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When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Picture Books (2016)december 29
and i woke to a morning
that was quiet and white
the first snow
(just like magic) came on tip toes
overnight
Flowers blooming in sheets of snow make way for happy frogs dancing in the rain. Summer swims move over for autumn sweaters until the snow comes back again. In Julie Fogliano's skilled hand and illustrated by Julie Morstad's charming pictures, the seasons come to life in this gorgeous and comprehensive book of poetry.
and i woke to a morning
that was quiet and white
the first snow
(just like magic) came on tip toes
overnight
Flowers blooming in sheets of snow make way for happy frogs dancing in the rain. Summer swims move over for autumn sweaters until the snow comes back again. In Julie Fogliano's skilled hand and illustrated by Julie Morstad's charming pictures, the seasons come to life in this gorgeous and comprehensive book of poetry.
56 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2016
About the author
Julie Fogliano
14 books130 followersJulie Fogliano has spent her entire life reading children's books. She lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 446 reviews
March 24, 2016
I don’t think I can adequately stress to you the degree to which I did not want to review this book. Not because it isn’t a magnificent title. And not because it isn’t pleasing to both eye and ear alike. No, it probably had more to do with the fact that it’s a work of poetry. I make a point of reviewing poetry regularly, though I’d be the first to say that it wasn’t my first language (if you know what I mean). I respect it but can occasionally find it tough going. I was determined to give this book its due, though. And the only way I could make myself physically sit down and review it was to read it cover to cover again. As I did so I was struck over and over, time and again, by just how melodious the language is here. Look, I’ll level with you. Seasonal poetry books are a dime a dozen. But what Fogliano and Morstad have created together is a lot more than just a book of poems for the changes of the year. This book manages to operate on a level that presents the very act of the seasonal cycle as positively philosophical, yet without distancing itself from its readership. It’s tricky territory, but together Fogliano and Morstad get the job done.
“from a snow-covered tree / one bird singing / each tweet poking / a tiny hole / through the edge of winter”. In the very first poem in When Green Becomes Tomatoes (a poem called “march 20”) the child reader is alerted to a change in the air. The snow is still present and the weather still gloomy, but there is hope on the horizon. Yet rather than turn the book into a paean to warmer weather, poet Julie Fogliano takes time to both celebrate and criticize the passing seasons. By the end of spring you look forward to summer and the end of summer leads to the relief of autumn, and so on and such. Accompanying these thoughts are small poems in lowercase and illustrations carrying the weight and expectations these seasons evoke in us. The end result can only be described in a single word: beautiful.
Like I said, I’ve read a lot of poetry books for kids about the seasons in my day. The good ones have some kind of a hook. Like Joyce Sidman tackling it with colors in Red Sings from Treetops or Jon J. Muth writing the poems entirely as haikus as in Hi, Koo! A Year in Seasons. But Fogliano doesn’t really have a hook, and so I approached the title with trepidation. No hook? You mean it was just going to be . . . poems?! It takes the courage of your convictions to do a poetry book for kids straight these days. And it’s not true that Fogliano didn’t have one ace up her sleeve. A lot of works of poetry start in January (when the year itself technically begins). Using a technique of highlighting random dates, this poet begins the book on March 20th, the first day of spring. A small hook, sure, but at least it's something.
As for the poems themselves, I was impressed not just with the writing, but with Ms. Fogliano’s grasp of what each season actually entails. There are a LOT of cloudy days, rainy days, and generally blah days in this book. They don’t weigh down the narrative or really make it all that gloomy. You just end up experiencing precisely the same feeling you have when you’re living those days. This is the rare book that acknowledges that spring doesn’t immediately mean sunshine and 55-degree temperatures. There’s a lot of snow and some mud and a whole ton of rain. Listen to how she puts it, though: “today / the sky was too busy sulking to rain / and the sun was exhausted from trying / and everyone / it seemed / had decided / to wear their sadness / on the outside / and even the birds / and all their singing / sounded brokenhearted / inside of all that gray.” It really isn’t until June that things even out, and I respect that. All the seasons are like that. It’s great to watch.
As you might have noted, the poetry found in this book straddles a line between being child-friendly and introspective (the two aren’t mutually exclusive, but neither are they always natural pairs). I found myself noting line after line after line that I wanted to quote. Here’s a small taste for each season.
On Spring: “shivering and huddled close / the forever rushing daffodils / wished they had waited.”
On Summer: “if you ever stopped / to taste a blueberry / you would know / that it’s not really about the blue, at all.”
On Fall: “october please / get back in bed / your hands are cold / your nose is red / october please / go back to bed / your sneezing woke december.”
On Winter: “a gust of wind / blew by my nose / i think i will be frozen soon / this living room / (all cozy chairs and fireplace) / has some real explaining to do.”
Some books of children’s poetry lean heavily on the works of other poets. I won’t presume to name her influences but if the July 12th poem is any indication then William Carlos Williams might have had some influence here. And maybe e.e. cummings too (with all that mudlicious mud).
