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18th out of 78 books
—
131 voters
Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night
A 2011 Newbery Honor Book
Come feel the cool and shadowed breeze,
come smell your way among the trees,
come touch rough bark and leathered leaves:
Welcome to the night.
Welcome to the night, where mice stir and furry moths flutter. Where snails spiral into shells as orb spiders circle in silk. Where the roots of oak trees recover and repair from their time in the light. Where...more
Come feel the cool and shadowed breeze,
come smell your way among the trees,
come touch rough bark and leathered leaves:
Welcome to the night.
Welcome to the night, where mice stir and furry moths flutter. Where snails spiral into shells as orb spiders circle in silk. Where the roots of oak trees recover and repair from their time in the light. Where...more
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
September 6th 2010
by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
(first published January 1st 2010)
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An absolutely splendid book. I actually like the illustrations a little more than the poetry but only just. It would be a wonderful book to read with a child, but also makes a great addition to your nature poem collection no matter your age.
The poems are very short and sweet explorations of nocturnal flora and fauna. They are all good, but a few shine above the rest. I also really enjoy how educational they are, teaching about the subject of the poem without being boring. There are plenty of fu...more
The poems are very short and sweet explorations of nocturnal flora and fauna. They are all good, but a few shine above the rest. I also really enjoy how educational they are, teaching about the subject of the poem without being boring. There are plenty of fu...more
These topical nature poems are accompanied by informational text on the opposite page. The design makes this parallel text not distracting. Rick Allen's lino-cut illustrations are remarkable, mostly because of the description of his three-block process. This is painstaking work. I appreciate all the work of Sidman's to make this many poems just right, too. This is one of the situations where I can see 50/50 being a fair deal.
The poems have a clear sense of each night animal having been observed...more
The poems have a clear sense of each night animal having been observed...more
Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night is a remarkable book of poetry featuring night creatures, animals and plants alike. Each poem is accompanied by factual information about the nighttime creature it features, allowing for not only a poetic experience, but a scientific one as well. This combination of literacy with science makes for a satisfyingly informational reading experience.
One aspect that makes this work outstanding is not only does one read about nighttime creatures, but one c...more
One aspect that makes this work outstanding is not only does one read about nighttime creatures, but one c...more
The Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman is a collection of poems about our favorite critters. The pages are full of poems describing the animals in an almost human like way. The words paint a picture that I found wonderful. As I read the poems, I found myself intrigued by how the author informed her readers while still writing poetry. I have not read a poetry book like this one and I enjoyed and appreciated this aspect of the Dark Emperor and Other poems of the Night. The i...more
Poems of the night :)
loved the factual information about the creature/thing that the poem was about.
Fun to read.
*Starred Review* Like Sidman's Caldecott Honor Book, Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems (2005), this picture book combines lyrical poetry and compelling art with science concepts. Here, poems about the woods at night reveal exciting biology facts that are explained in long notes on each double-page spread. In a poem about crickets, lines describe “the raucous scrape / of wi...more
loved the factual information about the creature/thing that the poem was about.
Fun to read.
*Starred Review* Like Sidman's Caldecott Honor Book, Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems (2005), this picture book combines lyrical poetry and compelling art with science concepts. Here, poems about the woods at night reveal exciting biology facts that are explained in long notes on each double-page spread. In a poem about crickets, lines describe “the raucous scrape / of wi...more
This book is about nocturnal animals who come out at night. Through poetry and descriptive words, the author shares what these animals and insects do at night. Children can enjoy the illustrations as they read along to welcome the animals to the night.
The setting of this book is in the forest at night time. The characters in the story are developed through their actions. Through poetry, the author gives descriptive words that show readers what these animal's actions are during the night and how...more
The setting of this book is in the forest at night time. The characters in the story are developed through their actions. Through poetry, the author gives descriptive words that show readers what these animal's actions are during the night and how...more
1.Poetry
2. This poetry collection by Joyce Sidman is a beautiful description of the night through the plants and animals that call it home. The poems are a tribute to nocturnal creatures like the owl, the snail, and the cricket. Even plants like trees and mushrooms are highlighted as they move and grow through the darkness.
3.A. Format/Layout B. The author organizes the twelve poems in this collection as if the reader is traveling through the night from the first hint of darkness to the morning...more
2. This poetry collection by Joyce Sidman is a beautiful description of the night through the plants and animals that call it home. The poems are a tribute to nocturnal creatures like the owl, the snail, and the cricket. Even plants like trees and mushrooms are highlighted as they move and grow through the darkness.
