Module 14: Comets, Stars, the Moon and Mars

Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: 
Space Poems and Paintings 

by Doug Florian

Citation:

Florian, D. (2007). Comets, stars, the moon, and Mars: Space poems and 
          paintings. Orlando: Harcourt.

Summary

This book of poetry explores space through poetry. It begins with poems about the universe, galaxy, and solar system, and the sun, then goes in to poems about each planet. Those are followed by poems about comets, constellations, the black hole, and the great beyond. The poems give facts in a fun way.

Impressions

This book of poetry is an excellent bridge between science and poetry. Both boys and girls would enjoy this book. Readers learn about Space through fun rhyming poems.

Professional Reviews

Gr 1-5 --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. Twenty playfully lyrical poems treat topics such as the universe, the individual planets, constellations, and black holes. Each selection is presented on its own spread and adorned with a magical painting done in gouache, collage, and rubber stamps on brown paper. Circles abound in the artwork, and many pages have round cut-outs that lead into the next picture. For example, "the earth" ("Two-thirds water./One-third land./Valleys deep./Mountains grand") is illustrated with a colorful globe decorated with circled collage prints of animals and plants. A smaller orb appears nearby, made from a cut-out circle that reveals part of the illustration for the next selection, "the moon." Some of the paintings incorporate mythological names and images. The pleasing blend of faded shades and brilliant colors, of old-fashioned prints and fanciful sketches, makes the illustrations seem both antique and high-tech. An appended "Galactic Glossary" provides additional information. In both language and artwork, Florian strikes the perfect balance between grandeur and whimsy. Like Myra Cohn Livingston and Leonard Everett Fisher's Space Songs (Holiday House, 1988; o.p.), this book is a work of art worthy of the vastness of its subject.

School Library Journal

Whalin, K. (2007). Comets, stars, the moon, and Mars: Space poems and
           paintings [Review of Book]. School Library Journal, 53(7), 90.

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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. A concrete poem entitled "a galaxy" is a curling spiral of words set against the midnight-blue sky and surrounded by other galaxies. Stamped type, cutout pages, collage elements with printed papers, and sweeping brushstrokes all figure prominently in the expressive collage artwork, which ably illustrates the verse. The last pages carry "A Galactic Glossary" with a paragraph on the topic of each poem, followed by a list of books and Websites. Florian's ode to Pluto matter-of-factly notes its demoted status, but even better is his pithy poem on Jupiter: "Jupiter's jumbo, / Gigantic, / Immense, / So wide / Side to side, / But gaseous, not dense. / With some sixteen moons / It's plainly prolific- / So super-dupiter / Jupiterrific!" Read this aloud.-Carolyn Phelan

The Booklist

Phelan, C. (2007). Comets, stars, the moon and Mars [Review of Book]. The 

            Booklist, 103(15), 50.

Library Lessons

This book would be great to use to introduce the Poetry Genre. It could be used to show that poetry comes in a variety of different forms and could be used in a poetry display. Students could write their own poetry. The librarian could choose a specific form of poetry, show examples, and give a guide on how to write it if necessary. Students can see from this book (and other examples) that there are a variety of types of poetry available to read.

References

Amazon. (2016). [Image of Cover]. Retrived from http://www.amazon.com/

       Comets-Stars-Moon-Mars-Paintings/dp/0152053727/ref=sr_1_1?

       ie=UTF8&qid=1461604914&sr=8-1&keywords=COMETS%2C+STARS%2C

       +THE+MOON+AND+MARS

Florian, D. (2007). Comets, stars, the moon, and Mars: Space poems and 
          paintings. Orlando: Harcourt.

Phelan, C. (2007). Comets, stars, the moon and Mars [Review of Book]. The 

            Booklist, 103(15), 50.

Whalin, K. (2007). Comets, stars, the moon, and Mars: Space poems and
           paintings [Review of Book]. School Library Journal, 53(7), 90.