When she was much younger it’s clear that author Julie Fogliano made some kind of a blood sacrifice to the God of Perfect Illustrator Pairings. How else to explain how she has managed to work alongside such artists as Erin E. Stead and now Julie Morstad? Morstad is no newbie to the field, of course. I’ve been a big fan of her for years, starting with her art for The Swing by Robert Louis Stevenson. Morstad’s great talent lies not necessarily in her waiflike black-eyed children, but rather in how she creates tone. Though there are plenty of sequences in this book of kids playing together or sharing food and soup, for the most part her characters go it alone. These poems are the contemplations of a young person with time and space and nature in spades. I don’t know that if I read Ms. Fogliano’s poetry without the art I would have picked up on that myself. Note too how cyclical the book is. The first poem is the last, sure as shooting, but so too is the person seen at both the beginning and the end. It’s the same kid wearing the same clothes, which makes a subtle implication that though a whole year has gone by, time is simply doubling back on itself. Not sure what to make of that one, frankly.
With poetry, we have to play the game of answering what ages we think the poems are appropriate for. This book poses a bit of a challenge on that front. Some are younger, some definitely older. This mix will allow kids of all ages to take part in the fun, even as the book asks questions like whether or not there is a space between where things begin and things end “or just a slow and gentle fading”. Enticing to the eye but, more importantly almost, alluring to the brain as kids parse what Fogliano is trying to say, this is a book that has the potential (with the right teacher or parent) to convert the formerly unconvertible to the wonders of poetry itself. The truth of the matter is this: Fogliano and Morstad will make poets of us all.
For ages 6 and up.
“from a snow-covered tree / one bird singing / each tweet poking / a tiny hole / through the edge of winter”. In the very first poem in When Green Becomes Tomatoes (a poem called “march 20”) the child reader is alerted to a change in the air. The snow is still present and the weather still gloomy, but there is hope on the horizon. Yet rather than turn the book into a paean to warmer weather, poet Julie Fogliano takes time to both celebrate and criticize the passing seasons. By the end of spring you look forward to summer and the end of summer leads to the relief of autumn, and so on and such. Accompanying these thoughts are small poems in lowercase and illustrations carrying the weight and expectations these seasons evoke in us. The end result can only be described in a single word: beautiful.
Like I said, I’ve read a lot of poetry books for kids about the seasons in my day. The good ones have some kind of a hook. Like Joyce Sidman tackling it with colors in Red Sings from Treetops or Jon J. Muth writing the poems entirely as haikus as in Hi, Koo! A Year in Seasons. But Fogliano doesn’t really have a hook, and so I approached the title with trepidation. No hook? You mean it was just going to be . . . poems?! It takes the courage of your convictions to do a poetry book for kids straight these days. And it’s not true that Fogliano didn’t have one ace up her sleeve. A lot of works of poetry start in January (when the year itself technically begins). Using a technique of highlighting random dates, this poet begins the book on March 20th, the first day of spring. A small hook, sure, but at least it's something.
As for the poems themselves, I was impressed not just with the writing, but with Ms. Fogliano’s grasp of what each season actually entails. There are a LOT of cloudy days, rainy days, and generally blah days in this book. They don’t weigh down the narrative or really make it all that gloomy. You just end up experiencing precisely the same feeling you have when you’re living those days. This is the rare book that acknowledges that spring doesn’t immediately mean sunshine and 55-degree temperatures. There’s a lot of snow and some mud and a whole ton of rain. Listen to how she puts it, though: “today / the sky was too busy sulking to rain / and the sun was exhausted from trying / and everyone / it seemed / had decided / to wear their sadness / on the outside / and even the birds / and all their singing / sounded brokenhearted / inside of all that gray.” It really isn’t until June that things even out, and I respect that. All the seasons are like that. It’s great to watch.
As you might have noted, the poetry found in this book straddles a line between being child-friendly and introspective (the two aren’t mutually exclusive, but neither are they always natural pairs). I found myself noting line after line after line that I wanted to quote. Here’s a small taste for each season.
On Spring: “shivering and huddled close / the forever rushing daffodils / wished they had waited.”
On Summer: “if you ever stopped / to taste a blueberry / you would know / that it’s not really about the blue, at all.”
On Fall: “october please / get back in bed / your hands are cold / your nose is red / october please / go back to bed / your sneezing woke december.”
On Winter: “a gust of wind / blew by my nose / i think i will be frozen soon / this living room / (all cozy chairs and fireplace) / has some real explaining to do.”
Some books of children’s poetry lean heavily on the works of other poets. I won’t presume to name her influences but if the July 12th poem is any indication then William Carlos Williams might have had some influence here. And maybe e.e. cummings too (with all that mudlicious mud).
When she was much younger it’s clear that author Julie Fogliano made some kind of a blood sacrifice to the God of Perfect Illustrator Pairings. How else to explain how she has managed to work alongside such artists as Erin E. Stead and now Julie Morstad? Morstad is no newbie to the field, of course. I’ve been a big fan of her for years, starting with her art for The Swing by Robert Louis Stevenson. Morstad’s great talent lies not necessarily in her waiflike black-eyed children, but rather in how she creates tone. Though there are plenty of sequences in this book of kids playing together or sharing food and soup, for the most part her characters go it alone. These poems are the contemplations of a young person with time and space and nature in spades. I don’t know that if I read Ms. Fogliano’s poetry without the art I would have picked up on that myself. Note too how cyclical the book is. The first poem is the last, sure as shooting, but so too is the person seen at both the beginning and the end. It’s the same kid wearing the same clothes, which makes a subtle implication that though a whole year has gone by, time is simply doubling back on itself. Not sure what to make of that one, frankly.
With poetry, we have to play the game of answering what ages we think the poems are appropriate for. This book poses a bit of a challenge on that front. Some are younger, some definitely older. This mix will allow kids of all ages to take part in the fun, even as the book asks questions like whether or not there is a space between where things begin and things end “or just a slow and gentle fading”. Enticing to the eye but, more importantly almost, alluring to the brain as kids parse what Fogliano is trying to say, this is a book that has the potential (with the right teacher or parent) to convert the formerly unconvertible to the wonders of poetry itself. The truth of the matter is this: Fogliano and Morstad will make poets of us all.
For ages 6 and up.
February 27, 2021
Well, I have always loved poetry, and I have in particular always adored lyrical songs and verses about the seasons, about spring, summer, fall and in particular my favourite season, winter. And thus I was of course massively looking forward to finally getting a chance to read Julie Fogliano's award winning When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons. But unfortunately and yes, rather sadly and frustratingly, I really did not end up enjoying or even appreciating this collection of seasonally inspired children's verses all that much (and have really only found a very select few that I personally would consider truly lyrical and special, would consider a worthy paean, an homage to the seasons, to life, growth and the glories of spring, summer, autumn and winter). But yes, I do realise and understand that poetry, that any kind of lyricism is generally, is often an intensely personal reading experience, and I was therefore right from the start not expecting to enjoy ALL of the featured poems equally (but really, from the forty or so verses, only about six of them ended up being what I would call enjoyable and meaningful to and for me, and that is not nearly enough for me to consider When Green Becomes Tomatoes as an in any way satisfying and even all that suitable anthology of collected poems).
Still and nevertheless I do appreciate and acknowledge the fact that the poems featured in When Green Becomes Tomatoes are meant for perusal by children, and I would probably (perhaps a bit grudgingly, but still probably) have considered a low three star rating for When Green Becomes Tomatoes if Julie Morstad's accompanying illustrations had been more to my personal tastes, but especially, if the author had actually used lyrically descriptive titles for her verse headings and not these mundane specific, numerical calendar dates (which are both woefully unimaginative and also kind of limit the geographic scope of the poems, for where I live, many of particularly the autumn and spring inspired inclusions do not always and actually only very very rarely fit with the calendar dates Julie Fogliano has provided for her headings, for her poetry titles).
And with regard to the accompanying illustrations, I do indeed well realise that they are colourful, adeptly conceptualised and generally very tender and sweet (and would likely as such also be a hit with and for many children). But indeed, to me and for me, Julie Morstad's pictorial offerings are simply too saccharine, too standardly traditional and stagnant, and as such generally much devoid of expressivity, and thus not ever really providing an appropriate or complementary mirror of and for the poems featured, the descriptive verbal and textual portraits of the seasons (and yes, I do have to admit that the lack of titles for the verses, or rather the fact that Julie Fogliano has as mentioned above only provided these limited and limiting calendar dates, that one salient fact alone was and remains truly enough of a personal annoyance and frustrating pet peeve for me to only consider two stars for When Green Becomes Tomatoes, its ALA Notable designation and honour totally notwithstanding).
Still and nevertheless I do appreciate and acknowledge the fact that the poems featured in When Green Becomes Tomatoes are meant for perusal by children, and I would probably (perhaps a bit grudgingly, but still probably) have considered a low three star rating for When Green Becomes Tomatoes if Julie Morstad's accompanying illustrations had been more to my personal tastes, but especially, if the author had actually used lyrically descriptive titles for her verse headings and not these mundane specific, numerical calendar dates (which are both woefully unimaginative and also kind of limit the geographic scope of the poems, for where I live, many of particularly the autumn and spring inspired inclusions do not always and actually only very very rarely fit with the calendar dates Julie Fogliano has provided for her headings, for her poetry titles).
And with regard to the accompanying illustrations, I do indeed well realise that they are colourful, adeptly conceptualised and generally very tender and sweet (and would likely as such also be a hit with and for many children). But indeed, to me and for me, Julie Morstad's pictorial offerings are simply too saccharine, too standardly traditional and stagnant, and as such generally much devoid of expressivity, and thus not ever really providing an appropriate or complementary mirror of and for the poems featured, the descriptive verbal and textual portraits of the seasons (and yes, I do have to admit that the lack of titles for the verses, or rather the fact that Julie Fogliano has as mentioned above only provided these limited and limiting calendar dates, that one salient fact alone was and remains truly enough of a personal annoyance and frustrating pet peeve for me to only consider two stars for When Green Becomes Tomatoes, its ALA Notable designation and honour totally notwithstanding).
May 28, 2017
I told my librarian I wanted to keep this gem of a poetry book for myself. She didn't like that idea, so I guess I will have to make a trip to the book store;)
December 4, 2016
Sheesh. This should be right up my alley. Nature poetry for children, pretty pictures, an author I've previously enjoyed. But no. The 'poems' are trite and instantly forgettable. The pictures are merely greeting card pretty. And the subject matter is very specific - I do not believe there are very many children who live where there are four seasons that fall exactly on the calendar dates (I know I never have lived in such a place, and certainly city children will be awfully lucky to have even half of these experiences at any time). But this is what Bechtel would call a 'parlor gift book' and what I would compare to Disney or Kincaid. Don't bother.
November 4, 2016
Each year I and my family read and rate all the Goodreads picture book nominees. This one is nominated for 2016. I make a few comments and then add their separate ratings and a comment. There's 15 and this is the fourth being rated. My rating might be somewhat influenced by the family, naturally.
From spring to spring, four seasons of poems. Long for a picture book, maybe so an upper el through tween book, though I think it is really all ages because the poetry is very good throughout, personal and sweet and that pen and watercolor art matches that warmth and sweetness.
march 22
just like a tiny, blue hello
a crocus blloming
in the snow
february 3
with snow arms sagging
the spruce seemed to know
that beautiful outweighs the snow
Tara (my wife): 3 1/2 stars. Some good poems. I liked how it started and ended with the same poem. I liked the art.
Harry (11): 3 stars. I liked the poems and the art. I'm not much of a poem guy, though.
Hank (10): 4 1/2 stars. I like how the narrator of the poems told stuff about the seasons and her life.
Lyra (9): 4 stars. Kind of long, a lot of poems, but I like the art and poems.
From spring to spring, four seasons of poems. Long for a picture book, maybe so an upper el through tween book, though I think it is really all ages because the poetry is very good throughout, personal and sweet and that pen and watercolor art matches that warmth and sweetness.
march 22
just like a tiny, blue hello
a crocus blloming
in the snow
february 3
with snow arms sagging
the spruce seemed to know
that beautiful outweighs the snow
Tara (my wife): 3 1/2 stars. Some good poems. I liked how it started and ended with the same poem. I liked the art.
Harry (11): 3 stars. I liked the poems and the art. I'm not much of a poem guy, though.
Hank (10): 4 1/2 stars. I like how the narrator of the poems told stuff about the seasons and her life.
Lyra (9): 4 stars. Kind of long, a lot of poems, but I like the art and poems.
May 25, 2019
I picked up this little poetry book at a discount. It was in the children's section, but I really don't think it's a book for kids. It's more of a book for adults who want to reminisce about being kids.
Most of the poems don't rhyme, and rhyming is an expectation a lot of kids will have. (It's an expectation a lot of adults will have, too, when they pick up a poetry book aimed at children.) Some of the poems are quite lovely, don't get me wrong, but others come across as pretentious word-salad.
The illustrations are pretty. Kids will probably enjoy looking at those, at the very least. But I can't really see most of these poems holding their interest. The book's value will be mostly for the parents, as it gives voice to a child's experience of the seasons. The fact that that voice is an adult one means that When Green Becomes Tomatoes probably isn't going to be a favourite of younger readers.
Most of the poems don't rhyme, and rhyming is an expectation a lot of kids will have. (It's an expectation a lot of adults will have, too, when they pick up a poetry book aimed at children.) Some of the poems are quite lovely, don't get me wrong, but others come across as pretentious word-salad.
The illustrations are pretty. Kids will probably enjoy looking at those, at the very least. But I can't really see most of these poems holding their interest. The book's value will be mostly for the parents, as it gives voice to a child's experience of the seasons. The fact that that voice is an adult one means that When Green Becomes Tomatoes probably isn't going to be a favourite of younger readers.
January 25, 2022
Can't believe I'm giving four stars to a poetry book, but this is fantastic. Good-enough-for-both-a-Newbery-and-Caldecott fantastic. Really good stuff.
I think the reason I like it so much is the same thing holding it back from five stars: it's really slight. It's not telling a story (something for which I've found poetry to be a poor fit). Instead, this book highlights the passing seasons with unique, lovely phrasing.
I'm not sure who exactly is the audience for this book, by the way (besides for, you know, me): I'd guess children who've just started to read longer books, because this is much more than the length I expect a picture book to be.
I think the reason I like it so much is the same thing holding it back from five stars: it's really slight. It's not telling a story (something for which I've found poetry to be a poor fit). Instead, this book highlights the passing seasons with unique, lovely phrasing.
I'm not sure who exactly is the audience for this book, by the way (besides for, you know, me): I'd guess children who've just started to read longer books, because this is much more than the length I expect a picture book to be.
September 6, 2018
This was not appealing to me at all. I found myself skimming the poems and not enjoying them. It seemed too drawn out and long. I enjoyed the illustrations though, which earns it the 2 stars. Monarch 2019 nominee.
April 3, 2016
Perfection in so many words - one word, one image at a time
August 10, 2021
I'm glad that on a whim I picked this book off the "new" shelf at the library. It begins with Spring and then through the seasons until you come to Spring again. I think I need to own this book.
Magical
September 22
I still love you sunshine and swimming and sea
and strawberries, you know that i do
but i'm ready to move on
to something that's new
so now, i am waiting for sweaters
6/9/16 Read with Naomi
2016 - A book published in 2016
7/21/19 Read with Julia
2019 - A book with a verb in the title
I still thoroughly enjoyed this lovely little poetry book. The illustrations are spot on too. It makes me wish I lived somewhere with four seasons.
august 3
if you want to be sure
that you are nothing more than small
stand at the edge of the ocean
looking out
8/2021 I still love it
Magical
September 22
I still love you sunshine and swimming and sea
and strawberries, you know that i do
but i'm ready to move on
to something that's new
so now, i am waiting for sweaters
6/9/16 Read with Naomi
2016 - A book published in 2016
7/21/19 Read with Julia
2019 - A book with a verb in the title
I still thoroughly enjoyed this lovely little poetry book. The illustrations are spot on too. It makes me wish I lived somewhere with four seasons.
august 3
if you want to be sure
that you are nothing more than small
stand at the edge of the ocean
looking out
8/2021 I still love it
October 9, 2016
There are a lot of books out there on seasons. There are a lot of poetry books out there on seasons. When Green Becomes Tomatoes is my new favorite. Julie Fogliano captures the very essence of the seasons in each of her bite size poems...discovery, beauty, sadness, stillness, alone, together - all of the ways and feelings that come with living the cycle of nature. And Julie Morstad's illustrations make me want to jump in the book to experience it all. I love this book and will definitely recommend it to elementary teachers doing units on poetry, seasons, plants, and for the sheer joy of enjoying beautiful words and pictures.
May 10, 2016
I did like the poems very much, especially since there was one poem for my birthday! I liked the illustrations, and I thought that they went very well with the poems, but I did not think they were outstanding.
September 19, 2016
I drank this book in and discovered a new favorite line: "the strawberries are furious/and i think i just heard/even the roses sigh." Absolutely splendid.
August 23, 2019
Opening and closing on March 20th, at the beginning of spring and the end of winter, this collection of forty-nine poems - some short, some long - chronicles the beauties of the year, with sections devoted to each of the seasons. The same poem book-ends the collection on each end, and makes for a lovely introduction and conclusion: "from a snow covered tree / one bird singing / each tweet poking / a tiny hole / through the edge of winter / and landing carefully / balancing gently / on the tip of spring."
From hot days at the beach to cold days snuggled up reading in a chair, the experiences depicted here are those many children might share, and correspond to the time of year. Fogliano captures the way in which seasonal change affects life for children very nicely in her poems, and some of her word choice, when describing the beauty of the natural world, is quite striking. I enjoyed the poems in When Green Becomes Tomatoes, which reminded me of some of my own joy at different times of the year, and found the accompanying artwork by Julie Morstad just lovely. Recommended to anyone looking for good collections of poetry for young children, or for seasonal picture-books.
From hot days at the beach to cold days snuggled up reading in a chair, the experiences depicted here are those many children might share, and correspond to the time of year. Fogliano captures the way in which seasonal change affects life for children very nicely in her poems, and some of her word choice, when describing the beauty of the natural world, is quite striking. I enjoyed the poems in When Green Becomes Tomatoes, which reminded me of some of my own joy at different times of the year, and found the accompanying artwork by Julie Morstad just lovely. Recommended to anyone looking for good collections of poetry for young children, or for seasonal picture-books.
August 11, 2018
Super cute! 🍅 🌲 🍁 ☔️ ☀️
July 30, 2018
Lovely poetry for year round. Brain and heart food right here. 💜
January 27, 2016
A beautiful book in terms of words and illustrations, each poem giving you just a taste of the day/season and the illustrations too, just touch on the event, mood. I sent the March one about mud to several friends with kids in college in New England because it is just perfect.....what's left is muddy mud. There is longing in these poems, for the season to come (in the fall there are thoughts of sweater) and appreciation for the time at present (love the swimming illustrations) and just a wonderful sense of nature, time, joy. Impatience also resonates, tired of rain, scolding October for waking up December. A delight for all ages, a book to read and re-read, on a picnic, in front of the fireplace, when you're taking a break from raking leaves. Lovely lovely.
March 13, 2016
My favorite new spring release. A perfect poetry diary complimented by illustrations by Julie Morstad. Ms. Morstad is one of today's most magnificent picture book illustrator's. Anyone working with children's literature, illustration and art or has kids-needs this book. It is the best of the best.
January 11, 2017
It's a poetry book for kids. I liked that there was a variety of poems and that they weren't all rhyming poems. We skipped a few as I didn't want her to lose interest and wanted to end on a high note with it.
November 30, 2016
I'm not sure I can pick a favorite poem from this collection, they're all that good.
July 22, 2017
Related to many of these poems of the seasons. Beginning and ending come back together again.
Read
April 17, 2016Move through the seasons in this book of superb poetry. Each season is captured in small moments. Spring is shown in a bird singing on a branch, a crocus in snow, gray skies, rain, and red rubber boots. It turns to summer with poems that show that transition. Summer then is swimming, grass, fireflies, tomatoes, stars, and blueberries. Fall glides in with promises of sweaters, leaves and pumpkins. A bare time leads to snow in winter, snuggling at the fireside, and again a bird on a branch singing in spring. Each poem here is a gem, a glimpse of a moment in a season that captures it so completely.
I know that there are so many books of seasonal poetry! Yet this is one that is worth buying and having and reading and handing to people. It is a book of poetry that is accessible and simple, yet one that speaks beyond what it is saying, just like blueberries are more than their color and the gray skies of spring speak beyond into pure emotion. It’s a book of poetry that invites you to see the world through Fogliano’s words and you realize you share that same world but could never have said it this way. Incredible.
Morstad’s illustrations are exactly what these poems needed. Her art is simple and yet incredibly beautiful. The colors have real depth to them, the grass is rich in green and yellows, the tomatoes plump with red juiciness, and the water invites readers to dive in too. The children on the pages are diverse in a way that is effortless and inclusive.
One of the best books of poetry I have read in a long time, this one is a seasonal treat too good to miss. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
I know that there are so many books of seasonal poetry! Yet this is one that is worth buying and having and reading and handing to people. It is a book of poetry that is accessible and simple, yet one that speaks beyond what it is saying, just like blueberries are more than their color and the gray skies of spring speak beyond into pure emotion. It’s a book of poetry that invites you to see the world through Fogliano’s words and you realize you share that same world but could never have said it this way. Incredible.
Morstad’s illustrations are exactly what these poems needed. Her art is simple and yet incredibly beautiful. The colors have real depth to them, the grass is rich in green and yellows, the tomatoes plump with red juiciness, and the water invites readers to dive in too. The children on the pages are diverse in a way that is effortless and inclusive.
One of the best books of poetry I have read in a long time, this one is a seasonal treat too good to miss. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
July 4, 2016
Modestly successful poetry recommended for grades 3 and up. The poems that jumped out at me the most were fall ones about leaves, which had a fun rhythm to them. The rest of the book was competent but not distinguished. The beautiful illustrations are playful and evocative- much more so than the poems.
A slightly jarring aspect of the book was the mysterious geography. The poems seem intended to be universal, but region-specific details keep popping up. For example, Cincinnati has forests and seasons like the ones described in the book, so I got lulled into thinking about Cincinnati through the seasons. Then, out of the blue, the book is describing mountains, which we don't have. I think it would have made for a more consistent reading experience if there was a stated locale (probably the Hudson Valley).
I read this in anticipation of the 2017 Newberys. Of the four books I have read this season, this is one of the better ones. I am still holding out hope, however, that I will discover a different book with more distinguished traits. Booked and The Nine Lives of Jacob Tibbs seem the most likely, but I would also like to read Wolf Hollow and Paper Wishes.
A slightly jarring aspect of the book was the mysterious geography. The poems seem intended to be universal, but region-specific details keep popping up. For example, Cincinnati has forests and seasons like the ones described in the book, so I got lulled into thinking about Cincinnati through the seasons. Then, out of the blue, the book is describing mountains, which we don't have. I think it would have made for a more consistent reading experience if there was a stated locale (probably the Hudson Valley).
I read this in anticipation of the 2017 Newberys. Of the four books I have read this season, this is one of the better ones. I am still holding out hope, however, that I will discover a different book with more distinguished traits. Booked and The Nine Lives of Jacob Tibbs seem the most likely, but I would also like to read Wolf Hollow and Paper Wishes.
June 19, 2018
Content Area: Science
When Green Becomes Tomatoes is a delightful, poetic form of educating children about the 4 seasons that we experience yearly. The twin text I have chosen to pair with it is A Friend For All Seasons, which is a story about a raccoon named Robbie who lives in an Oak Tree which he calls “Old Father Oak” whom he is very fond of. He grows concerned as Old Father Oak begins to change, but his mother is sure to ease his mind by telling him about how the tree changes according to the season, taking us on a pleasant journey as both Old Father Oak, Robbie and his mother change through the seasons. I chose this text because it ties along well with When Green Becomes Tomatoes. While A Friend For All Seasons provides us with a peek into the cycle of seasons and how they differ, my non-fiction text delves further into each season, providing detailed and insightful information pertaining to these natural occurrences. A Friend For All Seasons is the perfect way to prompt children into wanting to know more about nature and how it works. Therefore, I believe that these books fit perfectly together.
In this case, I would use the strategy of Activating Prior Knowledge. I would prompt my students to utilize their thinking skills by use of brainstorming. I would initiate a brainstorming session to see what the students knew about the seasons, and then after reading the books to them, revisit the session to add/remove new learnings.
Source:
Hubery, Julia. (2007). A Friend for All Seasons. New York City, NY. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
When Green Becomes Tomatoes is a delightful, poetic form of educating children about the 4 seasons that we experience yearly. The twin text I have chosen to pair with it is A Friend For All Seasons, which is a story about a raccoon named Robbie who lives in an Oak Tree which he calls “Old Father Oak” whom he is very fond of. He grows concerned as Old Father Oak begins to change, but his mother is sure to ease his mind by telling him about how the tree changes according to the season, taking us on a pleasant journey as both Old Father Oak, Robbie and his mother change through the seasons. I chose this text because it ties along well with When Green Becomes Tomatoes. While A Friend For All Seasons provides us with a peek into the cycle of seasons and how they differ, my non-fiction text delves further into each season, providing detailed and insightful information pertaining to these natural occurrences. A Friend For All Seasons is the perfect way to prompt children into wanting to know more about nature and how it works. Therefore, I believe that these books fit perfectly together.
In this case, I would use the strategy of Activating Prior Knowledge. I would prompt my students to utilize their thinking skills by use of brainstorming. I would initiate a brainstorming session to see what the students knew about the seasons, and then after reading the books to them, revisit the session to add/remove new learnings.
Source:
Hubery, Julia. (2007). A Friend for All Seasons. New York City, NY. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
January 31, 2017
I got this as a (suprising) gift, maybe because I love illustrations, or maybe because I love plants and everything earthy, but most definitely because I love beautiful books.
Though the poems are primariliy meant for children, I find they work for all ages, especially in combination with those lovely illustrations – and they include diverse children, yay! Illustrator Julie Morstad used gouache and pencil crayon, which work wonderfully with all the white space she allowed. The poems breathe and it all gives off that light and airy feeling of standing outside, with a breeze on your face and sunlight peeks through the trees.
It's not deep poetry, but I don't mind that, quite the contrary. It's delightful in its simplicity, and just like throughout the year, you've got special days and you've got ordinary days, and it's the same here too. And still, you can find meaning and sweet imagery:
april 3
today
the sky was too busy sulking to rain
and the sun was exhausted from trying
and everyone
it seemed
had decided
to wear their sadness
on the outside
and even the birds
and all their singing
sounded brokenhearted
inside of all that gray
august 30
if you could take a bite
out of the middle of this morning
it would be sweet
and dripping
like peaches
Definitely something I want to reread, slowly and quietly "aloud".
Though the poems are primariliy meant for children, I find they work for all ages, especially in combination with those lovely illustrations – and they include diverse children, yay! Illustrator Julie Morstad used gouache and pencil crayon, which work wonderfully with all the white space she allowed. The poems breathe and it all gives off that light and airy feeling of standing outside, with a breeze on your face and sunlight peeks through the trees.
It's not deep poetry, but I don't mind that, quite the contrary. It's delightful in its simplicity, and just like throughout the year, you've got special days and you've got ordinary days, and it's the same here too. And still, you can find meaning and sweet imagery:
april 3
today
the sky was too busy sulking to rain
and the sun was exhausted from trying
and everyone
it seemed
had decided
to wear their sadness
on the outside
and even the birds
and all their singing
sounded brokenhearted
inside of all that gray
august 30
if you could take a bite
out of the middle of this morning
it would be sweet
and dripping
like peaches
Definitely something I want to reread, slowly and quietly "aloud".
November 21, 2016
I decided to read this book after hearing it praised on Heavy Medal, the School Library Journal blog that discusses the Newbery Medal and its contenders. I wanted to see if I felt the same as the others who had praised the book. I am very happy to say that I do feel the same way. The book is gorgeous both in language and art. I've rarely seen a book that fits together so beautifully. The poems start with spring, travel through summer and fall, take the reader through winter and back to spring. The language is so evocative and beautiful I even read it out loud to myself just to hear how it sounded. This is a book that works well on so many levels. The language makes for a great exercise in the power of visualization and description. Combining the art and the words would make for delicious conversations about blending the vision of both author and illustrator. And the size and design of the book work so well, perfect in terms of child-size hands. I think my favorite poem was the pumpkin one for October 31. Half of the poem is made up of the word pumpkin. Here is a selection:
pumpkin sprout
pumpkin shoot
pumpkin leaf
pumpkin root
pumpkin vine
pumpkin growing
pumpkin wander
pumpkin going
The whole poem takes the pumpkin from seed through the growth cycle and back to seed. Truly a worthy Newbery contender from my point of view.
pumpkin sprout
pumpkin shoot
pumpkin leaf
pumpkin root
pumpkin vine
pumpkin growing
pumpkin wander
pumpkin going
The whole poem takes the pumpkin from seed through the growth cycle and back to seed. Truly a worthy Newbery contender from my point of view.
Read
June 22, 2018When Green Becomes Tomatoes by Julie Morstad
Fiction Twin Text: Scott, M. (2016). Corduroy’s Seasons. New York, NY: Penguin Random House.
The possible content-area crossover is most likely science, but it could also be incorporated into language or literature because it is written in poems. At first, I picked this book because I thought that it was about how plants grow, a major core concept in elementary school science. However, I quickly realized as I was reading it that it was a unique teaching about the seasons through poems. I thought that the fictional pairing was perfect because it is a rhyming concept book. Not only are the students being exposed to two different teachings about the seasons, they are also being exposed to different kinds of poetic writing. I would use the fiction text to enhance the reading by activating prior knowledge before jumping into the nonfiction text. I would first start by asking them about their experiences with the different seasons. Then I would read the fictional pairing to see what else they recall about the seasons. Last, I would read the nonfiction book to really delve into the changing of the seasons and what that all entails. I would probably pair this with some sort of lessons about it as well.
Reference:
Camp, D. (2000). It takes two: Teaching with twin texts of fact and fiction. The Reading Teacher, 53(5), pp. 400-408.
