QUEST FOR THE TREE KANGAROO - Sy Montgomery

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Montgomery, Sy. 2006. Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea. Photos by Nic Bishop. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0-618-49641-6

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop accompany scientist Lisa Dabek on a field expedition to study tree kangaroos in New Guinea. Quest for the Tree Kangaroo provides an inside look at preparing for and conducting a field expedition, describes the ecology of the New Guinea cloud forest, and outlines conservation efforts to protect this unique habitat and its animals. Because this was true research, the book gives readers an introduction to what is known about the rare and elusive tree kangaroo, but leaves the reader understanding that much about this animal is still a mystery waiting to be discovered.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Montgomery and Bishop have developed a number of outstanding nonfiction books for children about the natural world. Montgomery writes about animals for both children and adults, and is active in the conservation movement. Bishop has earned a doctorate in biological sciences and lived in Papua New Guinea as a teen, making him an exemplary choice for this book. Quest for the Tree Kangaroo has been recognized as an outstanding book by the Sibert Award and the National Science Teachers Association, experts in evaluating nonfiction science books.

As a participant in the field expedition, Montgomery can be trusted to create an accurate retelling. Many facts about the cloud forest ecosystem are given. Montgomery may have used sources inappropriate for the reading level of children, or may have gotten the facts about the New Guinea ecosystem from team scientists, but that is not indicated in a bibliography. Montgomery does not shy away from unanswered questions. The basis of all science is asking questions and being curious to find the answers.

The book follows the expedition chronologically, first introducing Lisa Dabek, the lead scientist. Then begins the planning for the team and equipment (a detailed list is included in the book). Montgomery describes the challenges of traveling to a remote location. Having arrived in New Guinea, she paints a portrait of the villagers at the team’s base camp and teaches local phrases in Tok Pisin. Former hunters of tree kangaroos, the villagers are now part of conservation efforts to protect the tree kangaroo and its ecosystem, seeing this animal as a symbol of what makes their home unique. The villagers have welcomed Dabek and participate in the research team. A substantial portion of the book relates what it is really like to be a field scientist: the arduous trek into the mountains, the difficulties of a makeshift research site, the cold river baths, the soaking rain, the leaches, the waiting and disappointments, but also the thrill of new discoveries and new questions to be answered.

The trip, of course, has to end, and the reader accompanies Dabek back to her zoo in the United States and learns about Dabek’s continuing involvement with team members in New Guinea. Dabek shares suggestions for how children can be active in wildlife conservation, there are online resources to learn more about tree kangaroos, and a short Tok Pisin glossary and quiz. Notes from both Montgomery and Bishop describe the challenges particular to this project and how enjoyable it was to work together again.

  

Montgomery’s enthusiasm for this trip, despite its challenges, comes across through her text. She even says that she had wanted to accompany Dabek on a trip to see tree kangaroos for years. Montgomery uses a very conversational style of writing, almost as if she were sitting next to the reader pointing through a photo album. She imparts humor and wonder through her recollections of the trip. At times, Montgomery speaks directly to the reader, even challenging them to be part of the science (for example, asking if they can convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius). The information she gives tempts the reader into wanting more. While there is a great deal of information in the book, it is not overwhelming because of the way it is presented. There is enough text, including some higher-level vocabulary like “resplendent,” that this book would be most suited to older elementary or middle school students.

For verbal access, the book does not include a table of contents, but does provide section headings, an index, and page numbers to aid readers in finding specific information. Captions provide details about the subject of each image. Pronunciation guides are given where necessary.

The colors of the cover font jump out from the black background and echo the colors of the cloud forest within the book. The book design of Quest incorporates visual access features to give readers greater understanding. The first full spread of the book is a pair of watercolor maps created by one of the team members. This allows the reader to know where the team is headed and introduces some of the animals found in that region. This is especially important for children, who may not know where New Guinea is located. The blow-up map gives a compass and scale in miles. Introductory pages to each section have a washed out photograph as the background as another clue to the shift in topic. Interludes about the region are interspersed in the text on contrasting-color pages between sections. This format makes it easy to distinguish the two types of content and does not interrupt the flow of text about the expedition.

