Genre 3: Poetry - Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars

Posted by Tamra S , Friday, July 2, 2010 10:51 AM

Bibliographic Data

Florian, Douglas. 2007. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc.

Summary and Analysis
In this topical poem book written and illustrated by Douglas Florian, the reader is taken on a poetic journey through the solar system. Florian's twenty poems transport the reader from watching the sky in "skywatch" to "the Great Beyond." His poems contain factual information about planets and the solar system, while the collage paintings contain even more information, such as names of the minor planets, moons of other planets, and constellations. Most of the poems are rhyming patterns, though the patterns vary from poem to poem, such as "the moon" with its two line rhyming stanzas, to "Pluto," which has the repeated line of "Pluto was a planet," lines 2 and 4 rhyme with "pass/mass," and lines 6 and 8 rhyme with "admired/fired." Then there is "a Galaxy" in the form of a spiral shape poem, while the paintings depict the other shapes galaxies can be. Humor is not lost on Florian, as he includes that in poems such as "Pluto" and "the Black Hole."

Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars is a great addition to the Science classroom. The poems lend themselves to curriculum connections and also teach students to use illustrations to gain more information, since the text will not always say everything. Florian's collage paintings are vibrant and engaging, as they beg to be examined further, not only for content, but their artistic quality. Florian also used holes in pages that utilize illustrations from previous and next pages to add to the current page. A "Galactic Glossary" is inserted at the end of the book to provide even more information on the content in the poems, as well a brief list of bibliographic sources and suggestions for further reading. While younger students would enjoy this book for the poems and paintings, it is more content relevant for older students in grades 3 and up.

Awards and Reviews
*Texas Bluebonnet Nominee in 2008-09.
*Booklist: This large-format book looks at astronomy through the magnifying, clarifying lens of poetry. Each broad double-page spread features a short, accessible poem about a subject such as the sun, each of its planets, a comet, a constellation, or the universe, set within an impressive painting.
*Starred Review in School Library Journal: This one literally sings the music of the spheres. . . . In both language and artwork, Florian strikes the perfect balance between grandeur and whimsy. (7/01/07)


Connections
*Teachers may read aloud a poem or two a day as they cover the concepts of the solar system in Science class.
*Students may compose their own poems about objects in the solar system to demonstrate learning. Compile the poems into a class book of "Space Poems" and have the students illustrate.
*Students research one of the objects in space and present their findings to the class.

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