A Kick in the Head

Janeczko, Paul. A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms. Illus. by Chris Raschka. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2005.

I just got a new job and a lovely co-worker just surprised me with this beautiful book as a going away (though not very far – I’ll just be at a different branch) kind of present. Wow. It’s simply stunning. The book covers 29 different forms of poetry, with examples and brief explanations. But the clean spare presentation speaks more to a showcase than a textbook. Each poem is given its own page, with a brief note at the bottom indicating the name and basic structure of the form. Further explanations (about a paragraph each) can be found for each form in a section at the end of the book. And the illustrations (a combination of paint and collage) are both stunning and appropriate, with plenty of white space to give the design a sophisticated feel. This is no surprise, given Chris Raschka’s previous success with children’s book such as YO! YES? and Charlie Parker Played Be Bop. But even the smallest details, like the small blue painted icons created to represent each form, are brilliant: Perfect whimsical little symbols that somehow perfectly echo something essential about the nature of the form (a syllable count, the number of lines, a theme), without being strictly representative.

I love poetry, and I love great children’s books. What a gorgeous present. Any teachers exploring poetry will find this book to be a powerful ally – both as a source of information and inspiration. And since the book is simple, accessible, and yet entirely devoid of condescension, it will work with a wide range of ages. I know I’ll be consulting it the next time I need to remember exactly how a pantoum works, or simply when I’m scouting for ideas.

Graceling

Cashore, Kristin. Graceling. Orlando, FL : Harcourt, 2008.

I’m assembling a mental list for my adult friends who have read all of Tamora Pierce’s teen fantasy novels, and are looking for other great books to turn when they want to spend an indulgent winter day in that comfortable chair by the window entranced by another world.

Most of these stories feature a fiercely strong female lead in a traditionally male-dominated domain, an otherworldly or magical talent that sets her apart from her peers, a great challenge of justice, and often a bit of reluctant romance to take our wildly independent protagonist by surprise (without threatening to tame her).

Recently I enjoyed Shannon Hale’s Goose Girl which, though a little more gentle than Pierce’s novels, still brings a rich a satisfying story to the table. But Graceling has a fiercer edge to it, a little more wildness. Now in her late teens, Katsa is a deadly figher, albeit a reluctant one. Since she was a child, Katsa’s eyes – one green and one blue – have marked her as gifted with a Grace, an extreme and superhuman skill. Used as a pawn by the King, she learns to despise her skill – the Grace of killing – and eventually seeks to control her own destiny and make her own decisions. When she meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, she discovers an uncomfortable match for her own powers and an unexpected ally. When a mission to rescue a prisoner gradually reveals a larger and much deadlier plot for power, the two must team up against a force that threatens all of the seven kingdoms.

The romance here is more prominent than in Pierce’s novels, but includes similar themes such as the struggle to reconcile vulnerability and independence. I enjoyed the underlying erotic tension of a deadly female fighter who finally meets a man skilled enough to give her a satisfying fight. And although Katsa learns to love, to trust, and to live with some measure of vulnerability, she never loses her wild and fiercely independent nature. And she doesn't seem to lose any of her personal distaste for marriage.

I occasionally wondered whether it might be too close to Pierce’s writing for some of my friends, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. And apparently, according to the back cover blurbs, so did Tamora Pierce: "Here's a WOW of a book! Seeing half-wild Katsa learn humanity as she battles soldiers, storms, and her own obsessive nature--I HAD to know how it ended!" As a first novel, Graceling becomes even more impressive. Kristin Cashore is a writer to watch out for. My only complaint is that I have to wait for more news of this world. Well, not too long. Fire, the prequel to Graceling, is due out this fall. And a third book is apparently in the works.

Penguin and the Cupcake

Penguins and cupcakes - could there be a more charming combination?

Read my review in the latest edition of CM Magazine...