Stockland, Patricia M. The Free and the Brave: a Collection of Poems about the United States. Illus. Sara Rojo Perez. Minneapolis: Compass Point, 2004. Print. ISBN 9780756505639.
Stockland creates an anthology of poems about the United States with "Toolbox tips," which helps the reader understand the poetry and how it is written. The selected poem, which illustrates the collection’s patriotic theme throughout the collection, is selected from diverse authors including Carl Sandburg, Jean Little, Langston Hughes, Ogden Nash, and Janet Wong.
The toolbox is a major focus in the book. Each poem explanation of a related poetic form or concept, found throughout the book on the bottom of the pages, such as acrostic, meter, voice, onomatopoeia, or limerick. Each poems concept is effectively and clearly illustrated. The poems use free verse, limericks, alliteration and metaphors, repetition, rhyme, sensory imagery, voice, and meter. The Table of Content focuses on the “Toolbox” features, listing the poetry as “Poems” which cover pages six to twenty-five. The index on the last page of the book lists the nineteen poems in alphabetical order with the author and page number. The poems are arranged in the book based on poetic elements. A glossary of poetic terms is found in the back of the book as well as web and library resources. “Collect Your Tools” is a continued analyzation of specific use of tools in the poems found in this collection and encouragement to post poetry on the web. The diversity of the poems is reflected in the varied topic addresses. Many emotions are found in the collections, fun and reflective, such as “City Blockades,” and depressing or even embarrassing for children, such as “Poor.”
Rojo Perez, the illustrator creates brightly colored cartoon like illustrations for each poem which peak the reader’s curiosity and encourages reading the poem. The facial features are simple and interesting. Her illustrations frame and separate the poetry while making some of the poems more child friendly by lightening the content’s severity, such as “Aunt Sue’s Story.”
This is a wonderful book for teaching the poetic concepts and encourages the use of specific elements in writing poetry. The focus is primarily on the concepts and not the poem collection. To direct the focus on the theme – patriotism of the United States the poems can be read without referencing the “Tool Tips.”
Stockland creates an anthology of poems about the United States with "Toolbox tips," which helps the reader understand the poetry and how it is written. The selected poem, which illustrates the collection’s patriotic theme throughout the collection, is selected from diverse authors including Carl Sandburg, Jean Little, Langston Hughes, Ogden Nash, and Janet Wong.
The toolbox is a major focus in the book. Each poem explanation of a related poetic form or concept, found throughout the book on the bottom of the pages, such as acrostic, meter, voice, onomatopoeia, or limerick. Each poems concept is effectively and clearly illustrated. The poems use free verse, limericks, alliteration and metaphors, repetition, rhyme, sensory imagery, voice, and meter. The Table of Content focuses on the “Toolbox” features, listing the poetry as “Poems” which cover pages six to twenty-five. The index on the last page of the book lists the nineteen poems in alphabetical order with the author and page number. The poems are arranged in the book based on poetic elements. A glossary of poetic terms is found in the back of the book as well as web and library resources. “Collect Your Tools” is a continued analyzation of specific use of tools in the poems found in this collection and encouragement to post poetry on the web. The diversity of the poems is reflected in the varied topic addresses. Many emotions are found in the collections, fun and reflective, such as “City Blockades,” and depressing or even embarrassing for children, such as “Poor.”
Rojo Perez, the illustrator creates brightly colored cartoon like illustrations for each poem which peak the reader’s curiosity and encourages reading the poem. The facial features are simple and interesting. Her illustrations frame and separate the poetry while making some of the poems more child friendly by lightening the content’s severity, such as “Aunt Sue’s Story.”
This is a wonderful book for teaching the poetic concepts and encourages the use of specific elements in writing poetry. The focus is primarily on the concepts and not the poem collection. To direct the focus on the theme – patriotism of the United States the poems can be read without referencing the “Tool Tips.”
Poem for Library Lesson:
“When I Grow Up”
I want to be an artist, Grandpa-
Write and paint, dance and sing.
Be accountant,
Be lawyer,
Make good living,
Buy good food.
Back in China,
In the old days,
Everybody
So, so poor.
Eat one chicken,
Work all year.
Grandpa, things are different
here.
-Janet S. Wong
Activity:
Read the poem out loud. Define voice and tell more than one voice can be in a poem. Show examples using another poem. Ask how many voices are in Wong’s poem. Discuss the message(s) Wong conveys in the poem. Specifically discuss Wong’s desires and goals according to the poem and desires and goals others have for her. Have students list hopes and goals for themselves and hopes and goals other have for them. Using that list, the students write a poem titled, “When I Grow Up.” They may include more than one voice in their poem if desired. When the student is finished with the poem they create an illustration that features their desire when they grow up.
