Module 4: Poetry Book Review - Biographical Poetry

TAKE IT TO THE HOOP, MAGIC JOHNSON By Quincy Troupe

(Troupe, Quincy. 2000. TAKE IT TO THE HOOP, MAGIC JOHNSON. Ill. by Shane W. Evans. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0786824468)

In this poetic picture book, Quincy Troupe pays tribute to an athletic icon, Magic Johnson. In catchy and dazzling language, Troupe captures the “magic” of Magic Johnson through a series of seamlessly interconnected and untitled poems. Carefully selected descriptions, such as “neon name,” “electric space,” and “sho-nuff spaceman,” will easily capture readers’ attention and draw them into the magical world of this amazing basketball superstar. Troupe also does an amazing job of capturing Magic Johnson’s incredible movements through unique poetic action words such as “juke & dazzle,” “Shake ‘n Bake,” and “herk & jerk.” The majority of the poems do not rhyme, and it is the distinctive and magnetic language of the poems that will surely appeal to children as they dribble, shoot, and fly through space along with Magic Johnson.

An example of this captivating word choice can be seen in the following poem:

“magic” johnson, nicknamed “Windex”
way back in high school
‘cause you wiped the glass backboards so clean,
where you first juked & shook,
wiled your way to glory

The following poem also adds a bit of emotional impact to capture the glory surrounding a star as bright as Magic Johnson:

so “bad” you cartwheel the crowd
toward frenzy, wearing now your
electric smile, neon as your name

in victory, we suddenly sense your
glorious uplift, your urgent need to be
champion

& so we cheer with you,
rejoice with you for this
quicksilver, quicksilver,
quicksilver moment of fame

Bold fonts in varying sizes also draw the readers' attention to certain important words and phrases throughout the poems. For example, the word "champion" is written in larger text than the other words in the poem above. Additionally, Troupe repeats the phrase "so put the ball on the floor again, "magic"' in a very large font size on two separate pages, giving emphasis to this particular phrase.

The placement of the text on the page is also important in several of the poems, with the words mimicking the actions of dribbling, passing, and shooting. An example of this is the phrase "slide the dribble behind your back" being written at an angle from the top left corner of the page to the bottom right corner, imitating the ball's path.

Shane W. Evans’s vibrant drawings will also appeal to children. The colorful illustrations capture Johnson’s spectacular movements well, and Magic Johnson appears to almost fly off the page with a basketball in hand in a few of the illustrations. The high interest theme of this poetic book will appeal to sports fans of all ages.

Module 4: Poetry Book Review - Curriculum Connection (Science)

HOTEL DEEP: LIGHT VERSE FROM DARK WATER by Kurt Cyrus

(Cyrus, Kurt. 2005. HOTEL DEEP: LIGHT VERSE FROM DARK WATER. New York: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 0152167714)

This poetry book offers a unique assortment of poems centered around the theme of a lost sardine exploring the fascinating and mysterious depths of the sea as it searches for its lost school of sardines. As the lonely little sardine searches for the place it belongs, it encounters a variety of strange, amazing, and frightening creatures. The fact that the poems in this book are untitled coupled with the sardine’s placement on every double page give this poetry book a story-like feel.

The book opens with an enchanting poetic invitation for readers to explore the underwater “hotel” of the sea:

At the crossroads of the deep,
A place to sleep. A place to hide.
A place to keep your eyes wide open.
Yes, we’re open! Come inside.

Cyrus uses carefully selected descriptive language and rhyming text to easily draw readers into the underwater world while extending their knowledge of the creatures that live there. Carefully chosen words in many of the poems allow the reader to experience the motion and activities of the sea in fresh and unique ways. For example, in describing the frantic movements of the school of sardines as a marlin makes its presence known, Cyrus refers to the “blur of sardines” as a “quicksilver blizzard.” Additionally, phrases such as “swirling seaweed curtain” and “the doorways of the sea“ will help readers visualize the ocean in new ways.

Several of the poems utilize unique placement of words on the page through rolling, spinning, crawling, and darting text to further solidify readers’ connection with the movements of the sea. For example, looping and spiraling text is used in a poem about a scared calico scallop that snaps it shell shut and takes a looping and swooping spiral journey back to the bottom of the sea.

Cyrus also cleverly uses the sounds of words to add interest to some of the poems. For example, children will enjoy hearing the sounds of the words in the following tongue twisting poem involving sea anemones:

The angulated wentletrap, in alabaster white,
Is one of many enemies to any sea anemone.
If it sees anemones, it always takes a bite.
(Anemones regenerate, so everything’s all right.)

Not only are Kurt Cyrus’s poems captivating, but the intricate paintings accompanying the poems also reveal amazing pieces of the underwater story. Children will enjoy examining the colorful and lifelike paintings, and spotting the lone sardine hidden in each painting will add to their delight.

HOTEL DEEP would tie in perfectly with a science lesson focusing on ocean life or underwater habitats. The poems could serve as excellent springboards for future study of a variety of fascinating ocean creatures and the interesting relationships between them. Also included at the back of the book is an illustrated glossary of the various sea life presented through the book.