Module 9: Comets, Stars, the Moon and Mars

Summary: This book is full of beautiful illustrations and poems about space.  There are poems that describe plants, galaxies, stars, and constellations. 

APA Reference: Florian, D. (2007). Comets, stars, the Moon and Mars: Space poems and paintings. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc.

Impressions: This fun poetry book about outer space would be a great addition to a study of the planets.  The first time that I picked up this book I was trying to figure out what was wrong with the cover and then realized that it was a cutout.  The cutout in some form or another continued through out the book.  On every page I was looking to see how they would incorporate the cutout next.  Some pages even had multiple cutouts. The book begins big with the universe and works it way into the solar system with a poem for every body in the solar system.  When I got to the page for pluto I was pleasantly surprised that the book was current the the poem mentioned that pluto was a planet and now it is not.  The poems are fun and entertaining with silly things like "Heaven knows how it got knocked on its side." when it talks about Uranus.  I also really like that there is a glossary at the end of the book to really explain more about the subjects.  There is also a further reading page to help extend knowledge.  Of course every page is also filled with beautiful artwork.  The last thing that really caught my attention is that the author's picture on the back jacket shows him as a green martian.

Professional Review:

COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS

Space Poems and Paintings

by Douglas Florian, illustrated by Douglas Florian

Age Range: 7 - 12

Stunning mixed-media illustrations accompany a series of poems that celebrate the wonder and mystery of space. From the universe, the sequence narrows its focus to the galaxy, the solar system and then each body in turn, from the sun to poor demoted Pluto, and beyond. The verse is characteristically playful, wrapping itself around astronomical facts with ease. Readers will learn about the temperature and size of the sun, our moon’s phases and Voyager 2’s discovery of Neptune’s rings. Delightful as the poems are, however, it’s this volume’s illustrations that surpass. Bright gouache on brown paper bags lend texture to each spread; stamped words allow the illustrations to incorporate such details as names of moons and “sun” in several different languages; collage elements add further whimsy to the whole. To top off this feast for the eyes, occasional die-cuts provide telescopic windows onto adjoining spreads, firmly establishing for the reader the truth that space is a vast continuum, with new surprises in every corner of the sky. Each poem receives a thumbnail gloss at the end, offering additional facts or extending the information presented earlier. Glorious. (Picture book/poetry. 7-12)

Comets, stars, the moon, and mars: Space poems and paintings. (2010, May 20). Retrieved from  https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/douglas-florian/comets-stars-the-moon-and-mars/

Library Uses: This book could be used as part of a poetry unit or it could be used as part of a solar system unit.