A Stick Is an Excellent Thing: Poems Celebrating Outdoor Play
by Marilyn Singer (Author) LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)
A paean to play from an award-winning poet and a New York Times best-selling illustrator. The trappings of childhood change from generation to generation, but there are some timeless activities that every kid loves.
Marilyn Singer and LeUyen Pham celebrate these universal types of play, from organized games such as hide-and-seek and hopscotch to imaginative play such as making mud soup or turning a stick into a magic wand. Lyrical poems and bold illustrations capture the energy of a group of children in one neighborhood as they amuse themselves over the course of a summer day. At a time when childhood obesity rates are soaring and money is tight for many families, here is a book that invites readers to join in the fun of active play with games that cost nothing.
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Kirkus
A real strength of the collection is its engagement of the imagination. . . . A thrilling integration of verse and image, motivating all to serious fun.
School Library Journal
K-Gr 4--From running through sprinklers to blowing bubbles to catching fireflies, this book has 18 short poems about active, imaginative play in summer weather. The first few lines of the title poem give an idea of the simplicity of the rhythmic verses: "A stick is an excellent thing./If you find the perfect one, /it's a scepter for a king...." The accompanying illustration is a line of smiling, stick-wielding children. Loosely structured, the collection begins in the peace of an early morning: "Every summer morning/I'm always the first one/to go outside, to toss my ball, /to lose it in the sun." It ends with a quiet poem about a child and parent stargazing. The attractive, digitally enhanced pictures match the spirit of the verses well but fall a bit short in the way of depth and texture. While not an essential purchase, this is an appealing book.--Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Publishers Weekly
On a hot summer day, children revel in the joys of free outdoor play, with no computer screens or electrical outlets in sight. One poem echoes the rhythm of a jump rope ("In the town/ town/ town/ there are noises all around"), while a girl in a park sees the world turned on its head as she dangles from the monkey bars: "Upside-down houses/ with upside-down stoops./ Upside-down players/ at upside-down hoops." In a palette dominated by pale yellows, bright greens and blues, and sunset purples, Pham's grainy mixed-media scenes could take place anytime in the past 50 years, emphasizing the timeless (some might say lost) art of outdoor activity. Ages 4-8. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. Illustrator's agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick and Pratt Agency. (Feb.)
Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Review quotes
"This could be effective in an April unit celebrating both spring and National Poetry Month, and it could also give kids some much needed memories of warmth and sunshine during the winter—or even provide them with the impetus to get off the couch and get outside." —"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Singer captures the inherent exultations of being young and carefree in the outdoors. . . .Well worth the exercise." —"Kirkus Online"
JNF021000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Games & Activities | General