The contribution of Nic Bishop’s photographs cannot be overstated. They allow the reader to travel to New Guinea along with the team. The nearly life-size photo of the tree kangaroo on the cover begs the reader to reach out and touch its soft-looking fur and velvety nose. The size and vibrancy of the photos make the scenery and animals come alive on the pages. The reader can peer over the shoulders of the scientists as they do their work, seeing what it is really like to do science. While it is disappointing that there are not more photos of the title character, the truth is that the reader sees all the tree kangaroos that the actual team does. The tree kangaroos are mysterious and rare. Like the scientists, we yearn to see more.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) AND AWARDS

Robert F. Sibert Informational Honor Book, 2006

Orbis Pictus Award for nonfiction from the National Council of Teachers of English, 2007

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Henry Bergh Children's Book Award Non-Fiction Environment and Ecology, 2006

A Green Earth Honor Book from the Newton Marasco Foundation, 2007

Washington Post top ten books of the year for children, 2006

ALA Notable Children's Books, 2007

Booklist Editor's Choice, 2006

School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, 2006

National Science Teachers Association Council on Children's Books Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12 Selection, 2007

H. W. Wilson’s Children’s Core Collection, Most highly recommended

School Library Journal: “Montgomery and Bishop continue their outstanding collaboration to introduce readers to scientists at work. . .  Bishop’s photographs capture the expedition in detail. Stunning close-ups of plants, insects, and birds vie for attention with panoramas of moss-draped trees in the eerie, ancient forest. Montgomery describes both the hardships and exhilaration of the enterprise. . .  Dabek’s . . . suggestions about exploring the natural world should encourage young scientists. The book’s fascinating glimpses into a little-explored region will hold the attention of anyone interested in unusual creatures and the efforts to study them.”

BookList: “Montgomery gives an unusually strong, visceral sense of the work and cooperation fieldwork entails and the scope and uniqueness of this particular mission. She also communicates the thrill of studying animals in the wild, making observations, and discovering new information. As usual, Bishop's color photographs are exemplary and extend the excitement in stunning close-ups of creatures and of the team at work.”

Kirkus: “[Montgomery] paces her narrative well, alternating focus on people and place, keeping the reader engaged and concerned about the expedition's success. . . Her detailed account highlights scientific work habits, including extensive planning, necessary patience, careful observations and recording and the continual questions that arise. . . Bishop's photographs, shots of the expedition members, striking close-ups of flora and fauna including the sought-for kangaroo and lush, green cloud forest scenes, are beautifully reproduced. . . another commendable title from an experienced team.”

Horn Book: “Montgomery's friendliness and curiosity set the tone: she enthusiastically engages with the people, plants, and animals she encounters on the trip. The realities of field work, with long periods of not much happening scientifically, give her time to include descriptions of camp life in a remote location, such as campfire cooking and bathing in streams. Bishop's photography is, as always, outstanding, and seamlessly integrated into the narrative. The brilliant colors and sharp focus capture a host of rainforest plants and animals up close, including the adorably fuzzy tree kangaroos. Equally absorbing are his photos of the local residents and the research team as they visit and camp together. Dabek's advice to young naturalists, websites for further information, a list of words and phrases in the local language, and an index are useful additions.”

National Science Teachers Association: “This book is an incredible description of how people continue to learn about animals in the natural world. It highlights environmental appreciation, the excitement and challenges of scientific discovery, and collaborative conservation efforts. . . There are descriptions of methods and beautiful photographs. The human side of this scientific endeavor will lure middle and secondary readers to look further.”

Washington Post: “Together, Montgomery and Bishop convey the challenges of such an expedition, which involves several other scientists and a contingent of locals who carry gear and provide valuable assistance as guides. Bishop’s sharply focused photographs have a ‘you are there’ quality, while Montgomery vividly captures the scientists’ excitement when they snare several tree kangaroos — each the size of a small dog or overweight cat — to fit them with radio collars for tracking from afar.”

5. CONNECTIONS

-          Watch a video where Montgomery discusses the Scientists in the Field series, what it means to be a scientist, how she journals for her books, and working with Nic Bishop at TeachingBooks.net (this is a subscription site). Set this up to run in advance, it needs buffering time to play without pauses. This would be a good introduction before reading Quest.

-          Investigate class activities for this book at http://symontgomery.com/wp-content/themes/toolbox/downloads/kangaroo-activities.pdf

-          Read a biography about Sy Montgomery and watch an interview with her about how she became fascinated with animals and why she writes books about them. There is also an interview segment about working with Nic Bishop.

http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/montgomery/

-          Check out funny interview questions with Sy Montgomery.

http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Sy-Montgomery/1128761/author_revealed

-          After reading about some of her animal adventures in the back of Quest and at http://symontgomery.com/?page_id=29, poll students to see whether they would be brave enough to go to work with her! What would be their favorite animals? What would be their least favorites? Why?

