Out of Wonder

Starred review from December 19, 2016
Wisdom from Lucille Clifton (“Poems come out of wonder, not out of knowing”) inspires the title for this collection from Newbery Medalist Alexander (The Crossover) and collaborators Colderley and Wentworth. Together, they supply poems honoring—and in the style of—20 poets, including Rumi, Langston Hughes, and Gwendolyn Brooks. The results range from simple description (“a trendsetter, and a rule breaker,” writes Colderley about William Carlos Williams) to Alexander’s fresh and startling love song à la E.E. Cummings (“It is such a happy thing to yes the next with you/ to walk on magic love rugs beneath the what”). Caldecott Honor–winner Holmes’s (Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer) textured-paper collages use bold, angular forms and sunlit colors to spotlight poets and their subject matter, such as the dancers in a poem inspired by Ugandan poet Okot p’Bitek, their outstretched fingers echoed in the rays of the sun above. The exercise of celebrating poets in their own voices leads naturally to the idea of the classroom writing prompt—which Colderley, writing haiku in the style of Basho, seems to anticipate: “Pens scratching paper/ Syllables counted with care/ Poets blossoming.” Ages 8–12.

February 1, 2017

Gr 4-7-Newbery Award winner Alexander has collaborated with Colderley, a poet and elementary school teacher, and Wentworth, the poet laureate of South Carolina, to produce a collection of verse that pays tribute to notable poets. The 20 pieces presented are each crafted specifically in homage to a famous wordsmith, often incorporating key tenets of their style. The spotlighted poets include ancient writers (e.g., Basho and Rumi), 20th-century lyricists such as Robert Frost and Langston Hughes, and contemporary figures such as Naomi Shihab Nye, Billy Collins, Maya Angelou, and more. In his preface, Alexander writes, "A poem is a small but powerful thing." The carefully chosen and arranged selections take readers on a wondrous journey through a number of lyrical forms, from haiku to free verse, accompanied by illustrations by Caldecott honoree Holmes. The bold mixed-media and layered collage-style paintings creatively capture each poem's essence. To continue the celebration, back matter offers biographical sketches of those featured. However, it perhaps would have been optimal to incorporate samples of original works by the honored poets for immediate comparison.

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Starred review from January 15, 2017
Powerhouse poet Alexander, along with friends Colderley and Wentworth, offers a culturally rich collection of poetic tributes that extends the legacies of poets from around the globe. With mixed-media illustrations by Caldecott honoree Holmes that are just as vibrant as the words and stories that accompany them, the anthology brings readers through a time- and world-traveling adventure of the poetic imagination. Eras, places, and cultures represented include ancient times, 20th-century, contemporary, Japan, Uganda, African-American, Native American, Latino, and white, too. This cross-cultural exploration embraces the timeless power of poetry, as Alexander's preface makes clear, "to reach inside of you, to ignite something in you, and to change you in ways you never imagined." The tributes to such legendary poets as Rumi, Emily Dickinson, and Maya Angelou both serve as homage, transparent in their honest gratitude for their inspiration and wisdom, and emulate their distinctive styles. "Snapshots," Colderley's poem celebrating Nikki Giovanni, reads in part, "poetry is...barbecue...cotton candy...purple skin beets from Daddy's garden... / blues...the Birdland jazz club...Sunday morning gospel...chasing justice...freedom...," capturing Giovanni's subject matter and stylized punctuation use. This book is sure to be an educator's lucky charm for a survey-of-poetry unit and is also a perfect entryway for families to wonder and explore together. Brief notes introduce the three sections, and thumbnail biographies of the poets celebrated are appended. A magnificent exploration of the poetic imagination. (Picture book/poetry. 8-14)

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Starred review from January 1, 2017
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* Newbery medalist Kwame Alexander has come up with a fresh and joyful way to interest children in poetry. A poem is a small but powerful thing, he says in his thought-provoking preface while noting that, throughout his life, he's been inspired by poetry. So here, in this beautiful book, along with his coauthors, poets Chris Colderly and Marjory Wentworth, Alexander offers a collection of 20 poems. The hook? All are written in tribute to well-known poets, such as Maya Angelou, e. e. cummings, Sandra Cisneros, Robert Frost, Gwendolyn Brooks, and William Carlos Williams, among others. Sometimes that means recreating a style, as in Contemporary Haiku, which celebrates the Japanese poet, Basho. Sometimes it means adhering to a certain spirit, as in A Field of Roses, which reminds readers of Emily Dickinson. But even without such links, most of the poetrybreezy, thoughtful, amusingstands on its own. As good as the words are, they might still be topped by the book's visuals. Holmes takes collage work to a new level, with gloriously colored art that, the closer you look, tells further stories within stories. Each illustration captures not just the feeling of the poem but wakes readers up to life's excitements and small joys. Exemplary words and pictures make this a multicultural masterwork.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)