ICCAL » Poetry

Inside Out And Back Again

Book Importer — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:59:11 +0000

No one would believe me but at times I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in Alabama. For all the ten years of her life, HÀ has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by . . . and the beauty of her very own papaya tree. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. HÀ and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, HÀ discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food, the strange shape of its landscape . . . and the strength of her very own family. This is the moving story of one girl’s year of change, dreams, grief, and healing as she journeys from one country to another, one life to the next.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume 4, Issue 3

Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature

Book Importer — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:01:59 +0000

This book introduces the sights and sounds of the changing seasons, along city streets and in country meadow.

The Wonder Thing

Book Importer — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:19:58 +0000

In a lyrical poem (which is also a riddle) and stunning linoleum block prints, Libby Hathorn and Peter Gouldthrope guide readers on a journey around the world–and to a deeper appreciation of “the wonder thing” that is all around us.

Poemas A La Luna

Book Importer — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:15:35 +0000

This collection includes works by world-renowned poets, among them Lorca, Goethe, Whitman, and Shelley. Each poem appears first in Spanish, and then in its original language, if the poem was translated. For instance, Emily Dickinson’s selection appears in Spanish and English, while Wang Wei’s appears in Spanish and Chinese. The book opens with an excerpt from Christina Rossetti’s Is the Moon Tired? in which the orb is personified as a tired, hardworking woman. Its Spanish translation actually sounds more musical than the original English. The hauntingly beautiful full-page digital paintings have an ethereal quality that transports readers into the lyrical poetry. The Moon appears in each illustration, sometimes as a crescent, sometimes full, and sometimes as a woman’s face. This oversize treasury will be perfect for a world-poetry unit, a lesson on the art of translation, or special poetry programs at schools and libraries.–Rebecca Hickman, Sherman Library at NSU, Fort Lauderdale, FL

A Full Moon Is Rising

Book Importer — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:57:16 +0000

A collection of original poems about full moon events, phenomena, celebrations, and beliefs from around the world.

Songs of Shiprock Fair

Book Importer — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:20:44 +0000

A young Navajo girl enjoys every part of the annual Shiprock Fair, including the dances, parade, carnival, exhibits, contests, food, and the chance to visit with relatives.

Pearl Verses the World

Book Importer — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 23:18:45 +0000

Pearl feels like an island in school, isolated and alone, but at home she feels loved and secure until her grandmother’s illness changes the way Pearl views her world.

Requiem: Poems of the Terezin Ghetto

Book Importer — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:42:21 +0000

Paul B. Janeczko’s stirring new collection of poems goes inside the walls of the notorious camp to portray the indomitable spirit of those incarcerated there. Hitler hailed Terezin (Theresienstadt) as a haven for artistic Jews, when in reality the Czech concentration camp was little more than a way station to the gas chambers. In his second book inspired by devastating history, acclaimed poet Paul B. Janeczko gives voice to this heartrending creative community: its dignity, resilience, and commitment to art and music in the face of great brutality. The many memorable characters he conjures include a child who performs in the camp’s now famed production of Brundibar, a man who lectures on bedbugs, and a boy known as “Professor,” who keeps a notebook hidden in his shoe. Accented with dramatic illustrations by the inmates, found after WW II, Janeczko’s spare and powerful poems convey Terezin’s tragic legacy on an intimate, profoundly moving scale.

Prayer for the Twenty-first Century

Book Importer — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 21:52:48 +0000

A compelling text speaks to both young and old, expressing the deeply held hopes and fears that everyone recognizes. Illustrated with paintings, photographs, and collages, this call from the heart contains a message we all wish for our loved ones.

A Little Bitty Man: And Other Poems for the Very Young

Book Importer — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:04:41 +0000

Translated from the original works of beloved Danish poet Halfdan Rasmussen, this delightful collection of poems for young children will enthrall little ones with captivating rhyme, rhythm, humor, and charm.