-          Read what Nic Bishop has to say about himself.

http://www.nicbishop.com/nic_bishop_003.htm

-          Learn about how Nic Bishop takes his photos.

http://www.nicbishop.com/nic_bishop_027.htm

http://www.nicbishop.com/nic_bishop_002.htm

-          Find out how Nic Bishop researches for his books.

http://www.nicbishop.com/nic_bishop_029.htm

-          Take time to visit the websites listed in the book to learn more.

-          Take up a class, grade, or school collection to donate to one of the charities. Students could make posters, glogs, or powerpoints with facts about tree kangaroos, cloud forests, and New Guinea to encourage people to donate.

-          Examine other books by Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop (independently or together) or other books in the Scientists in the Field series.

 

 

Module 3 Reviews: Poetry

For this unit, I have selected Mirror, Mirror, Bookspeak!, and Diamond Willow. Mirror, Mirror will appeal to fairy tale lovers, and it will introduce you to a new form of poetry. Bookspeak! will call to anyone who loves books. Diamond Willow is a novel in verse, but not what people probably think of when they hear the word “poem.” It may be something a little outside the box for middle grade students who swear they don’t like poetry.

Here’s one I made up to get you started, haiku-style:

Read some poetry

Images wash over you

A new way to see

Happy reading!

MIRROR, MIRROR - Marilyn Singer

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Singer, Marilyn. 2010. Mirror, Mirror. Ill. by Josée Masse. New York: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN 978-0-525-47901-7

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Mirror, Mirror is a collection of poems retelling fairy tales. Mirrors give reflections, and these poems are no exception. Marilyn Singer explains at the end of the book that she created a new poetic form she calls a reverso. Each spread in the book gives two poems about the same fairy tale. The two poems are the same with the lines written in reverse order. Reading the poem in on order gives a traditional interpretation of the fairy tale, reading the opposite order portrays a point of view not usually heard: how hard it is to be the prince, how unfair the ball is for the stepsisters, hope from the ugly duckling.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Fairy tales are popular, which gives great appeal to this collection. The fairy tales Singer has selected will be widely recognized by children. The success of these poems depends on children having an understanding of the original story to provide context, because the poems only give a glimpse into an essential scene or theme. If children are not well-versed in these fairy tales, it would be advantageous to become acquainted with them first. Reading the poems out loud makes a tremendous difference in hearing contrasts in phrasing, inflection, and tone of voice between the poems in the pair. Some pairs flow equally well in both directions, while others feel more contrived.

Singer’s poems are free verse. In most poems, the rhymes are incidental than following a set rhyme scheme. She does not incorporate onomatopoeias or repeated sounds. Their rhythm follows the natural cadence of speech instead of a predictable number of syllables or stress patterns. Lines are broken to allow grouping of lines into different sentences by changing the placement of punctuation. By changing how verses relate to each other, Singer pushes the reader to hear something new. Some phrases are set on their own to make them stand out. The differences in perspective between the paired poems can create distinct images with the same words. Part of the interest comes out of the juxtaposition of the poems. The unexpected point of view by itself may not have the same impact without the associated contrast. It is possible that she could have created poems with greater use of poetic elements or stronger emotional impact if she had not constrained herself to reverso poems. She added technical difficulty points for maintaining the form, but may have lost some artistic quality because of its inflexibility.

Each page is divided in half vertically, with one title for each pair of poems. Titles and first letters are set in a font with a fairy tale feel. The poems are printed in different color ink. The opposite page is a pair of illustrations that each represent one poem. The illustrations match up in the middle, and many have elements that cross over onto the opposite half, either as they are, as an opposite, or transformed into something different with the same outline. The split illustrations heighten the juxtaposition of the poems but also bring a unity to them. On one hand, they are so different, but on the other, they are so similar. Several of the illustrations accentuate the distinction by using cool colors on one side and warm colors on the other. The colors are bright, and fairy tale characters show their emotions: wistful, frightened, surprised.

