Stepanek, Mattie J. T. Journey through Heartsongs. Alexandria, BA: VSP, 2001. Print. ISBN 9780786869428.
Mattie J.T. Stepanek, an award winning eleven year old, wrote and illustrated this collection of poetry which is his legacy. It comforts and inspires those left behind. He suffered a rare form of muscular dystrophy his entire life and wrote poetry, as an outlet, since he was three. Throughout the book his themes of life and death, love and loss, innocence and joy, and faith and hope are consistent. He used his insight and wisdom to create deeply moving and courageous messages in his poems while showing his spirit and eloquence. With grace, gratitude, and a gentle spirit, Mattie challenges the reader to embrace life while focusing on the important things life offers. His message to live each day to the fullest since any day can be the last creates a bothersome cloud of emotional sorrow which affects the mood of the reader possibly resulting in sympathy for Mattie. His mature and positive attitude throughout his journey is reflected in the work. He saw death up close and talked about it honestly, which is a nerve racking and scary experience for the most mature of people. Mattie states "Attitudes are contagious." He was a boy who was changed by misfortune. “Faces of Faith” shares his belief of “Heartsongs”. “Everyone is born with a “Heartsong” /…Sometimes we forget about it people forget to, /…Their “Heartsongs” really need to live/…They are what rise up, /….You have to sit in ThinkTime/ When you lose you ‘Heartsong’.”
Some poetic elements were present in the writing, such as sensory imagery, “the sky is such/ A perfect blue,” or “don’t have any hair because they/ Have to take medicines that makes it fall out,” but it was difficult to experience the action because of lack of description. Other times, it is obvious that Mattie connected with his subject as in “Pirate-Candy.” He allows the reader to taste the black candy as you feel and hear the crunch and smell the nasty sweetness and feel the gooey inside.
The Table of Contents lists the five chapters of the book – Beginning the Journey, Considering the Journey, Coping with the Journey, Celebrating the Journey, and Growing Beyond the Journey. The arrangement of the chapters allows the poems to flow smoothly as the journey proceeds. At the front of the book the dedication, acknowledgements, forward, and publisher’s letter, gives insight to the infamous heroic status Mattie has acquired through his books. In the forward President Jimmy Carter calls Mattie a “close personal friend” whose “thoughts and images brings both tears and expanded hearts.”
Mattie illustrates the five chapter division pages and the last poem, “Eternal Echoes,” with green, blues, and brown colors creating a pointillist path, using fingers, reflecting a journey through the “Heartsongs.” The poems are organized by chapter with respect to the part of the journey the poem addresses. There is at least one red heart with a musical note in each of the illustrations representing the “Heartsongs.” “A Handful of Mattie” has an illustration of Mattie’s hand to illustrate the poem’s message. The other pages contain one illustration, a red heart which contains the page number written in childlike script. The simplistic illustrations and colors allow the focus to be on the poems. At the end of the book an index is located with the poems listed in alphabetical order with the first line of the poem and page number. The cover has pink, coral, and red heart with musical notes in a few.
This collection of inspiring, thought provoking, and heart-wrenching poems are from a courageous boy who wants his readers to understand his “Heartsong” as he fights a courageous battle and shares feelings about life, death, love, loss, faith, hope, innocence and joy while staring death in the face.
