Candy Corn: Poems [Hardcover]

James Stevenson (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

In these 24 poems, James Stevenson transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. Readers who don''t know they care about such seemingly mundane things as bare feet, auto parts, and buses at night, could be in for a surprise.'

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

James Stevenson positively shines in Candy Corn, the third of his exquisite "corn books" after Sweet Corn and Popcorn (which won a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book Award). Each double-page spread features a different design and type style to reflect the shifting moods of his diverse and delightful poems. "Peanuts," for example, perfectly illustrates the out-of-control nature of peanut eating. The left page presents a sole peanut, "First I had this one." The adjacent page swims with peanuts, each with its own "caption": "Then I had this one. / Then I had these two / and this one / and this" and so on. "Dawn" is illustrated only by a deep blue on the left page that softens to a lighter blue on the right. And "Coming or Going" doesn't need any illustration at all:

The screen door screeches.
The screen door slams.
Coming or going,
Going or coming,
The sounds are the same.

But what a difference
It makes to me--
Your going away,
Your coming home.

The poet never misses the mark--his quiet (yet playful) observations about subjects from flowering dogwoods to paving machines have heart and integrity, as do the spare, watercolor-splashed line drawings that you might find in an artist's personal sketch book. Stevenson is a master at capturing moments, images, and emotions with the most elegant and sparing of strokes. With his appreciative eye, he shows us that we're lucky there isn't just one daisy in the world, and that "for every head there is a hat." No question, we'll be looking for the next corn book. (Ages 7 and older) --Karin Snelson

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-6-Like the sweet candy corn people nibble every autumn, these poems are delectable tidbits that tickle the taste buds. Stevenson's third collection of poignant, brief poems is both satisfying and illuminating. Once again, layout, text, color, line, and verse combine to produce a delightful array of treats. The 24 poems offer a new view of such diverse topics as peanuts, frogs, dumpsters, and dawn. Who but this master of succinct wordplay and pictures could see candy corn as dragon's teeth, imagine school buses chatting at the end of the day, or find 11 ways to express bird noises? Each selection is exquisitely illustrated in pastel watercolor and black ink; colored pages add interest to several verses and tinted ink highlights others. This gem belongs alongside Sweet Corn (1995) and Popcorn (1998, both Greenwillow) in every library.
Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 56 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (March 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688158374
• ISBN-13: 978-0688158378
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,654,782 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Corny About It, October 24, 2011

By 

Michele Kingery - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Candy Corn: Poems (Hardcover)

I have all of James Stevenson's "corn poem" books. Thanks to Amazon, I was able to find even the out of print ones.

As a teacher, I love these books. The tiny poems pack a wallop about people, places and things. Stevenson's detailed drawings are stories in themselves, often conveying poignant thoughts about life's overlooked experiences. His small character sketches are the perfect way to get students thinking about how to create their own characters from seemingly insignificant details.

Even students who don't think they like poetry will love these books. They make poetry understandable and show budding creative writers that ordinary circumstances can have meaning and depth. Thank you James Stevenson!!

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book for intro to poetry, September 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Candy Corn: Poems (Hardcover)

This is a book of poems, written by James Stevenson. It would be an excellent choice to use to introduce a unit on poetry in the classroom. There are all types of poetry contained in this book.