Mirror, Mirror opens with a poem explaining that reading poems in reverse order will cause you to reexamine your preset notions about the stories, and concludes with a pair encouraging you to be willing to follow an unexpected path. Sometimes that’s where the magic is.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) AND AWARDS
Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books: Picture Books, 2010
New York Public Library Children's Books, 2010
Language Arts notable poetry, 2010
Horn Book Fanfare, 2010
Booklist Editor's Choice: Books for Youth, 2010
ALA ALSC Notable Children's Books, 2011

Kirkus Best Children's Books, 2010

Texas Bluebonnet Book Award Nominee, 2012

H. W. Wilson Children’s Core Collection Most Highly Recommended level

Language Arts: “This collection is sure to please students young and old!”

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: “. . . the result is neatly, astonishingly clever  . . . Kids will want to try the form out, if only to find out how tough it really is, and the poems will make a worthy addition to discussions of viewpoint and folklore.”

School Library Journal: “This appealing collection based on fairy tales is a marvel to read . . . This is a remarkably clever and versatile book that would work in any poetry or fairy-tale unit. A must-have for any library.”

BookList: “This ingenious book of reversos . . . toys with and reinvents oh-so-familiar stories and characters, from Cinderella to the Ugly Duckling . . . Matching the cleverness of the text, Masse’s deep-hued paintings create split images that reflect the twisted meaning of the irreverently witty poems and brilliantly employ artistic elements of form and shape . . . A must-purchase that will have readers marveling over a visual and verbal feast.”

Kirkus: “A collection of masterful fairy-tale–inspired reversos . . . Masse's gorgeous, stylized illustrations enhance the themes of duality and perspective by presenting images and landscapes that morph in delightful ways from one side of the page to the other. A mesmerizing and seamless celebration of language, imagery and perspective.”

5. CONNECTIONS

-          Encourage students to make predictions about what will be contrasted in the poems by looking first at just the illustration or illustration and poem title.

-          Students can select a different fairy tale or different pairing to write poems from different points of view. If they want to increase the difficulty, they can try writing them in the reverso form.

-          Students can explore other poems of juxtaposition, like the antonym diamante, where the beginning of the poem shows one side, the middle line is a transition, and the end of the poem shows the opposite. For more information, visit http://www.poetry4kids.com/blog/lessons/how-to-write-a-diamante-poem/

-          Students can compare Mirror, Mirror to other poetry by Marilyn Singer to see if they see any similarities in style.

             Twosomes: Love Poems from the Animal Kingdom, ISBN 978-0375867101

            Every Day’s a Dog’s Day, ISBN 978-0803737150

            A Stick Is an Excellent Thing, ISBN 978-0547124933

            How to Cross a Pond: Poems About Water, ISBN 978-0375823763

First Food Fight This Fall and Other Poems About School, ISBN 978-1402741456

-          Explore other poetry with fairy tale themes:

Yolen, Jane, and  Dotlich, Rebecca Kai. Grumbles from the Forest: Fairy-Tale Voices with a Twist. ISBN 978-1590788677

And especially the 2013 sequel to Mirror, Mirror from Marilyn Singer and Josée Masse: Follow, Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems. ISBN 978-0-8037-3769-3

BOOKSPEAK! - Laura Purdie Salas

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Salas, Laura Purdie. 2011. BookSpeak! Poems About Books. Ill. by Josée Bisaillon. Boston, MA: Clarion Books. ISBN: 978-0-547-22300-1

2. PLOT SUMMARY
The first poem of BookSpeak! invites the reader to choose the adventure of reading over television or the computer. Most of the poems are personifications, written from the point of view of books, diaries, and different parts of the book, like covers and bookplates. The index even explains why it is more helpful than the table of contents. There is sibling rivalry between the beginning, the middle, and the ending. Find out about book care and the process of writing a book. Do you know what happens when everyone leaves the bookstore at night? These humorous poems will introduce the reader to the world of books from the inside out.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
BookSpeak! offers a variety of different styles of poems, from opening with an invitation to read through the last poem, appropriately titled “The End.” Despite “Index” touting its usefulness, there is not one in this book. Composed to honor paper-bound books, these poems will engage readers as long as print meets page. The poems are playful and entice the reader into adventure. Concepts and vocabulary should be understandable to most elementary-aged students (second or third grade and up).