3.A. Format/Layout B. The author organizes the twelve poems in this collection as if the reader is traveling through the night from the first hint of darkness to the morning...more
1. Poetry
2. A collection of poems surrounding the many creatures of the woods and their habitats. In addition to the poetry the book includes informational text in a side bar that educates the reader on the subject matter. Students will love the imagery and descriptive elements of their favorite woodland creature.
3. critique
a. The simple yet beautiful descriptive words help the reader to capture the subject matter in a more glorious way.
b. The use of poetic prose is used appropriately and in an...more
2. A collection of poems surrounding the many creatures of the woods and their habitats. In addition to the poetry the book includes informational text in a side bar that educates the reader on the subject matter. Students will love the imagery and descriptive elements of their favorite woodland creature.
3. critique
a. The simple yet beautiful descriptive words help the reader to capture the subject matter in a more glorious way.
b. The use of poetic prose is used appropriately and in an...more
Title: Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night
Author: Joyce Sidman
Genre: Poem
Summary: A series of poems about the nighttime behavior of animals and organisms in the forest.
A. Critic focuses on the imagery created in the poetry.
B. This collection of nighttime poems create descriptive images of a variety of creatures of the night. The author also includes alongside each poem, written facts that describe the animal’s behavior. This duo arrangement of poetic descriptions alongside factual descript...more
Author: Joyce Sidman
Genre: Poem
Summary: A series of poems about the nighttime behavior of animals and organisms in the forest.
A. Critic focuses on the imagery created in the poetry.
B. This collection of nighttime poems create descriptive images of a variety of creatures of the night. The author also includes alongside each poem, written facts that describe the animal’s behavior. This duo arrangement of poetic descriptions alongside factual descript...more
This beautifully illustrated book of poetry shines a light on the mystery of night time, answering the question, what happens when we are asleep and all is dark and still? Sidman's explanation is that nocturnal insects and plants come to life, including crickets, who noisily rub a hard file on their wings to attract a mate, baby porcupines, who are called porcupettes ,and snails, who add an extra layer to their shells every night. All of these fun facts are vividly illustrated by Rick Allen's ri...more
1. Poetry
2. Despite the ominous title, the poems in this book are wonderfully lyrical and easy on the ear. The pictures dismiss any spookiness the cover may bring because the animals look so friendly and welcoming, the reader certainly doesn’t mind joining them into the night!
3. Critique:
a. This is a poetry book; I would like to focus on the readability and ease of sound.
b. The cover is misleading in my opinion because the owl and the colors and the title all bring a sense of foreboding that mad...more
2. Despite the ominous title, the poems in this book are wonderfully lyrical and easy on the ear. The pictures dismiss any spookiness the cover may bring because the animals look so friendly and welcoming, the reader certainly doesn’t mind joining them into the night!
3. Critique:
a. This is a poetry book; I would like to focus on the readability and ease of sound.
b. The cover is misleading in my opinion because the owl and the colors and the title all bring a sense of foreboding that mad...more
1) Junior Book-Poetry
2) With different wildlife creatures introduced for each poem, this book details the nightlife of the wild after sunset. The book continues through the journey of night until the nocturnal creatures return to their hiding places as the sun rises.
3a) Illustrations, extra facts, tone
3b) Being that the book is set at nighttime, the dark illustrations with hints of color, really makes the reader feel like they’re looking at real nightlife. The pictures also have a 3D look for ea...more
2) With different wildlife creatures introduced for each poem, this book details the nightlife of the wild after sunset. The book continues through the journey of night until the nocturnal creatures return to their hiding places as the sun rises.
3a) Illustrations, extra facts, tone
3b) Being that the book is set at nighttime, the dark illustrations with hints of color, really makes the reader feel like they’re looking at real nightlife. The pictures also have a 3D look for ea...more
This book includes both poems and nonfiction text about some creatures that live in the night. It also includes what mother-nature is up to when it is dark out. The book has raccoons, snails, moths, owls, spiders, baby porcupines, crickets, efts, and bats. The nonfiction text includes how several of the animals/insects attract the opposite gender, find food, and basically how they live in their habitats. Some of the poems have rhyming or some sort of rhythm to then. I like the descriptive langua...more
Joyce Sidman is a very good poet. She navigates the sea of words with the expert helmsmanship of a seasoned admiral, steering around potential trouble spots so smoothly that we never even see where a less skilled poet could have very easily gone wrong.
