Silver Seeds [Mass Market Paperback]

Paul Paolilli (Author), Dan Brewer (Author), Steve Johnson (Illustrator), Lou Fancher (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 24, 2003 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Is the night sky filled with stars, or are they really silver seeds? When you see fall leaves floating down from trees, could they be little brown parachutes? Maybe the moon is really a melon and your shadow is a silent friend. The lyrical poems and luminous illustrations in this stellar collection will stretch readers' imaginations. Can you believe what you see?

Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Francher.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Johnson and Fancher's (My Many Colored Days) progression of paintings captures an uncanny likeness to the shifting light during the course of a single day, inspired by a first-time-author team's evocative poems. The authors explore the great outdoors in a series of economical verses for which a word's letters begin each line of text. In one of the strongest poems, "Rain" becomes "Rap-tap-tapping/ At my window/ In drip-drop/ Notes." Because of the brevity of the poems, the success lies in the metaphor, and the authors come up with some perfect matches: "Stars" are "Silver seeds/ Tossed in the air/ And planted in the sky,/ Reaching out of the darkness/ Sprouting wonder," and the moon a "Marvelous melon, whole/ Or sliced,/ Offering sweet flavor to the/ Night." The chronology of the poems flows as smoothly as the passing of time: "Dawn" gives way to "Sun" then "Shadow"; "Clouds" is followed by "Fog" then "Rain." Johnson and Fancher's illustrations hew to a Shaker-like spareness. They often focus on one central image--a bright hummingbird hovering at a deep purple morning glory, a single turquoise butterfly fluttering through a field of sunlit poppies--and they link the poems by featuring a boy and girl, sometimes together, sometimes alone. In one particularly dramatic spread, "Fog," the children hold hands, enveloped by a swirl of gray. A dazzling example of how poetry can prompt readers to view ordinary experiences through fresh eyes. Ages 5-9.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 4-The wonder that the natural world holds for children is brought to glowing life in this picture book composed of evocative poems and luminous double-page spreads. Arranged according to the cycle of a day, the verses follow a young boy and girl from dawn to darkness as they encounter a hummingbird, their shadows, clouds, rain, fog, and a handful of other amazing sights. The short poems use simple language and are filled with imagery. Using the acrostic model, they build on the letters that make up the word being described. For example, "Trees" becomes "Tiny hands/Reaching up from the/Earth, tickling an/Enormous/Sky." The title of the book is taken from "Stars," which imagines these orbs as "Silver seeds/Tossed in the air/And planted in the sky,/Reaching out of the darkness/Sprouting wonder." Using eye-catching colors and shifting perspectives, the artwork also celebrates nature as seen through the eyes of youngsters. Whether focusing on a close-up of the boy's face as he listens to a bee or pulling back to show the two children looking tiny against a landscape of rolling hills, the illustrations, as well as the placement of the text on the page, reinforce each poem's subject. A first-rate choice for school and public libraries, this book will also be popular with classroom teachers doing poetry units.-Maura Bresnahan, Shawsheen School, Andover, MA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (March 24, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142500100
• ISBN-13: 978-0142500101
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #427,878 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My kids loved it., May 21, 2001

By 

Tiger Bela (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silver Seeds: A Book of Nature Poems (Hardcover)

I saw this book displayed in a book store & I was with my kids. They both ran up to it, sat on the floor and spent the next hour glued to it. I took a curious look to find it was beautiful, educational and inspiring. I bought the book for my kids, my nieces, my nephews & my friend's kids. More books of beauty, hope & inspiration should be available for my children. Maybe these authors should consider a Silver Seeds two!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You will love it, April 5, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Silver Seeds: A Book of Nature Poems (Hardcover)

I liked this book a lot. I liked the drawings and the words. I learned alot about nature. I'm glad my mom bought this book for me. Someday I want to work in the outdoors.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Relaxing book, pleasing art, fun poems..., February 19, 2002

By 

Carlin - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silver Seeds: A Book of Nature Poems (Hardcover)

I wrote a similar review for Steven Schnur's "Summer; an Alphabet Acrostic", and much of what I said applies here. I love to see writers take a tired old language arts exercise, or old poetry style, and spice it up a bit, or at least make it a little more interesting. These are fine, clever acrostics, yet simple enough for everyone to enjoy. The artwork is soft, yet colorful, with large, up close images, and there is a peacefulness to the overall feel of the book. I recommend this one to the kids with whom I work, and to adults! A nice book!