Module 3: Poetry - COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA:

Florian, Douglas. 2007. COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 9780152053727

PLOT SUMMARY:

What could be more awe-inspiring than space? Douglas Florian proves just how fascinating space can be in this collection of twenty short poems about the wonder and magic of space. Each poem explores a different astronomical theme, and the collection includes a good balance of interesting topics such as galaxies, the sun, planets, and constellations. While most children are accustomed to learning about space through factual text and photographs, this collection will offer a refreshingly different and often humorous way to view space through the captivating and dramatic lens of poetry and paintings.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Each succinct poem contains a natural rhyming rhythm that is perfect for a read aloud. Florian’s careful word choice and smooth rhymes are sure to catch and hold the attention of children. The clever combination of humor and catchy rhymes in poems like “Pluto” adds to the overall appeal of the collection: “Pluto was a planet. / Pluto was admired. / Pluto was a planet. / Till one day it got fired.” Florian masterfully weaves subtle depth and imagery into the seemingly simple and straightforward poems. The stimulating poem “The Universe” is an excellent example of Florian’s ability to subtly evoke thought and emotion from readers: “The universe is every place, / Including all the e m p t y space. / It’s every star and galaxy, / All objects of astronomy, / Geography, zoology / (Each cat and dog and bumblebee), / All persons throughout history - / Including you, / Including me.”

The layout of the book further adds to the read aloud quality of the collection. Florian devotes two side-by-side pages to each poem and related painting, allowing the reader (or listener) to focus on the single space-related topic of each poem and painting without the distraction of other poems or pictures. Florian’s own incredible paintings definitely augment the superb quality of this poetry collection, and readers will easily find themselves mesmerized by the unique and collage-like artwork. The playful arrangement of lines in poems such as “A Galaxy,” which arranges the lines of the poem in the shape of a spiral, also enhances the allure of this collection. An additional bonus is the inclusion of die-cut holes on many of the pages, which adds texture and the illusion of depth to the paintings. Florian rounds out this phenomenal collection of poetry with a table of contents, a glossary of astronomical terms, and a bibliography of recommended reading and websites to learn even more about space.

I would highly recommend COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS for any children’s poetry collection. Not only will children learn a great deal on a wide variety of space topics, but they will also be exposed to the magnetism of excellent poetry while exploring an immensely popular topic. The space theme is sure to motivate children to pick up this book of poetry, and once they do, the captivating poems and stellar paintings will lead them to seek more of Florian’s work.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

From BOOKLIST (April 1, 2007 (Vol. 103, No. 15)):
“This large-format book looks at astronomy through the magnifying, clarifying lens of poetry. Each broad double-page spread features a short, accessible poem about a subject such as the sun, each of its planets, a comet, a constellation, or the universe, set within an impressive painting.”

From KIRKUS REVIEW starred (March 15, 2007):
“Stunning mixed-media illustrations accompany a series of poems that celebrate the wonder and mystery of space. From the universe, the sequence narrows its focus to the galaxy, the solar system and then each body in turn, from the sun to poor demoted Pluto, and beyond. The verse is characteristically playful, wrapping itself around astronomical facts with ease.”

From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL starred (July 1, 2007):
“Nothing gladdens the heart of believers in good poetry for children more than a new collection by Florian, whose verses and paintings consistently capture the essence of his featured themes. This one literally sings the music of the spheres.”

CONNECTIONS:

*Other poetry books by Douglas Florian:
Florian, Douglas. 2003. AUTUMNBLINGS. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 0060092793

Florian, Douglas. 2006. HANDSPRINGS. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 0060092815

Florian, Douglas. 1998. INSECTLOPEDIA. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace. ISBN 0152013067

*Other books about space:
Rau, Dana Meachen. 2003. COMETS, ASTEROIDS, AND METEOROIDS. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point Books. ISBN 0756504376

McNulty, Faith. 2005. IF YOU DECIDE TO GO TO THE MOON. Ill. by Steven Kellogg. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0590483595

*Activities:
This book would make a great addition to unit on space, balancing out fact and photographs with poetic language and gorgeous paintings. This unit could motivate students to grab a telescope or pair of binoculars and explore the night sky.

Since the paintings in this collection are so amazing, this book could be used as a source of inspiration for a space-related art lesson. Students could be encouraged to choose an aspect of space to depict in their own watercolor drawings.

Students could also be encouraged to write their own space-related poems. When given an extensive list of space words, even young children can create poems about this majestic and amazing topic.

*Websites:
http://www.gigglepotz.com/space.htm
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/