ani_a_1's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
4.0
I think the other captures the child likeness of being Young impacts a lot of nuance and meaning behind it. But sometimes it really is just about spiders and polka dots. I think that's a good balance.
sharonskinner's review against another edition
4.0
This is a lovely collection of heartfelt, engaging children's poetry and the development story is wonderful. The artwork is imaginative and each illustration evokes and matches the emotion of each poem beautifully.
middle_name_joy's review against another edition
5.0
During college, I did substitute aide work at an elementary school where my younger brother attended. I got really close to a few of the classes. At the end of the school year, for one class in particular, I wrote a poem based on our days together and presented it to the children. So, I can relate to author Shannon Bramer, who wrote poems for each of the kindergarteners in the room for which she did lunchtime supervision. Bramer was lucky enough to make the sharing of poetry a daily occurrence with the kiddos, too.
Many of the poems in Climbing Shadows came from that kindergarten collection. The subject matter is a give-away: polka-dots, play race cars, a birthday party, various animals, mommy, drawing. Then there are the poems that broke me, the ones that tilled up big emotions, like "afterschool," I Don't Need a Poem," and "Eleanor's Poem." The enchanting illustrations of Cindy Derby cannot be overlooked, either. The bright watercolors gave each poem vivid life.
All poetry for children should be as technically diverse and contextually relevant as Bramer's offering. All poetry for children should teach that poems are as much about their structure on the page as the emotions they stir in the reader. All poetry for children should be quality poetry. Period.
Many of the poems in Climbing Shadows came from that kindergarten collection. The subject matter is a give-away: polka-dots, play race cars, a birthday party, various animals, mommy, drawing. Then there are the poems that broke me, the ones that tilled up big emotions, like "afterschool," I Don't Need a Poem," and "Eleanor's Poem." The enchanting illustrations of Cindy Derby cannot be overlooked, either. The bright watercolors gave each poem vivid life.
All poetry for children should be as technically diverse and contextually relevant as Bramer's offering. All poetry for children should teach that poems are as much about their structure on the page as the emotions they stir in the reader. All poetry for children should be quality poetry. Period.
tashrow's review
5.0
Poetry books for children can be some of the worst books on the market. There are some poets who do it extraordinarily well without being saccharine or sing-songy, and now there is a new name to add to that list. Open this book of poetry and you are suddenly in an unknown land. There are no rhymes, the words are evocative, and the thoughts and ideas fresh and amazing. My immediate response to reading the first poem was, “Is this for children?” I read it again. Yes, yes they certainly are. But they are poems that are complicated and deep, but well worth swimming in.
Bramer takes widely varied ideas like drawing pictures, spiders, skeletons, octopi, polka dots, birthday parties and owls and turns them into poems. The poems look beyond the obvious and turn into something far more than that original theme. The birthday poem is about storms and friendship. The one about an octopus is also about climbing trees. The poem about drawing is about roads, stars and lines. Each of them is a journey of discovery, one that makes sense by the end but is gorgeously surprising along the way.
The illustrations by Derby add so much to this book. They too are not what one might expect for a book of poetry for young children. The first poem is accompanied by a dark image of a glowing fox climbing the tree line drawn by a child. Her watercolor images range from gentle and achingly lovely to others that are dramatic and haunting.
One of the most original and surprising books of poetry for children, this one is worth exploring. Appropriate for ages 8-12.
https://wakingbraincells.com/2019/03/19/review-climbing-shadows-by-shannon-bramer/
Bramer takes widely varied ideas like drawing pictures, spiders, skeletons, octopi, polka dots, birthday parties and owls and turns them into poems. The poems look beyond the obvious and turn into something far more than that original theme. The birthday poem is about storms and friendship. The one about an octopus is also about climbing trees. The poem about drawing is about roads, stars and lines. Each of them is a journey of discovery, one that makes sense by the end but is gorgeously surprising along the way.
The illustrations by Derby add so much to this book. They too are not what one might expect for a book of poetry for young children. The first poem is accompanied by a dark image of a glowing fox climbing the tree line drawn by a child. Her watercolor images range from gentle and achingly lovely to others that are dramatic and haunting.
One of the most original and surprising books of poetry for children, this one is worth exploring. Appropriate for ages 8-12.
https://wakingbraincells.com/2019/03/19/review-climbing-shadows-by-shannon-bramer/
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