Most poems in the collection have a strong meter and predictable rhyme scheme like “Calling All Readers” (abab) or “Vacation Time!” (aabb). Some are imperfect rhymes (like tattoo and show in “Book Plate” or been and twin in “A Character Pleads for His Life”). In these cases, trying to force a true rhyme would have been less effective. “Top Secret” is an acrostic. “On the Shelf and Under the Bed” is free verse. In addition to rhymes, Salas includes alliteration and assonance in poems like “A Character Pleads for His Life” (“Surfer dude, scientist, sea turtle, twin” where S transitions to T), “Picture This” (“belle of the ball”), or “The End,” which has both alliteration and assonance (“sprint, skip, skim” and “smile, cry, sigh”).

Salas offers a number of unique images in her poems. The end of a book is compared to the finish line of a race, book plates to tattoos. Illustrators make “words bloom in your heart” (“This Is The Book”). There is a repeated image of stories being trapped in the books unless someone opens them to let them out. In “A Character Pleads for His Life,” the reader is invited to join the character in the freedom of the story. Because books are personified, they twist common phrases to fit their format, like “bite your page” instead of “bite your tongue” in “The Middle’s Lament: A Poem for Three Voices”

Visual elements are an important component in BookSpeak! The typesetting supports poems like “Cliffhanger.” Layout also adds to the repetitive form in “This Is the Book.” Some verses are set apart from the overall pattern of stanzas to highlight their meaning. Fonts are carefully selected to add interest to the poems while maintaining readability. The poem about a diary uses a handwriting-style font. The font used for the title of “Conflicted” is tangled. Josée Bisaillon’s mixed-media illustrations are carefully crafted to complement each poem. A portion of an index is used on the page for “Index”. The text used in the water for “Cliffhanger” has a washed-out appearance. Combining original illustration with collages of paper, books, and photos, Bisaillon adds visual art to the poetic.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) AND AWARDS

Bank Street College of Education, Best Children's Books of the Year, 2012

NCTE Children’s Literature Assembly, Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts, 2012

Gelett Burgess Center for Creative Expression Honor Book, 2011

White Ravens book, 2012

Nerdy Book Award, 2011

H. W. Wilson’s Children’s Core Collection – Core level recommendation

School Library Journal: “The poems are, by turns, philosophical, humorous, and even instructional . . .  Whimsical, mixed-media illustrations grace every page. Bisaillon skillfully incorporates the printed poems into the artwork so that the words and images have a single, unified, visual effect. This is an appealing offering that will be especially popular with librarians.”

BookList: “With its mix of poetic forms and wry twists on language-arts terms, this is a natural choice for sharing in classrooms and young writers’ workshops” (no final period on online version)

Children's Literature: “a spirited and lovely celebration of reading and its joys”

Amazon: “A collection of wacky, whimsical poems about books and all the treasures they contain…”

5. CONNECTIONS

-          Use in library lessons teaching the parts of a book, selecting poems relevant to the lesson. The poems can also be introduced with the song “A Book Has Two Covers” (see http://www.mommynature.com/documents/concepts-print-song.pdf for the tune and lyrics).

-          Write poems for topics not covered by Salas: for example, title page, spine, dust jacket, ISBN number, library barcode, or bookmarks. Use withdrawn library books for collage elements to add to digital clipart and children’s drawings to mimic Bisaillon’s illustrations.

-          Pair with nonfiction books about writing and publishing books.

Aliki. How a Book Is Made. ISBN 0-690-04498-4

Bial, Raymond. A Book Comes Together: From Idea to Library. ISBN 0-9718238-0-4

Christelow, Eileen. What Do Authors Do? ISBN 0-395-71124-X

Christelow, Eileen. What Do Illustrators Do? ISBN 978-0-618-87423-1

Fox, Kathleen. A Book Is Just Like You. ISBN 978-1-60213-060-9

Donovan, Sandy. Karl and Carolina Uncover the Parts of a Book. ISBN 978-1-40485760-5

Donovan, Sandy. Pingpong Perry Experiences How a Book Is Made. ISBN 978-1-40486106-0

Hayward, Linda. I Am a Book. ISBN 0-7613-2905-6

Marshall, Pam. From Idea to Book. ISBN 0-8225-1385-4

Royston, Angela. How Is a Book Made? ISBN 978-1-40346639-6

Rhatigan, Joe. In Print! 40 Cool Publishing Projects for Kids. ISBN 1-57990-359-2

-          Compare this collection of poems with I Am the Book, compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins (ISBN 978-0-8234-2119-0).