Monarch's Progress, TheILLUSTRATED BY Ages: 7 and up Grades: 2–4 Pages: 32 List Price: 16.95 Cover: Hardcover Published: 3/1/2008 ISBN: 1-59078-558-4 ISBN-13: 978-1-59078-558-4 |
A masterful collection by the author of Fly With Poetry and Sea Stars. Why are butterflies so universally loved? Is it the dazzling colors within exquisite winged living art? Is it the miracle of change that fascinates us—that wonderful metamorphosis from tiny egg to brilliant insect? Avis Harley explores these questions and many others that have captivated humans throughout history. Eighteen structured poems—haiku, sonnets, cinquain, limerick, and other forms—examine how monarch butterflies taste with their feet, migrate 2,500 miles every year, and cover entire forest groves when they rest. A Small Matters section at the back explains the facts and science in the poems. Reviews"Drawn in part from the veteran author's own experiences, this deeply felt tale takes readers to 1972 Uganda where, shortly after coming to power, Idi Amin gave all Indians and citizens of Indian descent just 90 days to leave the country. ... Readers will feel her inner conflict sharply, admire her resilience and quick thinking—and come away shocked themselves by the brutality she encounters during this little-known historical episode." "Each of the poems is accompanied by a vibrantly colorful illustration that exemplifies the stages and flight of the butterfly as described. Not only are some of the poems written in various poetic forms, but these forms also determine the shape of the poems, which the author purposefully selects to better illustrate the motions and habits of the Monarch butterflies. Once young readers are introduced to this work, they will find themselves reading each of the poems, attracted by the use of the bold, attractive font, as well as the size and color of the illustrations. The book concludes with a section that describes in more detail what occurs during each of the stages or activities of the butterfly written about in each poem. The author includes factual details, which enhance the poetry thus making it a great springboard for both the study of science and insects and the creative writing process." "Harley celebrates the beauty and life cycle of monarchs in 18 poems written in a variety of forms and illustrated with realistic, sometimes impressionistic, colored-pencil drawings. ... This collection offers versatile uses for poetry reading, writing lessons, or introducing natural-history units." |
