BookSpeak!: Poems About Books [Hardcover]

Laura Purdie Salas (Author), Josee Bisaillon (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: October 25, 2011 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years

A collection of wacky, whimsical poems about books and all the treasures they contain--honored with the Minnesota Book Award; NCTE Notable; Bank Street Best Books; Librarians' Choice; Honor Book - Gelett Burgess Center for Creative Expression; White Ravens book; and Nerdy Book Award.

 Laura Purdie Salas, the acclaimed author of Stampede!, is back with another collection of wild and weird, wacky and winsome poems about all the magic to be found on a single bookshelf. In BookSpeak!, each poem gives voice to a group that seldom gets a voice . . . the books themselves! Characters plead for sequels, book jackets strut their stuff, and we get a sneak peek at the raucous parties in the aisles when all the lights go out at the bookstore!Illustrator Josée Bisaillon's mixture of collage, drawings, and digital montage presents page after page of richly colored spreads filled with action and charm. Together, Salas and Bisaillon deliver a unique collection brimming with ideas as much about spines and dust jackets as they are about adventure and imagination.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Bright, mixed-media collage scenes illustrate this picture-book poetry collection that plays with literary allusions. In “Cliffhanger,” a desperate dog clinging to a cliff above a shark-filled ocean implores, “Please, author, write / a sequel fast!” In another selection, a character pleads for his life: “Don’t close the cover and don’t walk away / Don’t leave me squished in here day after day.” On one spread, the index brags: “I’m telling you, kid: ignore the rest of the book. / All you really need is me.” Plot has a voice in another poem: “My characters / hate me. They don’t think I’m grand. / But without me / their plots / would be dreary / and bland.” And in a poem for three voices, Beginning and Ending try to comfort Middle and show him he matters, and then the three vie for importance. With its mix of poetic forms and wry twists on language-arts terms, this is a natural choice for sharing in classrooms and young writers’ workshops. Grades 2-5. --Hazel Rochman

Review

"Well crafted and clever, covering a variety of aspects of books and reading...An appealing offering that will be especially popular with librarians."--School Library Journal

 

"There's definite readaloud and performance potential here."--Bulletin

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books; None edition (October 25, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0547223005
• ISBN-13: 978-0547223001
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 0.5 x 10.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #139,908 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #71 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Humorous

More About the Author

Laura Purdie Salas is the author of more than 110 books for kids and teens, including BOOKSPEAK! POEMS ABOUT BOOKS and STAMPEDE! POEMS ABOUT THE WILD SIDE OF SCHOOL. She loves to introduce kids to poetry and help them find poems they can relate to, no matter what their age, mood, and personality. She has also written many nonfiction books.

Besides reading and writing, Laura loves racquetball, karaoke (at home), word games, and Rock Band.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Looking at Books from All Angles - a Real Treat! October 4, 2012

By Robyn H. Black

Format:Hardcover

Laura Purdie Salas's BOOKSPEAK is a celebration of all things book. From how the letters look on the page to how a book feels being checked out of the library to elements like plot - even the index! - there is much to enjoy. My favorite lines are from a poem titled "Skywriting":

Line after line of inky black birds
Forming the flocks that shift into words. ...

BOOKSPEAK will give young readers new insights into a familiar object, and perhaps inspire them to come up with their own poems, too. Josée Bisaillon's illustrations are varied and lively.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a whimsically charming poetry book about books! March 25, 2012

By D. Fowler TOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

This marvelously vibrant book swirls with poems about books. Have you ever read one about an index? Perhaps you've rushed down the aisles of a bookstore to see what kind of a party you can have in the book stacks. You'll read poems about a cliffhanger, magical characters, perfect books, greasy books, people who create the books, and even the book cover. The poems simply beg to be read aloud and discussed in story or circle time. One of my secretive favorites is the acrostic poem, "Top Secret."

Top Secret

Describe your desires and they become mine.
I'm a treasure box where feelings can shine.
All thinkers need pages where dreams can take flight.
Reveal all
Your secrets, one entry per night.

In an acrostic, the first letter of each line in this poem reveals that the top secret book is a D-I-A-R-Y. Children will not only learn about books, but also can learn about the different kinds of poetry. The poems are whimsical, charming, instructional, and just plain old fun. The delightful mixed media artwork swirls through the book as it meshes perfectly with each poem. This is a book about poems with poems about books ... how good can that get? This is one book that definitely should be added to your shelves!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This definitely spoke to me! October 17, 2012

By Janelle

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I had heard many good things about "BookSpeak!" and looked for it at my library. Unfortunately, it does not yet have a copy. In the end I decided to order the book from Amazon, and I am so glad that I did! I am happy to have my very own copy that I don't have to return by a certain date ~ now I can reread it whenever I want.

I am a huge fan of books and poetry, which makes "BookSpeak!" a perfect book for me! (My children love it, also.) By the time I finished reading through the book the first time, I was grinning from ear to ear. Author Laura Purdie Salas shares her own joy of books through her clever, delightful poems -- and her words are complemented nicely by Josee Bisaillon's whimsical illustrations.

I love this book so much, I am planning to purchase another copy to give to my son's first grade teacher this Christmas. I think it would make a great addition to any classroom!