Black Stars in a White Night Sky

by JonArno Lawson

The Lion and the Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry

Philosophy and tomfoolery are equally at home in this exemplary new volume of poetry. These entertaining poems explore everything from love and conformity to the nature of time. Lawson stretches the boundaries of various poetic forms to create verses that are at turns humorous and thought provoking.

What's left of me?
What's right of me?
You're hungered by the
sight of me.
I need what's left,
so do what's right
and please don't take
another bite. —FROM THE BOOK

Genres: Poetry, Young Adult

128 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2006

About the author

JonArno is the author of two books of poetry for adults, Love is an Observant Traveller and Inklings, as well as a contributor for The Chechens: A Handbook. The Man in the Moon-Fixer's Mask is his first book for children. He lives in Toronto, Canada, with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should begin this review by saying that I've never really enjoyed poetry. I've always been a huge fan of Shel Silverstein, but that's about as far as my poetry appreciation goes. When I picked up Black Stars in a White Night Sky I was hoping for something along the lines of Silverstein's witty and humorous prose. The book definitely does not have the humor that I was hoping for, but JoArno Lawson has written some fairly funny gems. Black Stares in a White Night Sky contains 114 poems written by JoArno Lawson, along with some quirky black and white ink illustrations done by Sherwin Tjia.

This collection of poems is more suited to older children (the recommended age range is 9 to 12) as the poems are fairly nonsensical and abstract, and do not contain the rhyming verse that younger children would enjoy. I think that this book would be great for older children who already enjoy poems, and those looking for an introduction to poetry.

[Deva Fagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not generally a big reader of poetry but I really loved this. My favorite aspect of Lawson's poetry is how much FUN it is to say them aloud. As I sat reading through this I had to keep stopping to read them out to my husband (who also appreciated them). If you love wordplay like "Bartleby startles me" and "All of a sudden"/"All love is sudden" check this out!

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really sophisticated wordplay with poems that are still (mostly) child centered and child friendly. The illustrations should not be overlooked - somewhat comicky/reminiscent of The Little Prince.

[PeeEyeBee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminiscent of Those Quirky Classics

"I try to leave all
thoughts behind me
but they always know.

They start to search
and start to find me
everywhere I go.

Is being thoughtless such a crime?
My thoughts seem
to think so."

And that was Being Thoughtless, one of many wonderful, whimsical, yet subtly thoughtful poems from Black Stars in a White Night Sky, filled with little pieces of sparkly word-art that remind me of Silverstein more in their clever brevity, while illustrating a somewhat darker, wry humor that is uniquely Lawson.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is YA/children's poetry, but can easily enjoyed by adults. Written in very accessible free verse, JonArno Lawon's poems are always thought-provoking and I love nearly all of them. He chooses topic that are slightly off the beaten path, but are easily relatable. He's one of those poets that, after you read one of his poems, you often think -- yes, that's just exactly how I feel, only I never thought about it quite that way before!

[Literary Strawberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorites from this one:

Diving for Treasure

Her fair freckled face
sparkled bright
as a carnival

buffed by the crush
of the
cornicled deep--

she'd barked
her bare knuckles
on bevies of barnacles

waking a wreck
from
its coral-torn sleep.

An eerie unquiet
had scarred
all its treasure--

and thought she could see
it held wealth
beyond measure

she left it behind for the ocean to keep.

[Roxanne Hsu Feldman · Rating 2 out of 5]

The qualities of the poems are really uneven. The selection feels haphazard. There are some truly brilliant "stars" in this collection but at the same time, so many earthly pebbles. The not-so-impressive illustrations definitely did not help my enjoyment. Too bad -- I wanted so badly to love this.

[Karin · Rating 2 out of 5]

not a novel in verse but an actual collection of poetry. (i won't say how many pages i read before i figured that out.)
enjoyed some of the poems, enjoyed the structure of the poetic forms (vs. the free verse i usually read), but not all that impressed overall.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This year's Lion & Unicorn Award winner. Children's poetry at its best.

[Shoshana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lawson does humor in a truly sophisticated way, spinning complicated sentences with surprising rhymes. I'm really impressed!

[Adnan Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the wordplay. The book was hilarious and touching at the same time. For some reason it's categorized as for children, it felt like it was for adults.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a while since I read any poetry beyond Shel Silverstein. I enjoyed getting my feet wet again. Not all of them are masterpieces, but I could certainly relate to many of them!

[Savannah Campbell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to be honest and say there wasn't a single poem I enjoyed for myself or thought I could use with my kids.

[Susan]

not for hcl

[Maija · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite poems were "how without arms" and " the maple leaves that Mabel leaves".

[Mrs. Augustin]

Love his poetry. So fun and yet true!