles which explored animals in the sea, on the farm, and in the wild. Each spread or page features a different bird and a clever, majestic, or funny poem about them. I love that Elliott doesn't dumb down the language and uses such rich vocabulary as "conflagration" with ease. My favorite poem, personally, is "The Wandering Albatross" which has a lovely, haunting rhythm. Some of the poems are just a few lines, making them perfect for introducing very young children to both poetry and birds.

The new illustrator has a very different style from Meade's rough, colorful woodcuts, but it is a lovely combination with Elliott's poetry and fits the theme of birds beautifully. The delicate paintings capture the grace and loveliness of the birds as easily as their more quirky features and habits. From the sweeping majesty of the condor soaring far above the landscape to a flock of feisty sparrows, each bird is delicately and lovingly drawn with personality and verve.

Verdict: If, like me, you only purchase a few poetry books each year, make sure to include this continuation of a popular series on your list. The new illustrator was an excellent choice to continue the legacy of Elliott and Meade and take the series in a new direction. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780763653248; Published 2014 by Candlewick; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library show less

Bull was nothing short of BRILLIANT! It is a retelling of the myth of the minotaur, written in verse. Each character has their own voice and form of poetry that mirrors their personality. Poseidon does what he wants, entering the novel with "Whaddup, bitches?" (Elliott 3). Minos, the king, uses couplets; Pasiphae, his queen who gives birth to the minotaur, doesn't really have a rhyme scheme as she slowly goes insane. Daedalus, the engineer who designed the labyrinth uses a very rigid four show more stanza scheme; Asterion, the minotaur, uses eight line rhyme schemes, and Ariadne, his sister, uses traditional end rhyme scheme.

Poseidon very brashly interjects and narrates the story as the reader learns how the minotaur was born to Pasiphae and how he came to be locked in the labyrinth-at the king's revenge seeking hand. Elliott makes Asterion, the minotaur, come across as very simple minded and gentle; readers will feel sorry for him as he is cast away from his family for nothing of his own doing. His sister, Ariadne, secretly plans to help him escape and the two of them are going to fly away and be free, but **SPOILERS** Theseus, a jock-resembling prince of Athens slays the minotaur and ruins her plans.

Readers who have grown up on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series will LOVE this book, and those of us who don't remember the myth of the minotaur as well as we should will LOVE it as well. Poseidon's narration is everything. It adds humor and life to a slightly disturbing story. This book is NOT for small children, I wouldn't put it in the hands of anyone younger than freshman only because of the language that Poseidon uses as well as his imagery. Overall, I highly recommend this novel-in-verse to anyone looking for a good laugh and refreshing take on mythology. show less

Sixteen brief but clever poems about birds from author David Elliott are paired with gorgeous illustrations from Becca Stadtlander in this lovely little picture-book. From the fluttering hummingbird to the fiery flamingo, the oddball Australian pelican to the symbolic bald eagle, the avian life profiled here is as distinctive as it is beautiful...

I initially sought out On the Wing because I recently read and greatly enjoyed Sleep Tight Farm: A Farm Prepares for Winter, and wanted to find show more more of illustrator Becca Stadtlander's work. It certainly rewarded me, from a visual stand-point, as I found her gouache illustrations here absolutely gorgeous. It's amazing to think that this was her debut, as a picture-book illustrator! That said, I was also rewarded textually, finding the poems quite cleverly done, and often thought-provoking. One of my favorites addressed the Andean condor, reading: "You watched the ancient empires / come, then go. / How and why they vanished - / a secret that you know. / Is it your knowledge of this mystery / that we fear? / Or that one day we, too / might disappear?" Recommended to young bird lovers and picture-book poetry readers. show less

This book of humorous and informative poems for young readers takes us through the geologic periods of Earth’s history beginning with the Cambrian Era, around 540 million years ago, when “life exploded.” It ends with the Quaternary Era, which began around 1.8 million years ago. Why then? As the author explains in his note at the end of the book, “You might be surprised to find that the Quaternary hasn’t ended yet. In other words, humans share a geologic period with wooly mammoths show more and cave bears.”

In each period, readers meet a different creature or two, beginning with the Cambrian Era Trilobite, which kids may be familiar with if they have gone to fossil shows, where they tend to be in abundance. As the poem says,

“So many of you.
So long ago.
So much above you.
Little below.”

They will probably particularly enjoy becoming acquainted with the Dunkleosteus, from the Devonian Period:

“You weren’t picky
When it came to diet;
If it lived in the ocean,
You would try it,
Which leads me to raise
This delicate question:

Your face -
The unhappy result
Of indigestion?”

Or the Anthropleura from the Carboniferous Period:

“The bad news: Like a centipede. Eight feet long. Or more.
The good news: Arthropleura was an herbivore.”

The Smilodon, or saber-toothed tiger, from the Neogene Period is described thusly:

“No compassion.
No tolerance.
No mercy.
No pity.
And definitely no
‘Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.’ ”

Adult readers needn’t fear the challenges of reading this book aloud: the names of the featured creatures are given phonetic pronunciations at the end of the book, along with some background information about them.

Illustrations by Matthew Trueman impart a sense of the weirdness (to our modern eyes) and show either the ferocity or the surprising gentleness of these strange creatures.

Evaluation: Judging from the way I always see kids clustered around dinosaur books in libraries and bookstores, kids aged 3 and up will love this compendium of prehistoric animals and the clever funny verses that describe them. show less