Book Review -- Comets, Stars, The Moon, and Mars (Module 3)

Poetry

1. Bibliography

Florian, Douglas. COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS. New York: Harcourt, 2007. ISBN 0152053727.


2. Plot Summary

Twenty poems provide commentary, trivia, and facts regarding outer space. Specifically considered are the universe, the galaxy, the sun, the moon, the solar system, each individual planet, minor planets, comets, constellations, black holes, and "the Great Beyond."

3. Critical Analysis

Florian is the writer and illustrator of this book about space. He opens with the poem, "Skywatch" to encourage the reader to actually look into the sky and see the stars. Whether within the text of the poems or contained within the captions of the illustrations, this book contains proper names which may inspire further research. "Alpha Centauri" or "Sirius" are two such examples. However, Florian does make the effort to define and explain space terminology in simple terms. Florian's book informs while it entertains. The poem "Pluto" is a good example: "Pluto was a planet...Till one day it got fired."

Florian's illustrations are eclectic. Each page has a feeling of watercolor wash, and the wash effect makes the subject matter seem fluid. The watercolor backgrounds are juxtaposed with collage cut outs imposed into the foreground. Simplistic drawings are also used, such as of constellation patterns, and interesting color mixes are utilized in the drawings of the planets. The style feels very abstract, lacking the encyclopedic quality and content in favor of science as art.

This book appears to have the goal of inspiring readers to learn more about space. It could have been a straight-forward, precisely drawn, non-fiction dry read. However, Florian made it interesting subject matter. His work draws from facts, and creatively combines the scientific with the artistic.

4. Review Excerts

The Horn Book review:

"Florian sums up the heavens in twenty snappy rhymes, all agreeably tongue-in-cheek but never so much so as to distort the information he conveys. Variants of flame-orange and its complementary blues predominate in the full-spread paintings. . . . With its gorgeous palette, sweeping vistas, and ingenious effects (including occasional die-cut holes), this is an expansive and illuminating view of its subject..."

Natural History review:

"In his latest children's book, Douglas Florian, an accomplished poet-painter and father of five, romps through the universe. Each spread features light verse printed over gouache images of planets and other heavenly bodies decorated with collage and rubber stamps. As always, Florian loads his paintings with witty details..."

School Library Journal review:

"Nothing gladdens the heart of believers in good poetry for children more than a new collection by Florian, whose verses and paintings consistently capture the essence of his featured themes. This one literally sings the music of the spheres..."

Connections:

This book could be used supplementary to a unit on the space. It could be used after studying the planets, such as having the students pick a planet, research it, and write a poem about it.