Blooming Beneath the Sun

by Christina Rossetti, Ashley Bryan (Illustrator)

Newbery Award honoree Ashley Bryan has hand-selected a collection of celebrated English poet Christina Rossetti’s poems to illustrate with his inimitable flourish.The world changes so quickly, but the joy and fun of being a child always remains. Christina Rossetti’s classic nursery rhymes have embodied the simple essence of childhood for centuries, and now award-winning illustrator Ashley Bryan brings new life to them with this wonderfully illustrated selection of Rossetti’s poetry. Bryan’s bright and intricate collage art perfectly complement Rossetti’s simple text, and together they create a vibrant book for both kids—and kids at heart.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Childrens, Nature, Classics, Nonfiction

40 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 16, 2019

About the author

Christina Georgina Rossetti, sister of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, wrote lyrical religious works and ballads, such as "Up-hill" (1861).

Frances Polidori Rossetti bore this most important women poet writing in nineteenth-century England to Gabriele Rossetti. Despite her fundamentally religious temperament, closer to that of her mother, this youngest member of a remarkable family of poets, artists, and critics inherited many of her artistic tendencies from her father.

Dante made seemingly quite attractive if not beautiful but somewhat idealized sketches of Christina as a teenager. In 1848, James Collinson, one of the minor pre-Raphaelite brethren, engaged her but reverted to Roman Catholicism and afterward ended the engagement.

When failing health and eyesight forced the professor into retirement in 1853, Christina and her mother started a day school, attempting to support the family, but after a year or so, gave it away. Thereafter, a recurring illness, diagnosed as sometimes angina and sometimes tuberculosis, interrupted a very retiring life that she led. From the early 1860s, she in love with Charles Cayley, but according to her brother William, refused to marry him because "she enquired into his creed and found he was not a Christian." Milk-and-water Anglicanism was not to her taste. Lona Mosk Packer argues that her poems conceal a love for the painter William Bell Scott, but there is no other evidence for this theory, and the most respected scholar of the Pre-Raphaelite movement disputes the dates on which Packer thinks some of the more revealing poems were written.

All three Rossetti women, at first devout members of the evangelical branch of the Church of England, were drawn toward the Tractarians in the 1840s. They nevertheless retained their evangelical seriousness: Maria eventually became an Anglican nun, and Christina's religious scruples remind one of Dorothea Brooke in George Eliot's Middlemarch : as Eliot's heroine looked forward to giving up riding because she enjoyed it so much, so Christina gave up chess because she found she enjoyed winning; pasted paper strips over the antireligious parts of Swinburne's Atalanta in Calydon (which allowed her to enjoy the poem very much); objected to nudity in painting, especially if the artist was a woman; and refused even to go see Wagner's Parsifal, because it celebrated a pagan mythology.

After rejecting Cayley in 1866, according one biographer, Christina (like many Victorian spinsters) lived vicariously in the lives of other people. Although pretty much a stay-at-home, her circle included her brothers' friends, like Whistler, Swinburne, F.M. Brown, and Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll). She continued to write and in the 1870s to work for the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. She was troubled physically by neuralgia and emotionally by Dante's breakdown in 1872. The last 12 years of her life, after his death in 1882, were quiet ones. She died of cancer.

Reviews

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Award-winning artist Ashley Bryan takes on the classic rhymes of Christina Rossetti with beautiful cut-paper illustrations. It's wonderful to think that Ashley Bryan is still doing magnificent work at ninety-five years of age.

You will undoubtedly recognize most of these poems...Who Has Seen the Wind?...If a Pig Wore a Wig...The Peacock Has a Score of Eyes...Kookoorookoo Kookoorookoo...I Dreamt I Caught a Little Owl....

Beautiful work.

[Little Ducky]

My mommy read these poems to me and I liked listening to them and finding the flowers on the pages. But some of the pictures made me feel uncomfortable and even a little scared, especially the people and some of the animals. The layered cut-paper style made them look very unnatural. My big brother compared them to Picasso's art. We really liked the poetry but wished the pictures were different. 👶

[Ardith · Rating 1 out of 5]

"If I Were a Queen
What would I do?
I'd make you King,
And I'd wait on you."

