Firefly July: a Year of Very Short Poems

Firefly July: a Year of Very Short Poems. Selected by Paul B. Janeczko, illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Candlewick Press, 2014. ISBN 978-0-7636-4842-8

Reader's Annotation: For anyone who experienced poetry as a child as something to be drilled into memory, or picked apart and analyzed, prepare to be astounded. This is how poetry should be first introduced and experienced!

Summary: Beginning with spring, poems that are just the right length for young children express the feeling and mood of each season. With selections from poets such as Carl Sandburg, Langston Hughes, and Emily Dickinson, this illustrated work provides a perfect introduction to the world of poetry. The included poems are about many things that a child would be familiar with, like animals, nature, weather, cities, and people.

Sweet's illustrations capture the essence of each poem, and welcome the reader to pause and savor the details included in each piece of artwork that accompanies each poem. Perfect for browsing, or for reading straight through, preschoolers and early elementary children can enjoy this book in whichever quantity they prefer.

Critical Evaluation: Poetry can be somewhat intimidating, but the selections included here are so approachable, and deal with such everyday happenings, that the way is made clear for children can discover that poetry is simply another way to express ideas and feelings. With Sweet's illustrations playing such a prominent role in each poems one or two-page coverage, children familiar with picture books will feel comfortable while exploring this new narrative style.

The watercolor, gouache, and mixed media illustrations highlight the key ideas contained in each poem, and together provide a full experience of the work for children to explore. The subject matter and narrator's voice switch quickly from one poem to the next, but Sweet's illustrative style provides a constancy that unites the individual, disparate works into a continuously flowing whole.

Age or Interest Level: Ages 4 to 8

Lexile Level: 540L

Awards: ALA Notable Books for Children 2015, Younger Readers; Parents' Choice Gold Award

Why Included? I was one of the unfortunate souls whose introduction to poetry was unpleasant, but this book would have provided me with a completely opposite experience. If I could time travel, I would take a copy of this beautiful book to my six-year-old self, and hope for a different outcome.