Additionally, Joyce Sidman is an able nonfiction writer. She knows how to do her research and how to pick out exactly the kind of facts that will be fascinating to readers of any age or gender, which can be a really hard task. There's a lot in Da...more
Additionally, Joyce Sidman is an able nonfiction writer. She knows how to do her research and how to pick out exactly the kind of facts that will be fascinating to readers of any age or gender, which can be a really hard task. There's a lot in Da...more
Gorgeous verse, gorgeous illustrations. The combined effect makes me want to go into the forest right now. I can see reading some of these poems aloud, especially at a Campfire program (especially the opening poem, "Welcome to the Night"). The rhyming is superb when it's used, and so are forms such as concrete and "ubi sunt" (defined in the glossary as "medieval poetry that laments the loss of heroic, beautiful things").
Then there are the textured linocut illustrations, some using as many as si...more
Then there are the textured linocut illustrations, some using as many as si...more
How does Sidman do it so consistently, so well?? The night in the forest becomes magical through her words, at times serious, at others light. She uses word play, rhythm, sounds, and facts in each poem, then supplements with well-written facts about the animal, insect, or plant. A book like this can't help but interest children in science! Some poems are majestic; others are lighthearted; still others give advice; all deliver first-class poetry and facts. The glossary is another nice touch, wher...more
Come feel the cool & shadowed breeze, come smell your way among the trees, come touch rough bark & leathered leaves: Welcome to the night. Welcome to the night, where mice stir and furry moths flutter. Where snails spiral into shells as orb spiders circle in silk. Where the roots of oak trees recover & repair from their time in the light. Where the porcupette eats delicacies & coos & sings. Come out to the cool, night wood. A poetical, illustrated look at the night and night...more
Beautiful woodcuts. Engaging prose. A great book for kids age 4-10. I think this will be one they remember and that shifts their understanding. The over arching theme is the nocturnal woods and a selection of its creatures. Very successful in raising interest and elevating appreciation of the benign, fascinating and beautiful things that go on in the woods at night. Might help with kids wary of the dark.
I'd give this a 4 1/2 stars. What keeps it from a 5 is relatively minor. I wish there were a...more
I'd give this a 4 1/2 stars. What keeps it from a 5 is relatively minor. I wish there were a...more
This is a beautifully illustrated book of poetry. The illustrations “were made by a process of relief painting. A drawing or sketch is transferred onto a block of wood or…sheet of linoleum mounted on wood, and the drawing is then cut and carved away using a variety of tools. The areas left uncut are covered with ink and printed on paper by hand or on a press.” The outcome is a lavishly detailed picture shadowed with soft light that mimics twilight, dawn or a delicate moonlight evening. The relie...more
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I was shocked at how much I enjoyed reading this book. Poetry can be very hit or miss with me, and poetry written specifically with children in mind...well, let's just say that there are far more misses. But I found Joyce Sidman's verse to be lovely and lyrical. The stanzas scanned well, with rhythms that flowed easily and perfectly. I also very much appreciated that each poem was of a different verse type. I'm sure if I knew more about poetry I would be able to name each type, but as it is I'm...more
Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night, what an intriguing title! Joyce Sidman’s poetry and Rick Allen’s illustrations capture the reader’s attention from the front cover and every page there after. As the title indicates each poem eloquently describes the nocturnal creatures we daytime creatures don’t often pay attention to (snail, owl, eft and even a tree).
Sidman chose her words wisely to convey the beauty of the night. The twelve poems starting with sunset and ending with sunrise are wr...more
Sidman chose her words wisely to convey the beauty of the night. The twelve poems starting with sunset and ending with sunrise are wr...more
1.This is a junior book, poetry.
2.Joyce Sidman shares twelve poems that bring the nighttime woods to life. The poems illuminate creatures like owls, raccoons and epts to even non-living creatures like the moon and trees to share the nighttime world with the reader.
3.A. This set of very sophisticated poems shine a light on the dark wilderness and its inhabitants. They offer vivid descriptions, age appropriate language, interesting illustrations and extra information to the younger readers.
B.The b...more
2.Joyce Sidman shares twelve poems that bring the nighttime woods to life. The poems illuminate creatures like owls, raccoons and epts to even non-living creatures like the moon and trees to share the nighttime world with the reader.
3.A. This set of very sophisticated poems shine a light on the dark wilderness and its inhabitants. They offer vivid descriptions, age appropriate language, interesting illustrations and extra information to the younger readers.
