Children's Book Reviews

Page One of Two

Animal Sense by Diane Ackerman, Illustrated by Peter Sis

Knopf, February, 2003
Hardcover, 48 pages
ISBN: 0375823840
Ages 8-12
Ordering information:
Amazon.com


Animal Sense
 by Diane Ackerman, Illustrated by Peter Sis Organized according to the five senses that we share with the animal kingdom, Diane Ackerman's Animal Sense connects the reader to these varied creatures -- not only through the medium of poetry, but with understanding . The sense that is most highly developed in each animal is used to instruct us about that animal's special abilities so that while we enjoy the language of poetry, we also learn things about each animal that we did not know to before. Therefore, each separate poem is not only a bouquet of the treasures that poetry bestows on us, Ms. Ackerman leaves the reader with new factual knowledge of each animal.

The animals that are chosen vary from the lowly housefly to the fast and graceful impala. One may never have thought of the owl as a pair of binoculars with wings or of a cow truly enjoying her steady diet of grass because she has three times as many taste buds as the reader. Each poem leaves the reader with a deeper knowledge of a creature that may have seemed unremarkable before.

Animal Sense is deftly illustrated by Peter Sis so that each drawing evokes the animal as it relates to the poem that follows. His light and witty touch in the drawings evokes the creature without overpowering the poem. Five collectable postcards that link a drawing of one of the animals to each of the senses are also available for a limited time.

Animal Sense would be just the book to read to a child or a class of children before going on a field trip to the zoo or on a nature hike. One also wonders if a sensitive children's zoo might not consider including animal poems on a sign next to the more scientific description that usually appears on the cages. The poems would also be a delight for an adult enjoying a lazy afternoon sitting in a garden. It is a book that will not only add enjoyment and understanding to a child's or adult's understanding of the panorama of biology but will mix poetry into everyday life, which is exactly where it ought to be.

--Sarah Reaves White


Joe-Joe's First Flight by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, Illustrated by E.B. Lewis

Knopf, June, 2003
Picture Book, 40 pages
ISBN: 0375810536
Ages 5-8
Ordering information:
Amazon.com


Joe-Joe's First Flight
 by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, Illustrated by E.B. Lewis In the 1920s, aviation was just beginning to catch on, after Orville and Wilbur Wright's historic first flights. Joe's Joe's First Flight is a magical fantasy tale set in this time period that develops the theme of holding on to one's dreams to achieve greatness. Little Joe Joe's father is an African American who works at the airport in the small town of Blind Eye. His father has been promised that he will learn how to fly one day, "In due time." But that time never comes, and his father and the other men are becoming discouraged -- so discouraged that the heartache and lost hope have formed a cloud over the town so dense that even the moonlight can't shine through. Little Joe Joe goes to the airport and sets out on a fantasy plane ride to talk the moon into coming back to the town. He succeeds, to the joy of the rest of the town, who celebrate the triumph of his will to succeed.

E. B Lewis' watercolor paintings are truly remarkable: especially the two paintings of Joe Joe and his father. In one, his father holds Joe Joe up like he's an airplane; you can feel that Joe Joe is about to take off into the sky. In another, the bond between father and son is clear as the father points out the planes in the sky. In the Afterword, the author tells us of her own longings to fly and gives a fascinating history lesson about the African American aviators' contributions to the world of flying, including their participation in World War I (France had to train them because the United States would not) and in World War II, when the Tuskegee Airmen provided incentive for the American military to desegregate its armed forces. Written in a lyrical and vivid style, Joe-Joe's First Flight is a wonderful book for any child interested in flying, and for any child to learn the lesson of how to persevere in life to achieve one's dreams.


Children's Book Reviews
Page One |
Page Two


Return to Book Reviews Index







More from Writers Write


  • Clarkesworld Magazine Temporarily Closes Submissions After Surge in ChatGPT Generated Stories


  • Prince Harry Easily Tops Bestseller Lists With Spare


  • Stephen King Compares Elon Musk to Tom Sawyer


  • U.S. Postal Service Honors Shel Silverstein With Forever Stamp


  • Twitter Reveals Edit Button Under Development


  • Writing Contests
    upcoming contests
    Write Jobs
    find a job
    Writing Memes
    funny writing-related memes
    Stephen King Quotes
    quotes from the master
    Grammar Tips
    improve your writing
    Writing Prompts
    spark your creativity