 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Red Sings from Treetops
- By Joyce Sidman
- Genre: Poetry
Common Sense Media says
Exquisite poetry and artwork will excite kids of all ages.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this beautiful book of poetry will enrich any reader's life on so many levels. Its author won Caldecott Honors for her earlier book Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems as well as various awards for This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness.
What's the story?
An angular character in a crown and robes strolls through the seasons with her (his?) dog, also wearing a crown. Through spring to summer to fall and winter, they interact with the world around them, noting the changing shades, and roles, of colors as they go. Poetry and artwork combine to tell their story.
Is it any good?
This book is exquisite, with poetry and artwork that individually are absolutely amazing. Taken together, the result is even more unbelievable. Colors and seasons have never seemed so interconnected and vibrant. But nothing here really hits you over the head. The message is subtle, creative, and full of song.
Joyce Sidman's poetry is the real deal, not the sing-song kind of rhyme that is sometimes dished out to kids. And Pamela Zagarensi's artwork is clever, alive, intricate, and innovative. This is a perfect pairing, and a unique and beautiful book to keep on your picture book bookshelf forever.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the poems. They'll enjoy reading the poems aloud, and finding the reds, yellows, blues, greens (and other colors) of spring, summer, fall, and winter in words and pictures. How does each poem use both color and the senses to describe each season? For example, in spring red sings, in summer it darts, jags, whispers along fingers, and so on.
Can you find the colors in the playful artwork? How do the pictures fit
with the poems?Can you create any color poems of your own?
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| Author: | Joyce Sidman |
| Illustrator: | Pamela Zagarenski |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Poetry |
| Publisher: | Houghton Mifflin Children's Books |
| Publication date: | April 6, 2009 |
| Number of pages: | 32 |
| Hardcover price: | $16.00 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 4 - 8 |
| Read aloud: | 4 |
| Read alone: | 8 |
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