Inspired by her childhood in Trinidad, acclaimed poet and writer Dionne Brand conjures the world of the Caribbean in her first book of poetry for children. The sounds and smells of market day, the blazing sun, the joyful beat of much-awaited rain and a girl who dares to do better. These are just some of the stories and characters brought into focus in this captivating collection of poems. Originally published in 1979, these poems are an eloquent, unsparing tribute to the lives of the Caribbean people and the power of nature. Simple chants and schoolyard skipping songs alongside more sophisticated poems reveal a place of beauty and hardship where life moves in harmony with the elements. With vibrant collage paintings and poignant line drawings by Eugenie Fernandes, Earth Magic will cast a spell over readers of all ages.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8–Originally published in 1979, this collection contains 20 poems by the Trinidad-born poet. Accompanied here by Fernandes's vibrant acrylic collages, the selections create an engaging picture of tropical life. For example, in Market Day, Across from the gas station,/around the round-a-bout,/down by the busy corner,/the sun begins to grin. In Eleven Years Old, a child thinks, Maybe/I'll go to school/when the crop is in,/when we take the yams/from the soil,/then I'll wear a new dress. Like Eloise Greenfield's Under the Sunday Tree (HarperCollins, 1991), this book glows with the warmth of a place worth visiting, savoring, and coming to know.–Kathleen Whalin, York Public Library, ME
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Gr. 4-7. Well known in Canada for her adult poetry, Brand celebrates Trinidad, her birthplace, in her debut collection for youth. The rhythmic selections, seemingly narrated by a girl, are filled with a child's view of island life, and the natural world appears as characters capable of powerful action. The struggles of work are clear: "Maybe I'll go to school / when the crop is in," read lines from "11 Years Old." But just as clear are the child's strong, ambitious hopes, which pop up in "Skipping Rope Song": "I wanna be great / a hot shot lawyer, / a famous dancer, / a tough operator." Fernandes' striking, acrylic collage artwork beautifully extends the moods and metaphors in vibrantly colored scenes that amplify the sense of mysticism while reinforcing the poems' concrete images. Pair these fine selections with Monica Gunning's poetry titles about Caribbean life, including Not a Copper Penny in Me House (1993). Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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