Furthermore, the spreads are connected to thought-provoking questions. Delightful words-many of which readers won’t know, and that’s OK-flex vocabulary and spelling muscles to the max and also enhance readers’ visual and auditory senses when the pictures are taken in. A bouquet of flowers in a vase sports roses exuding the scents of slumber, sultry, shush, and other evocative words beginning with S on a daisy’s petals readers find dizzy, doozy, lazy, jazzy lief, leap, life, and more decorate the leaves. Words frequently repeat in different sizes and colors illustrated images include words that sound or are shaped like them, are variations of them, rhyme or nearly rhyme with them, sort of resemble them, are sort of spelled like them, etc. The vividly colored, wittily detailed, folk-style paintings on double-page spreads organically incorporate words into the artwork in wondrous, creative ways. In the process, she explores the elasticity and seemingly endless possibilities of language. Author/illustrator Paschkis plays with them, too, and encourages readers to do likewise. Words and pictures connect in surprising, stimulating ways. The final poem reprises this sentiment in a gentle haiku describing an angel (her daddy) kissing his daughter good-night.īoth poetry and art succeed in being forceful without being preachy and sweet without being saccharine. In the most memorable spread, the dramatic poem “Christmas Eve” captures the excitement of the special church service with the congregation “slightly giddy / And primed / For miracles.” The powerful facing illustration shows the little girl’s candle being lit by her father, passing along the flame of faith to his child. 1533, etc.) are set at night and use this same subdued, candlelit effect. Many of the illustrations from rising star Nelson ( Please, Baby, Please, p.

Grimes works effectively in a wide variety of poetic formats, from haiku to free verse to traditional rhyme schemes, with many poems in the first-person voice of the little girl shown with her mother and siblings on the rather dark cover. Other poems sensitively examine giving to others and the place of Jesus in the season. In 23 poems, most focusing on one African-American family, she explores traditions such as unpacking decorations, big holiday dinners, shopping trips, playing in the snow, and ice skating. 1530, etc.) explores the Christmas season through a poetic prism, examining both positive and negative aspects of the holiday.

Under the christmas tree nikki grimes