Florian Poetry

Florian Poetry

Florian Poetry

Florian, Douglas. 2007. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars. New York: Harcourt.. ISBN 978-0-15-205372-7

Summary/Analysis

This collection of 20 poems by Douglas Florian all focus on outer space.  The book uses circle cut outs that transfer to the next page’s illustration.  This is even found as early as the title page and the table of contents (very helpful when using this collection for potential science/space projects).  The back contains a “Galactic Glossary” and provides more information about each poem’s focus.  Also provided is a selected bibliography and suggestions for further reading about space.   Each poem features a double-page illustration featuring collage elements and thematic circle cutouts that all reinforce each poem’s feel.  The verse throughout the collection is characteristically playful and what readers have come to expect from Florian.  In one poem called “a galaxy,” Florian spirals the words in the poem and the illustrations feature a different type of galaxy shape with the name stamped.  Each poem in this collection has a fun and almost bouncing rhythm that lends each one to a fun read aloud as a class or individually.  Rhyming is present throughout the collection, but does not follow a specific pattern.  The poems are all quite short, but readers will definitely want to read each one more than once and examine the illustrations to learn more about the topic.  The poems will definitely appeal to a younger audience, but older students could still enjoy the fact-filled poems in conjunction with a science unit.  The poems in this collection all flow well together and each poem gives the topic/place it’s own voice.  The illustrations truly tie everything together and act as an extension of each poem while also fitting in well together. 

Use

the constellations

Leo is a lion.

Lepus is a hare.

Cancer is a crab.

Ursa Major is a bear.

                        Lupus is a wolf.

                        Cetus is a whale.

                        Taurus is a bull,

                        From his horns down to his tail.

                                    Pisces is two fish.

                                    Musca is a fly.

                                    And Cygnus is a swan

                                    In this zoo up in the sky.

This poem does  great job capturing the bouncy, rhythmic style of the poems found in the collection.  After reading this poem it would be a great opportunity to study other famous constellations and the stories behind them.  Students could research famous constellations and come up with their own poem about the constellation focusing on the myth and story.  Students could also create illustrations to go along with their poems.  The class could have a night time event (or just turn out the lights) and pretend to be “gazing” at the stars while classmates read their poems.