The Wishing Bone, and Other Poems - Hardcover

Mitchell, Stephen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0763611182 ISBN 13: 9780763611187

Publisher: Candlewick, 2003

Synopsis

Amusingly absurd and playfully profound, this delightfully illustrated volume of original poems is sure to tickle the fancy of children and adults alike.

It happened on a winter’s day
(The air was cold, the sky was gray):
Out walking in the woods alone,
I came upon a wishing bone.

What would you do if everything you wished came true? How does a white rhinoceros take his tea? Where can you find the elusive purple tiger? Who wanders in the whiffle bog on a bilgy, bulgy night? Resonating with childlike questions, the fanciful poems in THE WISHING BONE invite readers to think and to dream. Full of illustrations as fresh and whimsical as the verse, here is a collection to read aloud and savor for its sheer verbal and visual exuberance.

About this title

About the Author

Stephen Mitchell is a renowned writer, translator, and anthologist. His more than thirty books for adults and children include THE NIGHTINGALE (a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic story),
as well as translations of Rilke, Genesis, and the TAO TE CHING. This is his first collection of poems for children. Of the poems in THE WISHING BONE, he says,
"They’ll tell you all you need to hear,
They’ll whisper to your inner ear,
And sometimes they will make you laugh
As if you saw a pink giraffe
Tap-dancing with a tuna fish.
They make no bones: Their dearest wish
Is that you like them. If you do,
Then (naturally) they’ll like you."

Tom Pohrt has illustrated many children’s books, including the best-selling CROW AND WEASEL by Barry Lopez. He is a self-taught artist. This is his first book with Candlewick Press.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-6-Nine narrative poems full of humor and imagination. From speculations on the wisdom that one might acquire on growing up and growing old to addressing the ultimate folly of having all one's wishes come true, these selections are thoughtful and far-reaching. The language is rich with alliteration, rhyme, similes, and descriptive imagery. Light and fanciful illustrations in ink and watercolor complement the whimsy of the selections. Clean, crisp pages with plenty of space surrounding spot and full-page art, printed on heavy, quality paper, afford an attractive, stylish look. This book is slightly reminiscent of X. J. Kennedy's The Forgetful Wishing Well (Atheneum, 1985; o.p.), another touching, wistful, and often very funny title. Each reading of The Wishing Bone reveals new layers of its poems, leaving readers with much to ponder.
Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0763611182
• ISBN 13: 9780763611187
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 56
• Illustrator: Pohrt Tom