Sweet Corn [Hardcover]

James Stevenson (Author)

Book Description

A collection of poems by a frequent contributor to The New Yorker includes selections that whisper, offer humor, and enable readers to identify their own feelings.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Snappy graphic design contributes almost as much as Stevenson's loose, minimal watercolor and black-pen drawings in establishing the festive look of this diverse collection of 62 short poems. The text of "Clothesline Vacation," for example, ripples across the page like the "flapping, snapping" clothes it describes. "Roadside Stand" asks, in balloon lettering, "WHY AM I HAPPY/ THAT I WAS BORN?/ JUST ONE REASON (IN SEASON)"; the answer appears in huge creamy letters on the opposing page: "SWEET CORN!" A selection of different typefaces helps vary the mood throughout. By turns clever, pensive or silly, the verses read like prose and rely mainly on analogies or unusual points of view for effect. "The Bridge" ponders "young and old people" seen "leaning over the railings,/ Clutching thin strings/ That go down to the water": "Maybe they're fishing.... Maybe they're flying their kites/ Upside down." Spirited and kid-pleasing. Ages 8-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6?This collection of 28 poems is a hymn to fleeting experiences and impressions. As all Midwesterners (and readers of Garrison Keillor) know, eating sweet corn is a magical experience: "Why am I happy/That I was born?/Just one reason/(in season):/SWEET/CORN!" Stevenson's painter's eye captures moments such as watching people fish off a pier and seeing an old dog "...trotting along the roadside" visually and verbally?he carefully matches not only illustration to words, but also words to typeface. His placid cows, who "...mostly stand there/Seldom climb mountains," are represented not only by an ink-and-watercolor drawing of a calm bovine, but also through substantial brown letters. In one selection, laundry hung out to dry dances in the poem's lines as well as in the accompanying picture. Through Stevenson's vision, the ordinary everyday world?summer storms, lemonade stands, rental bikes?is made extraordinary. A book to savor.?Kathleen Whalin, Greenwich Country Day School, CT
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 63 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1st edition (April 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688126472
• ISBN-13: 978-0688126476
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #342,653 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quirky Corn, April 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Sweet Corn: Poems (Paperback)

TEXT SUMMARY= James Stevenson has united in this volume a variety of short poems that range from ryhming, to free verse, and always include a twist of one kind or another.

VISUAL SUMMARY= The poems are accompanied by small watercolour and black pen sketches, or laid out in different patterns and orientations in ways that relate to the poem's subject. Varying the text size and font as well create visual images simply with just the words.

CRITIQUE= While not as popular as the rhyme and simple humour of Jack Prelutsky or Shel Silverstein, Stevenson's own work is something innovative and new, introducing children to non-rhyming free-verse. Although the humour is not the type that makes you crack out laughing, with a little extra thinking, it will definitely make you smile. The layout of the book is simple and consistant, with page numbers and titles at the top, and then the poem spread over the page or mixed with illustrations. Overall, the book seems to be a nice hidden gem filled with amusing quirks.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet Corn, December 14, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Sweet Corn: Poems (Paperback)

Do you like poetry? Well, this is a book that your gonna want to read. James Stevenson uses powerful words to get you into the poems, and it will make you want to read more.
But I'm sure you'll love his poem "Tree House." "Mountaineers and pirates Ascend and Descend" "How many people are up there now?" "Green leaves keep it secret." You'll be delighted by all of his poems. I love this book and so will you. So go read "Sweet Corn."