Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings

http://www.amazon.com/Comets-Stars-Moon-Mars-Paintings/dp/0152053727

Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: 

Space Poems and Paintings 

Poet & Illustrator: 

Douglas Florian

Publishing: 

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

 2007

           Douglas Florian’s poetry book, COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS, is a delight for both children and adults alike. The School Library Journal, in their starred review of the book, writes, “In both language and artwork, Florian strikes the perfect balance between grandeur and whimsy.”

          The book begins with a poem entitled “Skywatch” where the author invites the reader to think of exploring the night’s sky, to consider telescopes and constellations, and to have fun doing it.  Florian then takes us on a journey of outer space with this collection of twenty poems that range from the universe, galaxy, and our solar system, around all the planets (even the poor “fired” Pluto!) to comets, constellations, the black hole, and finally, “The Great Beyond”! At the end of the book, Florian provides the reader with “A Galactic Glossary” that provides more detailed information on each of the poem topics, to satisfy more curious and advanced readers. Further, the most astute of readers can utilize the final page, a selected bibliography that includes both Stephen Hawking and nasa.gov. 

         The poems were created using simple, short lines, often with a staccato rhythm that is brisk and zippy. Florian uses a great variety of meter and rhyme schemes to accent the topic of the poem, however he is abundant with whimsy and humor throughout, even while presenting scientific facts. The poems are often repetitive, which creates both an easy rhythm, and makes the poems especially accessible for children to read, understand and remember. It is clear that the author intended this book of poetry and art to be both a learning opportunity, and a chance to bask in creative wonder; to have fun - as can be seen in the clever humor of Pluto: "Pluto was a planet. / Pluto was admired. /Pluto was a planet. Till one day it got fired." The author also uses fun, dynamic shapes with the poems - for example the poem about the spiral galaxy is also in the shape of a spiral. 

            

http://www.the-best-childrens-books.org/Comets-Stars-the-Moon-and-Mars.html

        This book would work marvelously as a read-aloud due to the simple rhythms of the poems, but children can also get great joy and information from the illustrations. In this large-format book, each poem is set in a two-page spread of beautiful artwork, that continues the brilliant combo of wit and data. Florian created the book's artwork using vibrant gouache paint, collages of cutouts, and rubber stamps on primed brown paper bags, creating an eye-catching texture.  They are at once antique looking and uniquely modern, and provide a wealth of information to accompany each poem through the use of pictorial and worded labels. The artistic pages are also scattered with die-cut peepholes, which make exploring the book through the little windows and cut-outs as much fun as the author provides exploring outer space. 

         This book would be an excellent accompaniment to lessons about outer-space - it provides the art and poetry that can connect to the visual learners in the classroom as well as to children's creative instincts. There are so many crafts that children can do to learn further about space. For example, they can make a solar system model using a coat hanger and cut outs. Or, they can observe the moon every evening, and draw the shape as the moon goes through its monthly cycle. Just as this book can bridge the scientific concepts to artistic learners, it can also be used to bridge poetry and art for children who are more apt to be interested in science. 

         COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS has won numerous awards including the Kirkus Reviews: Best Children's Books, 2007; a South Carolina Picture Book Award Nomination, 2008-2009; and the Horn Book Fanfare Best Book, 2007.

Florian, Douglas. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings. Ill by Douglas Florian. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2007. ISBN 0-15-205372-7