Poem for Library Lesson:
“A Handful of Mattie”
Mattie J.T. Stepanek, an award winning eleven year old, wrote and illustrated this collection of poetry which is his legacy. It comforts and inspires those left behind. He suffered a rare form of muscular dystrophy his entire life and wrote poetry, as an outlet, since he was three. Throughout the book his themes of life and death, love and loss, innocence and joy, and faith and hope are consistent. He used his insight and wisdom to create deeply moving and courageous messages in his poems while showing his spirit and eloquence. With grace, gratitude, and a gentle spirit, Mattie challenges the reader to embrace life while focusing on the important things life offers. His message to live each day to the fullest since any day can be the last creates a bothersome cloud of emotional sorrow which affects the mood of the reader possibly resulting in sympathy for Mattie. His mature and positive attitude throughout his journey is reflected in the work. He saw death up close and talked about it honestly, which is a nerve racking and scary experience for the most mature of people. Mattie states "Attitudes are contagious." He was a boy who was changed by misfortune. “Faces of Faith” shares his belief of “Heartsongs”. “Everyone is born with a “Heartsong” /…Sometimes we forget about it people forget to, /…Their “Heartsongs” really need to live/…They are what rise up, /….You have to sit in ThinkTime/ When you lose you ‘Heartsong’.”
Some poetic elements were present in the writing, such as sensory imagery, “the sky is such/ A perfect blue,” or “don’t have any hair because they/ Have to take medicines that makes it fall out,” but it was difficult to experience the action because of lack of description. Other times, it is obvious that Mattie connected with his subject as in “Pirate-Candy.” He allows the reader to taste the black candy as you feel and hear the crunch and smell the nasty sweetness and feel the gooey inside.
The Table of Contents lists the five chapters of the book – Beginning the Journey, Considering the Journey, Coping with the Journey, Celebrating the Journey, and Growing Beyond the Journey. The arrangement of the chapters allows the poems to flow smoothly as the journey proceeds. At the front of the book the dedication, acknowledgements, forward, and publisher’s letter, gives insight to the infamous heroic status Mattie has acquired through his books. In the forward President Jimmy Carter calls Mattie a “close personal friend” whose “thoughts and images brings both tears and expanded hearts.”
Mattie illustrates the five chapter division pages and the last poem, “Eternal Echoes,” with green, blues, and brown colors creating a pointillist path, using fingers, reflecting a journey through the “Heartsongs.” The poems are organized by chapter with respect to the part of the journey the poem addresses. There is at least one red heart with a musical note in each of the illustrations representing the “Heartsongs.” “A Handful of Mattie” has an illustration of Mattie’s hand to illustrate the poem’s message. The other pages contain one illustration, a red heart which contains the page number written in childlike script. The simplistic illustrations and colors allow the focus to be on the poems. At the end of the book an index is located with the poems listed in alphabetical order with the first line of the poem and page number. The cover has pink, coral, and red heart with musical notes in a few.
This collection of inspiring, thought provoking, and heart-wrenching poems are from a courageous boy who wants his readers to understand his “Heartsong” as he fights a courageous battle and shares feelings about life, death, love, loss, faith, hope, innocence and joy while staring death in the face.
Poem for Library Lesson:
“A Handful of Mattie”
My fingers stand for Reader,
Writer,
Black Belt,
Collector,
And friend...
My palm stands for Heartsongs,
Ebullient, spiritual,
Honest, trustworthy,
Brother, uniparental,
Optimistic, inspiring,
Diligent, savant,
Peacemaker, and
"Gift of God" –
My hands raise in prayer for
Giving thanks for my being
Which stands for life.
Writer,
Black Belt,
Collector,
And friend...
My palm stands for Heartsongs,
Ebullient, spiritual,
Honest, trustworthy,
Brother, uniparental,
Optimistic, inspiring,
Diligent, savant,
Peacemaker, and
"Gift of God" –
My hands raise in prayer for
Giving thanks for my being
Which stands for life.
January 2000
Activity:
Read the poem aloud twice. Share Mattie’s illustration. Ask the students to think about what the poet is telling them through the poem. Give the students think time then listen to students thoughts. Ask if the students need help with the meaning of any words. Talk about those words. Have an overarching discussion of what Mattie was saying in the poem. Does the illustration help understand the message? How? Why do you think the fingers represent some items and the palm represents other items? Students write a poem titled “Handful of (your name).” The poem needs to tell what their fingers and palm represents or who you are, what do you do and what makes you the person you are. Create an illustration that compliments the poem. Display the students’ work on the wall.
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