That's one of the poems, in its entirety. I'm not sure that's a great lesson to be teaching.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blooming Beneath the Sun by Christina Rossetti, illustrated by Ashley Bryan. POETRY/PICTURE BOOK. Atheneum (Simon), 2019. $18. 9781534440920

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Bryan has taken Rosetti’s classic poems and added his own cut paper art illustrations in his vibrant colors and exuberant style. Some of the illustrations feel more appropriate to the tone of the poems than others. Art teachers may be interested in this to show a deeper range of this artistic style beyond Matisse. A classroom teacher can be inspired for a short art/poetry lesson.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Illustrations and poems fell flat for me. However, there were two poems that I read to my 3-month-old grandson, complete with sound effects. He loved that.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and diverse poems meet with colorful and artistic illustrations to create a wonderful launch into the world of poetry.

Christina Rossetti embraces a vast variety of topics in her poems, ranging from winds to a pig in a wig to cats and so much more. The poems are relatively simply, four to eight lines, and worded in a meaningful way, yet still simple enough for kids to understand. Some are whimsical, some gentle and others hold a drop of wisdom. It's a lovely collection for first exposures to poetry.

The illustrations are bright and allow the art to whip away with imaginative style. While some scenes are easier to understand than others, favorites are sure to be found. Fantasy flows through the lines and contrasts, allowing the artistic flair to run right along with the poetry. It creates a base for exploration, which young listeners can flip through time and again on their own.

I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed reading this one with the kids. So, I'm leaving my honest thoughts.

[Rebeca Sanchez · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this book, Christina Rossetti writes poems that are mainly about nature that follows the traits of nursery rhymes. There are a variety of poems such as-animals, weathers, and even people- that explores how poetry works in describing them. The poems are quick simple and meaningful that students can understand. The illustrations are drawn by Ashley Bryan with bright and lively colors that he's known for. The lines are shown in a whimsical nature and sometimes contrast other poems when it comes to the topic written. Bryan's illustrations jump to other pages because of his double-spreads he draws for each poem. In the inspiration from Rosetti's poems, he emphasizes the words from each poem to the illustrations he draws.

The book was okay overall, mainly because it has several poems that seemed somewhat bland in contrast to the illustrations. There is a mismatch of words to the illustrations, so there was no connection to the artwork and words. The pictures are beautiful in the way that they were drawn so I see that I would use one or two poems that were more "interesting" to me.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thirteen poems by Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) with lively language and rhyme schemes are accompanied by Ashley Bryan’s colorful cut-construction paper art that leaps off double-spread pages and includes nature themes and people in whimsical situations. For example, “I Dreamt I Caught a Little Owl” is spotlighted by collage artwork of a multi-colored, mostly-blue owl followed by the verse “I dreamt I caught a little owl / And the bird was—blue” / “But you may hunt for ever / And not find such a one.” The verse on the facing page, featuring a red sunflower against a bright yellow background, finishes the poem with “I dreamt I set a sunflower, / and red as blood it grew—” / “But such a sunflower never / Bloomed beneath the sun.” The book concludes with a biographical note about Rossetti’s life and work.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

The artwork in this book feels strangely mismatched with the poetry, and it also seems to lack the polished quality of Bryan's other work. There is one page where I can't tell what is happening in the picture at all and many others that put me in mind of a middle school art show rather than the work of an award winning illustrator. The poetry is great, but it is a bit diminished by this particular presentation.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 stars for the art! 3 stars for the poetry, which has not aged well for modern readers. Any poem that uses the old timey word for cat (it starts with the letter p) is automatically unreadable for me, I just can't get through it without laughing because I am apparently a middle schooler? Also old poems are usually pretty sexist. But the cut paper! Oh, it's gorgeous.

[Cassandra Hoso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book did an excellent job incorporating interesting and diverse poems. I loved the illustrations because they were so colorful, and even the cover of the book grasped my attention. I think this would be a perfect book to introduce poetry to children. All in all, my favorite part about this book was the illustrations, and I think she did a really good job making them unique and artistic.

[Ilse O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork is the standout here, with Ashley Bryan’s talented paper cutout illustrations. Readers of many ages will appreciate the art. The language is from another time, but also timeless—it will most appeal to the youngest of readers.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bright and colorful book of poetry for children that speaks of colors and nature. The pictures will keep a child's interest but I wasn't a fan of the poetry. Maybe it's just not my thing or maybe it was a bit all over the place to suit me.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anything that has anything to do with Ashley Bryan makes my heart pound. The illustrations are bold and beautiful! And I've ALWAYS loved the simplicity of Christina Rossetti's beautiful words, although there are a few poems in this collection that I'm not overly fond of....

[Kelly]

I really liked the poems in this book. They were cute and short and rhyming. The illustrations besides the cover were just meh for me.

[Rebecca Caufman · Rating 2 out of 5]

The artwork is colorful and lively. I wish more would have been written about the author to bring more context to these old poems.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are stunning and add fun context to the poems of a great poet.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan of Christina Rosetti's poetry. The illustrations to accompany the poems are beautiful, though. I can't see purchasing this for my library. Kids wouldn't pick it up.

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the cut paper illustrations. I was surprise to learn that the poems were written by a woman born in 1830.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting collage art illustrations, but the poems were short and unimpressive.

[Jeimy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snippets of Rosetti’s poem with colorful collages by Ashley Bryan.

[Y.Poston]

beautifully depicted rhymes! great rhythm play

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't care for the poems, but the illustrations are pretty great.

[Jack Kämpfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10
Hardcover

I enjoyed the poems here, but the collage-style artwork made it really fun to read.

[Relyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The paper art is fantastic! The poems - hmmm... Christina Rossetti's work is really better for much older students than my elementary ones.

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Our book today is Blooming Beneath The Sun, a picture book featuring the work of 19th century poet Christina Rossetti and illustrations by Ashley Bryan.

Who has seen the wind? What is pink? Including 13 poems by Rossetti (plus a bonus poem that accompanies an informational paragraph about the poet), these are the questions and contemplations posed to young readers. Kid-friendly poems, none more than 16 lines in length, invite them to ponder peacocks, reflect on roosters, and wonder at the waves of an angry sea. Each poem is accompanied by a colorful, layered paper collage that brings its subject to life, and encourages further consideration.

Admittedly, I was not familiar with Rossetti’s work prior to reading this, but both JJ and I really enjoyed some of the poems that this mini-anthology has to offer; “Color”, “Wrens and Robins in the Hedge”, and “Where Innocent Bright-Eyed Daisies Are” were particular favorites. And Bryan’s beautifully intricate paper art is a marvelous companion to the poems, especially his bold choices concerning color, movement, and layout. However, the often-counterintuitive rhythms of the 1800’s poems make more than a few of them challenging to read at first pass, especially where rhymes are far better suited to the British pronunciation of words. There’s also the vaguely sexist undertones of poems like “If I Were A Queen” and “Mother Shake The Cherry Tree”, indicative of the time period in which they were written, to consider. The length was fine for a single sitting, and JJ loved the colorful art. Not sure if this one will go down as a favorite of ours, but it definitely has some gems to offer, and as such, is worth a look. So overall, Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads doesn't have a hardback edition as a choice (what's up with that?), but the only way to appreciate this book fully is to have THE BOOK and the full effect of Ashley Bryan's artwork, especially the paper collage accompanying Rossetti's most famous, "Who Has Seen the Wind?"

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Christina Rossetti's poems as well as the illustrations of Ashley Bryan so this book is a real treasure!!!

March 18, 2018: I have enjoyed poems for Christina Rosseti for a number of years so it was fun to read this book.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosetti's verse beautifully illustrated with Ashley Bryan's collage art.

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beauty of this book is in the cut paper artwork by Ashley Bryan.