Synopses & Reviews
Written to be read aloud by two voices sometimes alternating, sometimes simultaneous here is a collection of irresistible poems that celebrate the insect world, from the short life of the mayfly to the love song of the book louse. Funny, sad, loud, and quiet, each of these poems resounds with a booming, boisterous, joyful noise.
In this remarkable volume of poetry for two voices, a companion to I Am Phoenix, Paul Fleischman verbally re-creates the "Booming/boisterios/joyful noise" of insects. The poems resound with the pulse of the cicada and the drone of the honeybee. Eric Beddows's vibrant drawings send each insect soaring, spinning, or creeping off the page in its own unique way.
Paul Fleischman has created not only a clear and fascinating guide to the insect world from chrysalid butterflies to whirligig beetles but an exultant celebration of life.
Synopsis
From the Newbery Medal-winning author of Seedfolks, Paul Fleischman, Joyful Noise is a collection of irresistible poems that celebrates the insect world.
Funny, sad, loud, and quiet, each of these poems resounds with a booming, boisterous, joyful noise.
The poems resound with the pulse of the cicada and the drone of the honeybee. They can be fully appreciated by an individual reader, but they're particularly striking when read aloud by two voices, making this an ideal pick for classroom use. Eric Beddows′s vibrant drawings send each insect soaring, spinning, or creeping off the page in its own unique way.
With Joyful Noise, Paul Fleischman created not only a fascinating guide to the insect world but an exultant celebration of life.
About the Author
Paul Fleischman grew up in Santa Monica, California in a house with a printing press, a grand piano, a shortwave radio, and his father children's author Sid Fleischman. Playing recorder in early music consorts led to his books of verbal duets
I Am Phoenix,
Joyful Noise (winner of the 1989 Newbery Medal), and
Big Talk. His novels built from monologues include
Bull Run, a 16-character account of the Civil War's first battle, and
Seedfolks the chronicle of the first year of a Cleveland community garden. His interest in theater inspired his young adult novels
Mind's Eye, Seek, and
Breakout, all of which revolve around the spoken word. His historical fiction includes
Saturnalia and
The Borning Room. He's written nonfiction and picture books as well, including
Time Train,
Weslandia, and
Sidewalk Circus.
Alongside the Newbery Medal, he's won a Newbery Honor Book, the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, the PEN West Literary Award, the California Young Reader Medal, and most recently was a finalist for the 2003 National Book Award. He makes his home in the village of Aromas, California.