Doodle Dandies: Poems That Take Shape by J. Patrick Lewis

 

Doodle Dandies: Poems That Take Shape by J. Patrick Lewis

 

Bibliography:

Lewis, J. Patrick, and Lisa Desimini. 1998. Doodle dandies: poems that take shape. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

ISBN: 0689848897

Plot Summary:

The book Doodle Dandies: Poems That Take Shape is a collection of shape poems using various elements of the natural world and extracurricular activities. From the baseball poem entitled,  A Swing and a Miss that uses bases and a baseball to depict the different ways one can pitch the ball,  to the Synchronized Swim Team using sensory images and language to depict an underwater oasis, the poems within the book explore different aspects of the world and leave the reader wanting more. The poem exhibits vibrant images that seem to float off the pages and draw the reader in. Each poem creates the image on the page and vice versa. This book truly exemplifies shape poetry in both design and technique. It is a must have for any classroom or library.

Critical Analysis:

From the first poem entitled, First Burst of Spring to the last Halley's Comet, this collection of shape or concrete poetry exemplifies the design and technique of shape poetry and allows the reader to immerse themselves in a new and exciting type of poetry. There is rhythm and sound words used within the poems as well as a surprising use of figurative language. Within the poem entitled Giraffe, the poem describes the features of the giraffe and is arranged in a way that looks like a giraffe. It says "Tree tall giraffe up to his neck in brown and yellow patchwork quilts, turns and hobbles away on wooden stilts". Then, for each of the four legs, the word stilts is used to describe the giraffes long legs. This use of sensory language and imagery allows the reader to create a mental image of a giraffe. The visual images in the book are creative and unique to each topic that the author uses within the text. The illustrations are  very detailed and vivid and complete the poem. The organization of the text allows the reader to read multiple shape poems as they flip through the pages. Some pages use one page, and other fill up both pages within the book. This book is a great tool to use when examining the different types/forms of poetry in a poetry unit.

Review Excerpts:

·         From Publishers Weekly - In a starred review, PW said of this collection of short poems, "The interplay between words and pictures effectively conjures images from seasons, to sports, to the jungle. From endpaper to doodled endpaper, this mix of clever language and visual delights makes a dandy treat for all ages." Ages 3-8.

·         From School Library Journal - Grade 3-6 Lewis, who has long been a master of a variety of poetic forms, has created an inventive collection of concrete poems. In each selection, the essence of the subject is captured in the typeface used for the words, the shape in which the lines are arranged, and through Desimini's brilliant mixed-media collages. Lines about a skyscraper take the form of that structure ("I /am/ a/ nee/dle /of/steel/glass &/cement...") and are set against a background of a clouded sky, small silhouettes of pedestrians, and rows of taxis. In "Big Cat," the words "day delights/in jungle cries/night ignites/its tiger eyes" wrap around the eyes of a tiger that stare dramatically at readers from a double-page spread. Every page of this book is well designed, creating words and images that work together in harmony. From the lavender endpapers that feature a mix of childlike drawings and letters in different typefaces, and the magic-marker doodles surrounding the various shapes on the CIP page, to the final page, each spread is fresh and inviting. Doodle Dandies captures the joy that wordplay can bring. It deserves a place on every library shelf. Kathleen Whalin, Greenwich Country Day School, CT

·         From Booklist - Gr. 3-5, younger for reading aloud. The history of poems shaped on the page goes back at least to the seventeenth-century poet George Herbert, and certainly Lewis Carroll used it well in Alice. Desimini and Lewis take that tradition to rowdy new heights. A poem called "Dachshund" casts a dog-shaped shadow; a wee widow weeping finds the lines of the poem about her making the trunk and limbs of a weeping willow tree. The "Skyscraper" shape is elegant if obvious, and the poem called "Winter" creates a verse of white letters drifting and falling on dark sky as evocatively as any Japanese scroll on silk. Some of the poems involve turning the book about to read all the words; some, like the one about oyster families ("a mother-of-pearl") or the one about baseball pitches ("the fastball that you hope to poke / is smoke"), are printed on the object of their attention. The very mixed media art is full of textures and dark, rich colors that repay close examination. A dandy way indeed to begin a journey to poetry. GraceAnne A. DeCandido

 

Connections/Activities:

·         This book can be used in a poetry book and contains many examples of shape poetry.

·         Students can create their own shape/concrete poem.

·         Students can compare/contrast shape poems.

·         Students can evaluate shape poems.

·         Select other book by J. Patrick Lewis

o   Poem-mobiles: Crazy Car Poems - 0375866906

o   When Thunder Comes: Poems for Civil Rights Leaders - 1452101191

o   Monumental Verses - 0792271351

·         Related Texts

o   Flicker Flash by Joan Bransfield Graham - 0618311025

o   Splish Splash by Joan Bransfield Graham - 0618111239

o   A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems by Paul B. Janeczko - 0763623768

 

Personal Connections: I have read poems by J. Patrick Lewis in the past and have loved using them in the classroom. I had never heard of this collection of shape poems and am really excited that I found this book! It will be a great resource to use when discussing the different forms of poetry with my third grade class.