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MRS. BROWN ON EXHIBIT

Name: MRS. BROWN ON EXHIBIT
Author: Susan Katz
ISBN: 0-689-82970-1

AND OTHER MUSEUM POEMS

by Susan Katz & illustrated by R.W. Alley ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2002

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The lucky children in Mrs. Brown’s class are certainly not fieldtrip-deprived. They visit a wide variety of museums where they experience paintings, sculpture, mummies, dinosaurs, armor, clocks, and much more. They tour a train museum, a candy museum, and an exhibit of live butterflies. The poems are evocations of wide-eyed inquisitiveness and open wonder, as well as just plain fun. One child is fascinated and moved by a 2,000-year-old mummy whom she imagines whispering to her about her life in Ancient Egypt. Another child feels the permanent stillness of the sculptures, the mystery of Degas’ Little Dancer, and the inclination to step into the world inside a painting. The children scream and shout in excitement as they move through the interactive exhibits. A child complains that her partner keeps spoiling her concentration and plans some revenge. Katz’s (Snowdrops for Cousin Ruth, 1998) selection of words and phrases are at once remarkably precocious and realistically childlike. There is “wow” and “ugh” and “wait till you see this.” But there are also some lovely images. At the butterfly exhibit, a child “holds out her hand to flying jewels.” In the medieval armor hall, a child listens to the silence and breathes “Time instead of air.” The words flow unrhymed, joyous, clear, and sharp. Alley’s (Little Flower, p. 344, etc.) delightful cartoon-like illustrations emphasize the fun and the action, as they surround and move through the text. The layout is eye-catching. Endpapers depict museum “brochures,” the introductory poem appears before the title page, which is on the left side, and a school bus seems to be driving right into the table of contents. At the end, Katz provides a state-by-state list of unusual museums. A totally delightful romp (Poetry. 6-10)

Pub Date: July 1, 2002

ISBN: 0-689-82970-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2002

Categories:

CHILDREN'S POETRY

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PRESIDENT'S STUCK IN THE BATHTUB
by Susan Katz & illustrated by Robert Neubecker

- BOOK REVIEW
OH, THEODORE!
by Susan Katz & illustrated by Stacey Schuett

- BOOK REVIEW
WHEN THE SHADBUSH BLOOMS
by Carla Messinger with Susan Katz & illustrated by David Kanietakeron Fadden

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VISITING LANGSTON

by Willie Perdomo & illustrated by Bryan Collier ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 2001

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A little girl is going with her daddy to visit the home of Langston Hughes. She too is a poet who writes about the loves of her life—her mommy and daddy, hip-hop, hopscotch, and double-dutch, but decidedly not kissing games. Langston is her inspiration because his poems make her “dreams run wild.” In simple, joyful verse Perdomo tells of this “Harlem girl” from “Harlem world” whose loving, supportive father tells her she is “Langston’s genius child.” The author’s own admiration for Hughes’s artistry and accomplishments is clearly felt in the voice of this glorious child. Langston’s spirit is a gentle presence throughout the description of his East 127th Street home and his method of composing his poetry sitting by the window. The presentation is stunning. Each section of the poem is part of a two-page spread. Text, in yellow, white, or black, is placed either within the illustrations or in large blocks of color along side them. The last page of text is a compilation of titles of Hughes’s poems printed in shades of gray in a myriad of fonts. Collier’s (Martin’s Big Words, 2001, etc.) brilliantly complex watercolor-and-collage illustrations provide the perfect visual complement to the work. From the glowing vitality of the little girl, to the vivid scenes of jazz-age Harlem, to the compelling portrait of Langston at work, to the reverential peak into Langston’s home, the viewer’s eye is constantly drawn to intriguing bits and pieces while never losing the sense of the whole. In this year of Langston Hughes’s centennial, this work does him great honor. (Poetry. 6-10)

Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001

ISBN: 0-8050-6744-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Henry Holt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2002

Categories:

CHILDREN'S POETRY | CHILDREN'S BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

- BOOK REVIEW
¡CLEMENTE!
by Willie Perdomo & illustrated by Bryan Collier

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POCKET POEMS

edited by Bobbi Katz & illustrated by Marylin Hafner ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2004

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With an eye toward easy memorization, Katz gathers over 50 short poems from the likes of Emily Dickinson, Valerie Worth, Jack Prelutsky, and Lewis Carroll, to such anonymous gems as “The Burp”—“Pardon me for being rude. / It was not me, it was my food. / It got so lonely down below, / it just popped up to say hello.” Katz includes five of her own verses, and promotes an evident newcomer, Emily George, with four entries. Hafner surrounds every selection with fine-lined cartoons, mostly of animals and children engaged in play, reading, or other familiar activities. Amid the ranks of similar collections, this shiny-faced newcomer may not stand out—but neither will it drift to the bottom of the class. (Picture book/poetry. 7-9)