Fiction Twin Text: Scott, M. (2016). Corduroy’s Seasons. New York, NY: Penguin Random House.
The possible content-area crossover is most likely science, but it could also be incorporated into language or literature because it is written in poems. At first, I picked this book because I thought that it was about how plants grow, a major core concept in elementary school science. However, I quickly realized as I was reading it that it was a unique teaching about the seasons through poems. I thought that the fictional pairing was perfect because it is a rhyming concept book. Not only are the students being exposed to two different teachings about the seasons, they are also being exposed to different kinds of poetic writing. I would use the fiction text to enhance the reading by activating prior knowledge before jumping into the nonfiction text. I would first start by asking them about their experiences with the different seasons. Then I would read the fictional pairing to see what else they recall about the seasons. Last, I would read the nonfiction book to really delve into the changing of the seasons and what that all entails. I would probably pair this with some sort of lessons about it as well.
Reference:
Camp, D. (2000). It takes two: Teaching with twin texts of fact and fiction. The Reading Teacher, 53(5), pp. 400-408.
April 4, 2016
Mother Nature and the calendar may have designated the vernal equinox as March 20, 2016 in the northern hemisphere but the first day of April heralds an event in the literary world which cements this annual change. National Poetry Month is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year with a host of activities available for participants on their website. There is no better time to collect words expressing the shift in seasons than the renewal of life after a winter's rest.
As the days move forward the noticed differences are sometimes subtle, slight and soft and other times loud, large and vibrant. In her first work of poetry author Julie Fogliano (And Then It's Spring, If you want to see a whale) beginning with spring follows the seasons documenting her observations with dates. The illustrations of Julie Morstad (This Is Sadie, Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova) delicately portray defining moments. When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, March 1, 2016) is a collection of thankfulness, gentle, simple and straight from the heart.
My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...
December 22, 2016
We have to welcome this collection of poems which with few means- words , colors, imagination and talent gives to everyone young at heart moments of delightful joy. Attributing human features to things that define the four seasons, Julie shows that the power of imagination can make many ordinary things without any appeal for our senses look like funny people who have no other intentions than to make us laugh (the dull month of October has a cold, strawberries are furious, and the snow comes on tiptoes). I loved all illustrations accompanying each poem - they filled my heart with gentle warm feelings which stayed long after I finished reading the last page.
october 22
"october please
get back in bed
your hands are cold
your nose is red
october please
got back to bed
your sneezing woke december"
April 27
“today
under a magnolia tree
i ran into a dachshund named paul
…
poor paul
if he would look up
for a second
and notice the magnolia
with their pink
and their white
and their gentle flutters
he would soon realize
that it’s not so bad
to be a dog
tied to a tree
in the shade
when it’s springtime
and fluttering”
september 10
"a star is someone else's sun
more flicker glow than blinding
a speck of light too far for bright
and too small to make a morning"
october 22
"october please
get back in bed
your hands are cold
your nose is red
october please
got back to bed
your sneezing woke december"
April 27
“today
under a magnolia tree
i ran into a dachshund named paul
…
poor paul
if he would look up
for a second
and notice the magnolia
with their pink
and their white
and their gentle flutters
he would soon realize
that it’s not so bad
to be a dog
tied to a tree
in the shade
when it’s springtime
and fluttering”
september 10
"a star is someone else's sun
more flicker glow than blinding
a speck of light too far for bright
and too small to make a morning"
November 8, 2016
A beautiful book with great pictures told through the eyes of a child and how they see the changing of the seasons.
march 22
just like a tiny, blue hello
a crocus blooming
in the snow
may 20
"enough already"
i whispered
to the clouds
(just loud enough
for the sun to overhear
but not enough to wake the rain)
"the strawberries are furious
and i think i just heard
even the roses sigh"
june 15
you can taste the sunshine
and the buzzing
and the breeze
while eating berries off the bush
on berry hands
and berry knees
august 30
if you could take a bite
out of the middle of this morning
it would be sweet
and dripping
like peaches
and you would need a river
to jump in
before a bee comes along
and calls you a flower
january 30
it is the best kind of day
when it is snowing
and the house
sounds like slippers
and sipping
and there is nowhere to go
but the kitchen
for a cookie
march 13
politely
but tired of mittens
i asked the winter to please tell the snow
thank you very much, but no
march 22
just like a tiny, blue hello
a crocus blooming
in the snow
may 20
"enough already"
i whispered
to the clouds
(just loud enough
for the sun to overhear
but not enough to wake the rain)
"the strawberries are furious
and i think i just heard
even the roses sigh"
june 15
you can taste the sunshine
and the buzzing
and the breeze
while eating berries off the bush
on berry hands
and berry knees
august 30
if you could take a bite
out of the middle of this morning
it would be sweet
and dripping
like peaches
and you would need a river
to jump in
before a bee comes along
and calls you a flower
january 30
it is the best kind of day
when it is snowing
and the house
sounds like slippers
and sipping
and there is nowhere to go
but the kitchen
for a cookie
march 13
politely
but tired of mittens
i asked the winter to please tell the snow
thank you very much, but no
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