Illustrators: Ashley Bryan and Jan Spivey GilchristFor: Kids
Pub: 2007
Rating: 4/5
Reread: Aug. 12, 2008
Signed by both Bryan and Gilchrist
Okay, anything by Ashley Bryan drives me wild. I love his work and I love him. This collaboration is quite beautiful, whether you're an Ashley fan or not. Gilchrist's simple 13-line poem is illustrated alternately by the two illustrators. Gilchrist's watercolors depict a thoughtful, introspective translation of the poem and Bryan's amazing colors shout out the "big picture" of what the poem is saying.
MY AMERICA
Have you seen my counry?
Seen my magic skies?
Seen my mighty waters?
Have you seen my land?
Have you seen my counry?
Seen my wings abound?
Seen my water creatures?
Seen my beasts and fowl?
Have you seen my people?
We hail from every shore.
Have you seen my homeland?
Have you seen my country?
Have you seen my AMERICA?
Just to get my middle school students revved up for the new year, I'm going to share this poem. I'll read it to them, I'll pass out copies, I'll have them read it to each other and to the class. Then I'll share the book and get reactions. Perhaps they'll each create an illustration themselves. Perhaps they'll each add another verse. We'll see where it goes. Reading. Writing. Listening. Speaking. AND fantastic art!
(I love the saguaro cactus on the cover. When Ashley visited Tucson a few years ago, I got to drive him around a bit and share this beautiful landscape, so different from Maine's!)
No comments:
Post a Comment