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16th out of 2,590 books
—
901 voters
The Bat-Poet
There was once a little brown bat who couldn't sleep days-he kept waking up and looking at the world. Before long he began to see things differently from the other bats, who from dawn to sunset never opened their eyes. "The Bat-Poet" is the story of how he tried to make the other bats see the world his way.
Here in "The Bat-Poet "are the bat's own poems and the bat's own wo...more
Here in "The Bat-Poet "are the bat's own poems and the bat's own wo...more
Hardcover, 48 pages
Published
January 1st 1997
by HarperCollins
(first published 1963)
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i've read this a hundred times but got it out again because of something i overheard on the train. first of all, it's written by randall jarrell. then it's illustrated by maurice sendak. finally, and of course, it's for children.
randall jarrell writes everything so pretty pretty pretty. but this story isn't like most kids books where the strange kid wins because everyone learns to appreciate his strangeness after a spate of cruelty and misunderstanding. this story breaks my heart because the li...more
randall jarrell writes everything so pretty pretty pretty. but this story isn't like most kids books where the strange kid wins because everyone learns to appreciate his strangeness after a spate of cruelty and misunderstanding. this story breaks my heart because the li...more
A children's book, illustrated by Maurice Sendak and written in 1963, it's a charming little story of a bat who learns to create poetry by imitating the mockingbird. Of course, the other bats don't really get it so he looks for another audience and has dreams of actually sharing his poetry with his mentor, the mockingbird.
I had no idea this book existed until a week ago when I was ordering another copy of The Animal Family as a gift (also by Jarrell/Sendack and one of my favorite little books ever), and I saw this in the "related books" section. I ordered it immediately.
It's another beautiful little treasure. The words are sweet and simple but beautiful, and the illustrations (closer to illuminations, really) are complex and atmospheric, but again, simple at the same time.
The story is lovely, and really there are...more
It's another beautiful little treasure. The words are sweet and simple but beautiful, and the illustrations (closer to illuminations, really) are complex and atmospheric, but again, simple at the same time.
The story is lovely, and really there are...more
Sep 03, 2008
Nancy
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Teachers and students about to dive into writing poetry
Spot-on portrait of the effort of writing poetry, including even the worry of its uselessness -- or, at least, its lack of audience. The Bat-Poet's poems come in at the moment you need them to, and surprise you with which rules they follow and which they don't. Sweet!
I read this every October to my students. It is such a inspiration for them to be an individual, to create lovely images with words, to be outdoors as look and see.
Watch the Bat-Poet learn about poetry, write his own (middling) poems, and eventually become a master bat-poet. This is a fun, charming, lovely book.
A wonderful introduction to poetry for young people.
Sweet and sophisticated.
Sweet and sophisticated.
An exceptional read. A fabulous choice for introducing poetry to children.
Had I been aware of this book as a child, I think I would have carried it around like a teddy bear, hugging it and nibbling on the corners. I love the matter-of-fact, believable dialogue between the creatures. There's nothing cutesy or after-school-specially about the animals. They just have these great discussions about life and art that include the kind of yummy tidbits about animal behavior that I've always geeked out to. Maurice Sendak's black and white illustrations are magical. Even the sm...more
When his bat brohters and sisters decide to sleep in the barn, the bat poet stays on the porch. The bat becomes aquainted with critters of the sun. First, the bat tunes into the mocking bird's songs or poems. His poetry develops with each new friend. It is an adorable book. The bat finds an audience. The bat excels at portraying the particulars of each species.
A friend gave this book to my daughter as a baby shower gift way way back when. I never got around to reading it *to* my daughter. She's now too old to really be read *to* but I can see how this would be a wonderful read-aloud for younger kids and a great introduction to the idea of poetry.
One of the great under-loved classics of children's literature. Romantic, funny, delightful, and a whacking good poem on top of it. Recommended for anyone reading to a small child and those who wish to stop being afraid of the dark.
This is such a sweet book! I remember reading it as a kid, and then rediscovered it at the Rosenbach Museum in Philadelphia (where a lot of Maurice Sendak's material is housed.)Very fun illustrations to go with a very fun story.
