Silver Seeds

                

Title: Silver Seeds

Author: Paul Paolilli and Dan Brewer

Illustrator: Steve Johnson and Lou Francher

Medium: Painting

Genre: Picture Book –Poetry

Theme: Nature

Summary: This book is a collection of acrostic poetry that takes a look at different elements and objects in nature without a literal perspective. Beginning with dawn and ending with the night sky, this book captures common words in a new light through the progression of a day.

Literary Elements:

This book includes a variety of literary elements.

· Personification: The authors personify the sun, giving it human like characteristics as it “nudges us out to play.”

“Sliding through the window,

Underneath the door,

Nudging us out to play.”

· Metaphors: Many metaphors are also used, for example when hills are referred to as elephants.

“Huge elephants

In a row,

Lying

Low and

Sleeping.”

· Onomatopoeia: Onomatopoeia is used when referring to bees and rain.

“Bzzzzzzz…”

“Rap-tap-tapping”

Evaluation:

This book of poems is fun and easy for children to follow. Each page uses a word that falls into the category of nature, such as dawn, rain, and stars. Each letter of the word is separated into a new line, creating acrostic poems. Along with the poems are large full-page paintings that beautifully fit each poem. The illustration colors match the mood of the poem, such as the gloomy grey colors in the poem describing rain. One image per page seems to stand out more than the rest, as the artists avoid the use of any harsh lines and instead incorporate a variety of color shades to detail their work. The authors and illustrators dedicate the majority of the pages to paintings, and carefully position the limited text to avoid overwhelming a new poet. This is a great way to expose children to poetry and metaphors, as the poems are short yet powerful and use images that act as a visual aid to the metaphorical descriptions of nature.

Social Justice Element: Although a social justice element is not distinct, this book is clear in its dedication to nature. The social justice element number five, awareness raising, could be used to discuss the beauty of our natural environment. Along with this, in depth discussions can be held about how to properly treat and promote the preservation of nature.

Follow-Up Activity:

Students can use this book as inspiration to write their own acrostic poems. After brainstorming other objects, animals, and elements in nature, each student can choose a topic and begin their own process of poetry writing and illustrating. Upon completion, students can share their poems with the class, allowing the audience to guess the theme of their work.

By: Brittany Kollmer