LS 5663 Module 6: Janeszko Collection

That Sweet Diamond

Janeczko, Paul B. 1998. THAT SWEET DIAMOND. Ill. Carole Katchen. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0-689-80735-X

Review:

In an ode to the sport, That Sweet Diamond is a collection of twenty baseball poems by poet Paul B. Janeczko.

Covering topics from the typical pitcher/batter relationship to the humorous "How to Spit", Janeczko accurately captures the sights and sounds of baseball. Janeczko's sense of humor is clearly shown in several of his poems. One such poem, "Things To Do During a Rain Delay", gives readers tips on passing the time during a rain delay. "Hold your umbrella    just    so/ to let raindrops drip   off    the edge/ onto the neck of the man in front of you./ Look away quickly when he turns."

The book is arranged in a double-page spread with each poem facing its accompanying illustration. Carole Katchen's illustrations complement the poems perfectly. With their minimal definitions and impressionistic style, Katchen's soft pastels give reader's a sense of nostalgia.

Highlighted Poem:

Center Fielder


The ball hawk patrols his green range --
eyes lost in the shadows
of the bill of his cap,
alert to small movements --
takes flight,
it seems,
as the ball leaves the pitcher,
before the quick music
of the crack of the bat
darts the ball toward the emptiness behind him.

Betrayed by the wind this night,
the ball falls.
There is no escape.
The ball hawk seizes
it in his talon grip
and circles toward the dugout
as easily as thunder
rolling through a summer sky.

Possible Uses:

Teachers could use this poem to teach extended metaphors or personification.
Teachers could use Janeczko's book in a unit on baseball. 
Baseball can be used to teach many topics, including statistics, marketing, shapes, geography (maps), compare/contrast, and architecture or building structure.

LS 5663 Module 3: Poetic Form

A Poke in the I

Janeczko, Paul B. 2001. A POKE IN THE I. Illustrated by Chris Raschka. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763606628.



Review:

A POKE IN THE I is a collection of thirty concrete poems by various poets, including Douglas Florian and Robert Froman. Even the books illustrator, Chris Raschka, gets his hand in the act with his poem "Cat Chair". 

Concrete poems are different from other forms of poetry. In many cases, the font and placement of the page determines the poem. Due to the uniqueness of concrete poems, they each have a rhythm all their own. Readers new to concrete poems may encounter difficulties at first, but with practice, these poems become easier to read. Due to the unusual shapes of concrete poems, one must pay attention to the flow and direction of the words.

Chris Raschka used watercolor, ink, and torn paper to create illustrations that not only enhances each poem, in some cases, the illustration becomes the poem. 

One of the most interesting poems is Monica Kulling's "Tennis Anyone?". Using a full two-page spread, this poem forces the reader's eyes to shift from page to page much like an actual tennis match. 


Highlighted Poem:


Crickets by Aram Saroyan


crickets
crickess
cricksss
cricssss
crisssss
crssssss
csssssss
ssssssss
ssssssts
sssssets
sssskets
sssckets
ssickets
srickets
crickets


Possible Uses:


The format used for the poem "Crickets" could be used in any subject area. Teachers could have students choose an animal or insect to create their own concrete poem. Students would then illustrate their poem using torn paper as Chris Raschka did in this book.