Excellent story. Lovely words, charming illustrations, and it made me think of bats as quite delicate and sweet. This book gave me the urge to spend time watching and admiring wild animals, as the brown bat does so well.
My friend Diane gave me a copy of this children's book, a dear story plus you learn a lot about poetry.
The perfect book for that person who sees the world a little differently, no matter what their age.
I've read this book every few years and it's the ONLY book I love rereading over and over again.
Addison and I both fell in love with this book! It inspired many volumes of bat poetry afterwards!
I have loved this book since I was a little girl. I still have the copy that was given to me then.
Finally read this revered children's book and it was totally worth the hype!
I absolutely loved this. The illustrations are beautiful, too.
Cute story about a bat that wrote poetry.
One of my all time favorite children's books.
Jan 26, 2010
Logan
marked it as to-read
why: I read this as a teen and really liked it.
(First edition, 4th printing, no ISBN)
For adults too
I don't know why I insist on reading animal books when I don't really care for them. But if you like animal books and poetry, you'll probably like this one.
R.I.P Maurice Sendack, who did the gorgeous illustrations for this little book. I hand-colored the entire thing for Ruby and Rowan, my little grand-ones....and am having it hard-bound (the advantages of being a librarian) for them. Looking for more b&w Sendack to color, suggestions are welcome...
how could we go wrong here, an artistically inclined misfit bat. Why don't we just call it my autobiography and move on... :)
This is my new favorite childrens book. Everyone should snuggle up next to someone they love and read it.
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Randall Jarrell (1914-1965) wrote eight books of poetry, five anthologies, four children’s books illustrated by Maurice Sendak, four translations, including Faust: Part I and The Three Sisters (performed on Broadway by the Actor’s Studio), and a novel, Pictures from an Institution. He received the National Book Award for poetry in 1960, served as poet laureate at the Library of Congress in 1957 an...more
More about Randall Jarrell...
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“Before the bat could answer, the mockingbird exclaimed angrily: "You sound as if there were something wrong with imitating things!"
"Oh no," the bat said.
"Well then, you sound as if there something wrong with driving them off. It's my territory, isn't it? If you can't drive things off your own territory what can you do?"
The bat didn't know what to say; after a minute the chipmunk said uneasily, "He just meant it's odd to drive them all off and then imitate them so well too."
"Odd!" cried the mockingbird. "Odd! If I didn't it really would be odd. Did you ever hear of a mockingbird that didn't?"
The bat said politely, "No indeed. No, it's just what mockingbirds do do. That's really why I made up the poem about it--I admire mockingbirds so much, you know."
The chipmunk said, "He talks about them all the time."
"A mockingbird's sensitive," said the mockingbird; when he said sensitive his voice went way up and way back down. "They get on my nerves. You just don't understand how much they get on my nerves. Sometimes I think if I can't get rid of them I'll go crazy."
"If they didn't get on your nerves so, maybe you wouldn't be able to imitate them so well, the chipmunk said in a helpful, hopeful voice.”
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1 person liked it
More quotes…
"Oh no," the bat said.
"Well then, you sound as if there something wrong with driving them off. It's my territory, isn't it? If you can't drive things off your own territory what can you do?"
The bat didn't know what to say; after a minute the chipmunk said uneasily, "He just meant it's odd to drive them all off and then imitate them so well too."
"Odd!" cried the mockingbird. "Odd! If I didn't it really would be odd. Did you ever hear of a mockingbird that didn't?"
The bat said politely, "No indeed. No, it's just what mockingbirds do do. That's really why I made up the poem about it--I admire mockingbirds so much, you know."
The chipmunk said, "He talks about them all the time."
"A mockingbird's sensitive," said the mockingbird; when he said sensitive his voice went way up and way back down. "They get on my nerves. You just don't understand how much they get on my nerves. Sometimes I think if I can't get rid of them I'll go crazy."
"If they didn't get on your nerves so, maybe you wouldn't be able to imitate them so well, the chipmunk said in a helpful, hopeful voice.”
Sep 24, 2009 03:09pm