Around My Room - Hardcover

Smith, William Jay

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0374304068 ISBN 13: 9780374304065

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 2000

Synopsis

William Jay Smith has gathered in this volume twenty-nine of his poems that have a special appeal for small children. Such all-time favorites as "The Toaster," "People," "Polar Bear," and "Seal" are here, together with a number of new and uncollected pieces. All are delightfully illustrated by Erik Blegvad. In this winning collaboration, pictures and poems alike demonstrate the enduring wit and charm of two masters whose work has charmed and amused young readers for over four decades.

Poetry for first readers

About this title

About the Author

William Jay Smith served as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress (a position now called Poet Laureate) from 1968 to 1970 and was twice a finalist for the National Book Award. He divides his time between Cummington, Massachusetts, and Paris.

Erik Blegvad is the acclaimed illustrator of over a hundred books. He lives in Vermont, London, and the South of France.

Reviews

PreSchool-Grade 2-Enchanting images and startling comparisons abound in this witty collection of poems, many of which appeared in Laughing Time (Farrar, 1990). From the "silver-scaled Dragon with jaws flaming red" (a toaster) to a flying cow in "a porkpie hat with a green umbrella," the selections feature characters and wordplay that are clever and silly enough to capture the attention of young readers. Smith is a master at a wide variety of types of poetry, from limericks and concrete poems to traditional rhymed verse; equally diverse are his subjects, including cat circuses, chocolate cakes, old friends, owls, and masks. The vocabulary is at times challenging, but not daunting, and is understandable in context. Blegvad's watercolor-and-ink illustrations are in all instances charming, projecting a decidedly nostalgic flavor.
Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Blegvad's (Hurry, Hurry, Mary Dear) airy pen-and-wash illustrations provide a puckish foil for this engaging collection of poems by Smith (Laughing Time). The selections range from familiar subjects such as "The Toaster" ("A silver-scaled Dragon with jaws flaming red/ Sits at my elbow and toasts my bread") to more outlandish fare, including some loopy limericks, nifty nonsense verse and a host of animal poems. The sensibilities of poet and artist make them an astutely paired team; Smith's polished imagery ("a world of bathtub white") and nimble wordplay ("Lady selling sarsaparilla,/ Lemon soda and vanilla") supply ideal fodder for Blegvad, whose sprightly vignettes feature a delicate use of line and cross-hatching, subtle colors and a keen sense of whimsy. Unfortunately, a few of the larger illustrations have a somewhat underdone quality (e.g., "The Cats' Picnic," "People," "Polar Bear"); they don't possess the attention to detail demonstrated in Blegvad's more characteristic, exquisitely honed vignettes (a rendering of the Brooklyn Bridge, for example, and the portrait of "Mr. Simpson"). Still, the leisurely pace and overall tone of tranquility in the poems combined with Blegvad's seemingly effortless way with pen-and-ink capture the endless days of childhood. Ages 2-6. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Most of the two dozen poems in this collection have already seen the light of day in a previous collection from Smith, which doesn't make them any less sapid; here they are accompanied by delicate ink-and-wash artwork from Blegvad, who keeps perfect stride with the tone of ceremonious nonsense. The poems may be quick but they are never too ephemeral, and while mostly playful, they can also take readers by the hand and walk them through troubles. If the boogies approach, if they come with a threatening rake, as Mrs. Caribou did: ``what you can do/Is snap your fingers and cry, `Shoo!/Away with YOU, Mrs. Caribou!'/Then she will fly back to Make-Believe/With her snake in a basket of intricate weave.'' Smith also hauls out some clever, sheer whimsy, as with the polar bear that never makes its bed, but sleeps on a slab of ice instead. These are fun poems with an intellect attached, as well as inventive, industrious illustrations. (Poetry. 2-6) -- Copyright ©2000, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0374304068
• ISBN 13: 9780374304065
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Blegvad Erik
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32