B.The b...more
Jun 27, 2011
Stephanie Kahn
added it
Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night is a collection written by Joyce Sidman. This Newbery honoree contains twelve poems featuring nocturnal life. The night theme is beautifully depicted by Rick Allen who used linoleum cuts and striking dark lines along with hints of color to match each poem. The book follows a progression beginning with “Welcome the Night” and ending with the “Moon’s Lament” as the sun begins to rise. Each page couples fantastic imagery with a factual description of the...more
This book is only 29 pages long, but it is definitely not a young childs book. It's more for school age children. On the even pages is a poem about something specific in the night in the forest and on the odd pages is a paragraph about that item. The artistry is wonderful. The more you look the more you see. I must share the first poem:
To all of you who crawl and creep,
who buzz and chirp and hoot and peep,
who wake at dusk and throw off sleep:
Welcome to the night.
To you who make the forest sing,
w...more
To all of you who crawl and creep,
who buzz and chirp and hoot and peep,
who wake at dusk and throw off sleep:
Welcome to the night.
To you who make the forest sing,
w...more
This book wasn't even on my radar until it won a Newbery Honor and I'm glad it won which forced me to pick it up and read it.
I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of poetry, but Ms. Sidman's poems are very enjoyable. She has a very lyrical style and I can easily see this poems being read aloud to all ages. The illustrations are detailed and done in a linoleum-block printmaking technique that stands out. It gives the illustrations a dark, atmospheric feel and you feel as though you are in the woods...more
I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of poetry, but Ms. Sidman's poems are very enjoyable. She has a very lyrical style and I can easily see this poems being read aloud to all ages. The illustrations are detailed and done in a linoleum-block printmaking technique that stands out. It gives the illustrations a dark, atmospheric feel and you feel as though you are in the woods...more
Genre: Junior Book—Poetry
Summary: This 2011 Newbery Honor book includes both poems with additional text that brings the night life alive. The poems and additional text throughout this book talk about different animals and different features of the night life. The narrator shares extra readings with readers that enable them to learn more about the characteristic of the night.
Critique:
a. Personally, I think the greatest strength of this title is the additional nonfiction text that is provided wi...more
Summary: This 2011 Newbery Honor book includes both poems with additional text that brings the night life alive. The poems and additional text throughout this book talk about different animals and different features of the night life. The narrator shares extra readings with readers that enable them to learn more about the characteristic of the night.
Critique:
a. Personally, I think the greatest strength of this title is the additional nonfiction text that is provided wi...more
Mar 12, 2012
Dolly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
parents reading with their children
Shelves:
2012,
childrens,
middle-grade,
nonfiction,
poetry-song-music,
science,
rhyming,
newbery-honor
Our oldest loves owls and is in a poetry-writing frenzy right now, so when I saw this book at our local library, I just knew that it would be great for her. The poems are short, fun to read aloud and many of them rhyme. I loved the poem about the owl and how the poem itself took the shape of an owl. Also, both fascinating and educational are the little snippets of information about each poem's topic that expounds a little on the subject without being overly detailed or boring.
We loved Rick Alle...more
We loved Rick Alle...more
Week 13
Comprised of 12 poems, this book contains rhyming and free verse poems about the night, nocturnal animals, and plants of the forest. Spread out along two pages, the left page is devoted to the poem and the right side is devoted to a small bit of information about the poems subject.
"Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night" is appropriate for ages 6+ (Grades 1+).
I think that children will like the pictures more than they will identify with the poems. The pictures contain amazing detail,...more
Comprised of 12 poems, this book contains rhyming and free verse poems about the night, nocturnal animals, and plants of the forest. Spread out along two pages, the left page is devoted to the poem and the right side is devoted to a small bit of information about the poems subject.
"Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night" is appropriate for ages 6+ (Grades 1+).
I think that children will like the pictures more than they will identify with the poems. The pictures contain amazing detail,...more
Sidman's poems are perfectly matched with Allen's layered block-print illustrations. Together they are so down-to-earth and accessible on aural and visual levels. The layout with poem at the left, illustration spanning the center on both pages of each two-page spread, and an age-appropriate scientific backstory at the right makes for a visual rhythm that works well. Some of the backstory information is simply amazing (did you know that spiders make different kinds of silk with each of their diff...more
Comments: In Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night, author Joyce Sidman does a beautiful job at fusing the beauty of nature and language into one, cohesive body of work which enlightens and illuminates the “lifestyle” of the night, and its tenants. The common idea carried by many adults and children alike, that poetry is useless and boring, may rightfully be laid to rest with the rhythms and vivid images shared throughout this text. Each poem was like a timeless tale being told to the tune...more
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Oct 28, 2011 01:23pm