Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More!: Poems for Two Voices

by Carole Gerber, Eugene Yelchin (Illustrator)

Overview

A honeybee and a bumblebee have a chat.

A rose offers a worm a bit of its compost.

A mouse assures a root of its importance.

These fun rhyming poems for two voices are blooming, bursting, and buzzing with personality. Eugene Yelchin's stunning illustrations beautifully accent Carole Gerber's unusual conversations. Together, they offer a close-up view of the plant and insect worlds, with an amazing amount of information about them.

All around us, under our feet, thousands of interactions and transformations are taking place. This book gives the reader a chance to listen in.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780805092110
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	02/05/2013
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	160,163
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Carole Gerber has written many children's books, as well as several books for adults. She received her BS in English education from Ohio State, and after two years teaching middle and high school English returned to earn an MA in journalism. She has also worked as a marketing director, magazine editor, and freelance writer of textbooks, articles, and speeches. She lives in Powell, Ohio.

Eugene Yelchin is a Russian-born author and illustrator. In 2006 he received the Tomie dePaola award, and in 2010 the National Jewish Book Award. He is also the illustrator of Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku and the author/illustrator of Breaking Stalin's Nose, which received a Newbery Honor. He lives with his wife and children in Topanga, California.

Editorial Reviews

Yelchin’s cheerful gouache illustrations call to mind sidewalk chalk art in this collection of nature- and spring-themed poems designed to be recited by two readers. The poems’ alternating parts are differentiated by color, with multicolored phrases intended to be read in unison. Gerber’s poems are casually conversational (“It’s springtime!/ Will you be up soon?/ I feel sure you’ll be cute,” a hungry rabbit urges a green sprout), while she sneaks in a surprising amount of information about flowers, berries, bugs, and more, as well as topics including germination and pollination. The airy poems are pleasing, but maybe not perennial. Ages 4–up. Author’s agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

An appealing blend of classic botanical intricacy, retro design charm, and freewheeling and airy modernity.” —BCCB

“A pleasing introduction to plant biology with cross-curricular appeal.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The airy poems are pleasing...” —Publishers Weekly

“Yelchin's bright, graphite and gouache illustrations are almost impressionistic; they catch the eye and complement the text well. This collection will educate youngsters while showing them a fun way to read poetry.” —School Library Journal

“The science is solid and the dual voicing makes these poems ideal for classroom performances.” —Booklist

“* Heartwarming.” —Booklist, starred review on Won Ton

“* Perfect pussycat poetry.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review on Won Ton

“* Will steal the hearts of readers young and old.” —School Library Journal, starred review on Won Ton

“* This brief novel gets at the heart of a society that asks its citizens, even its children, to report on relatives and friends. Appropriately menacing illustrations by first-time novelist Yelchin add a sinister tone.” —The Horn Book, starred review on Breaking Stalin's Nose

“The blend of play, science, poetry, and art is beautiful.” —Booklist on Winter Leaves

“Image-packed poetry. . . . A great introduction to the season.” —School Library Journal on Leaf Jumpers

From the Publisher

Here is a wonderful way for readers to enjoy garden poems. Two people read alternately. Each person reads a different color type, while words using both colors are read together. In "We Can Fly," a maple seed and dandelion seed talk to each other. The voices read: "I fly by helicoptering./ I move by parachute." The picture shows a girl blowing dandelion seeds and a man with his hat blowing off. In "Honey and Bumble," a honey bee and bumble bee share compliments. In the poem, "Always Hungry," it says "I am starving!" in green and "I am famished!" in red and then "All we do is eat, eat, eat." in red and green. The picture shows fat milkweed worms eating milkweed plants. Against bright backgrounds, biologically correct illustrations carry out the themes. At the end is a word about the propagation of plants with the help of little creatures. This will be a fun way for teachers to put on a program while the children learn about plants and garden creatures. Two friends may enjoy reading the verses together. This resource makes natural science attractive and fun. Reviewer: Carlee Hallman

Children's Literature - Carlee Hallman

Gr 2–5—In the spirit of Paul Fleischman's Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices (HarperCollins, 1987), Gerber presents 18 poems with lines to be read aloud. The form allows readers to create energetic dialogues between the different animals, plants, and bugs featured in the verses. In an easy, kid-friendly fashion, the author explores relationships in nature and in the hidden intricacies of the world's ecological systems with poems about pollination, the purpose of roots, how bees collect nectar, and more. Most of the entries are whimsical, such as, "But our seeds will travel in the birds/and be dropped off in their doo" ("Bye, Bye, Berries"). End matter consists of a brief overview in prose of the concepts touched upon. Yelchin's bright, graphite and gouache illustrations are almost impressionistic; they catch the eye and complement the text well. This collection will educate youngsters while showing them a fun way to read poetry.—Rita Meade, Brooklyn Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

Eighteen poems designed to be read aloud present the world of growing things in paired first-person voices. Ideal for classroom use, this collection of short performance pieces introduces seed distribution, plant germination, the roles of roots and sunlight, pollinators and some familiar creatures. Working this plant world are two kinds of bees, worms, snails, ladybugs and, of course, monarch butterflies--as caterpillars munching milkweed, in chrysalises and emerging to fly. With short lines, judicious use of rhyme and some interesting language, the poetry works well. "Let's get out of these coats. / I'm not ready. Please wait! / It's easy. I'll show you. / Watch me germinate." The personification of each subject will appeal to young readers, and the voices are distinguished by spacing on the page as well as by color. For the most part, each double-page spread contains a single poem, illustrated with Yelchin's bright graphite-and-gouache paintings, which take full advantage of the author's colorful subjects. There are indoor and outdoor scenes: One child blows a dandelion seed; two others observe seedlings. Other animals appear, too: birds, a dog, a hungry rabbit and a curious vole. Connections are everywhere. On a final page, Gerber summarizes the processes introduced in her poems. A pleasing introduction to plant biology with cross-curricular appeal. (Informational poetry. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews