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Sky Words
 
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Sky Words [Library Binding]

Marilyn Singer (Author), Deborah Kogan Ray (Illustrator)


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Book Description

8 and up
Fifteen evocative poems convey the wonders of the sky and weather, from the vivid image of fireworks against a cold winter sky, to flocks of migrating monarch butterflies, to an approaching storm.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Although many of her poems about the sky are fairly predictable, Singer ( Turtle in July ) redeems herself with flashes of memorable wit and occasionally vivid language. Twilight, for example, is the "hour of the bat / when the sky turns the color / of an old man's hair / . . . / when the world fades like a photo / left lying in a drawer." In fog, "The sky is a liar / The ground is a sneak / All footsteps belong to strangers / even your own." Ray's ( Maggie's Whopper ) varied illustrations occupy about three-quarters of each spread, spilling across the gutter; the remaining quarter is reserved for the text, which is set against a delicately colored background, and, like the art, framed with white borders. Whether she is depicting the gray grass of twilight, a "mustard sky" in July, or crowds of people "in the city" where "the sky / is served up in wedges / like pie," Ray's mixed-media paintings add mood and texture. The abstract bright lights at the fair seem to have motion, contrasting, for example, with the bluish white of the hushed fog. The summer and winter skies on the book jacket do not do justice to the treasures to be found inside. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-Singer's facility with language is evident in this collection of 15 poems. Her verses are about the natural world (the movement of the stars, a swarm of monarch butterflies, twilight) and human nature (arguing about cloud names as a thunderstorm approaches, being frightened during a tornado, swinging skyward on the scariest ride at the fair). Her ability to evoke certain images with wordplay allows attentive readers to experience the situations she describes. About the fog, she writes: "No one is your friend/in the fog/The sky is a liar/ The ground is a sneak/All footsteps belong to strangers/even your own." Ray's mixed-medium artwork ranges from the soft, gray-green watercolor of fog; to a striking, orange-and-black marker rendering of monarchs against a pale blue penciled sky; to a batiklike, neon blur of fairground lights in oil pastel; to a soft, charcoal twilight scene. Each picture is a mirror of the poem beside it. An appealing collection for pleasure reading or for classroom use.
Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  • Library Binding
  • Publisher: Atheneum (March 1994)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0027828824
  • ISBN-13: 978-0027828825
  • Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #998,855 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marilyn Singer was born in the Bronx (New York City) on October 3, 1948 and lived most of her early life in N. Massapequa (Long Island), NY. She attended Queens College, City University of New York, and for her junior year, Reading University, England. She holds a B.A. in English from Queens and an M.A. in Communications from New York University.

In 1974, after teaching English in New York City high schools for several years, she began to write - initially film notes, catalogues, teacher's guides, and film strips. Then, one day, when she was sitting in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, she penned a story featuring talking insect characters she'd made up when she was eight. Encouraged by the responses she got, she wrote more stories, and in 1976, her first book, The Dog Who Insisted He Wasn't, was published by E.P.Dutton & Co.

Since then, Marilyn has published over eighty books for children and young adults. Her genres are many and varied, including realistic novels, fantasies, non-fiction, fairy tales, picture books, mysteries and poetry. She likes writing many different kinds of books because it's challenging and it keeps her from getting bored.

Marilyn currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband Steve; their standard poodle Oggi, seen in the home page photo; a cat named August ; two collared doves named Jubilee and Holiday; and a starling that says, "Hi. How are you? Sweet Birdie. Okay!" Her interests include ballroom/Latin dancing, dog training, reading, hiking, bird-watching, gardening, playing computer adventure games, and going to the movies and the theatre. She's also a major Star Trek fan.

Marilyn is the former host of the AOL Children's Writers Chat and currently co-hosts the Poetry Blast at various conferences. Visit her web site: www.marilynsinger.net.

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