A Burst of Firsts Doers Shaker

Provides a bold and colorfully illustrated tale about a diverse group of people who became "firsts" in their field, such as a Pulitzer Prize winner, a blue jeans maker, a daredevil, and more.

Grade 3-6-A collection of lithe and snappy verses. From the "firsts" of Neil Armstrong and Ruby Bridges to "The Biggest Bubble-Gum Bubble Ever Blown" and the "#1 Lunch Choice of School Kids" (pizza), Lewis celebrates "remarkable and wacky events and endeavors." His tricky rhythms are best read aloud, and exhibit a firm sense of childlike humor. "What first broke the sound barrier?/A Brontosaurus derriere." Some poems are stronger than others, and though some give less information about the subject than their title, they're still fun to read. The poem titled "First Man to Lead the NBA in Scoring for Ten Years: Michael Jordan b. 1963" reads in its entirety: "Michael/Jordan-/Just/An/Ordin-/Ary/Guy/In/The/Sky." The poet's fancy footwork here is as accomplished and apparently easy as Fred Astaire's, and Ajhar's appealing mixed-media illustrations keep right in step with Lewis's energetic and colorful humor and draw readers in. Kids will appreciate the eclectic mix of achievements gathered here. Perhaps this unusual collection works so well because it shows kids how a "simple" poem can celebrate a great achievement-and that it is part of the poet's achievement to make it seem great.
Nina Lindsay, Oakland Public Library, CA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Lewis (Good Mousekeeping, reviewed above) trolls the annals of history and trivia for this collection of paeans to subjects as varied as "The Biggest Bubble-Gum Bubble Ever Blown" (23 inches wide) to the "First American Woman in Space." The less sublime accomplishments offer Lewis a target for puns and wordplay, as in this ode to Levi Strauss, "First Person to Create Blue Jeans": "Half the world's been redesigned,/ Sew it seams, on its behind." The witty "First Parachute Wedding" concludes, "From skies above/ They fell in love./ Her wedding vow?/ A simple "Wow!" In a different vein, the highly accomplished "First Person to Break the Color Barrier in Baseball" opens with this description of Jackie Robinson: "Inching along the third-base line,/ the Prince of Easy Afternoons/ would suddenly explode for home/ in the astonished air." On the other hand, a number of entries seem overblown or stale (of an ancient redwood: "A redwood bud began to grow/ And watch the seasons come and go"). Unfortunately, the poems are underserved by Ajhar's (Scarlett Angelina Wolverton-Manning) brittle, cartoonish illustrations. Despite the range of moods in the verses, the artwork reduces everything to caricature, as in portraits that exaggerate the features of Ruby Bridges ("First Child to Integrate an All-White School") and Elvis Presley ("First King of Rock 'n' Roll"), or to silliness, as in Lewis's awe-filled homage to Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong, for which the two are portrayed as kangaroos in space suits (one phrase mentions, "They hopped like kangaroos because/ Of gravity"). Even with their whimsicality, the one-note visuals homogenize the collection's quirks and eccentricities. Ages 5-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 2-4. The idea is great---a book of first feats celebrated in verse. What's just as good is that Lewis doesn't go the traditional route. Yes, there are expected selections: the first African American to win the Nobel Prize; the first person to run the 4-minute mile. But most of the records are of a quirky sort: the biggest bubble-gum bubble; kids' first choice for school lunch. Each poem is headed by a short descriptive title, usually followed by the name of the person, date, and place of the achievement. Sometimes more would have helped: We know how big Sue's gum bubble was, but we're never sure about the nationality of the first nonJapanese Sumo wrestler. Ajhar's pictures are a hoot, full of charicature and movement, and children will eagerly look for sign of Sue and her enormous bubble, which is hidden in every picture. But the comedy doesn't always match the subject: the art accompanying the poem about the first child to integrate an all-white school seems too flippant and occasionally poems are crowded on one page of text while art relating to all floats aimlessly on the opposite page. There's no question this will spark lots of interest as well as some student poetry, but it's not without some drawbacks. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved