Poetrees by Douglas Florian (Module 2, Book 3)

Poetrees Review by Elaine Alexander

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Florian, Douglas. Poetrees. New York: Beach Lane Books, 2010. ISBN: 9781416986720

SUMMARY
Poetrees begins its ode to trees with the concrete poem entitled, The Seed. This poem is shaped in an infinity symbol, exhibiting the circular, unending journey a tree makes from its beginning of life, to its attempt at spreading new life through producing seeds. The book highlights known tree types and parts, as well as unusual trees in a way that is both informative and fun, supported by imaginative artwork that a sense of frivolity into the poems. In addition to the poems, the book provides informative information, including a "Glossatree" with interesting facts about each tree or tree-related term.


ANALYSIS
This book would have great appeal with younger audiences between the ages of 5-10, both in celebrating nature and in the accessible and sensory language. Florian has a knack with fresh ways to use language in his poems, such as stretching out words like "branch" to emphasize their length or weaving in a fun pun on the word "bark", equating it with a dog. The twist on the words are sure to draw children in and make the poem collection accessible and lighthearted, without sacrificing the deeper meaning in the words.

The artwork includes images of children and humans, showing a connectedness between humans and trees, a coexistence that is necessary and vital to our lives. The book is meant to be turned on its side to read, which effectively elongates the page spread and makes the images of the trees taller and more prominent on the page. There is also a concerted effort to use art mediums that include paper collage, artful twists of watercolor or thick crayon-like lines throughout the pages. The mix of different styles and mediums throughout the book are successful in representing the different types of trees, but they are done in such unique ways, such as the poem Roots that weaves brown watercolor roots with the image of a tree that also looks like a child. This personification of a tree, or hidden child in picture provides a parallel image that draws the reader to the conclusion that humans and trees share a deep and meaningful connection.



Use & Highlight Poem
This book would be an excellent way to celebrate Earth Day. It's got a great message of celebrating trees and gives an overall message of human connectedness toward trees and the preservation of the natural world. I also think it could be used in a lesson plan for a family tree. As the highlighted poem, Roots demonstrates, Florian has a gift for playing with words to imply dual messages. We see the root as a vital part of the tree, but we can also read this poem as a more abstract message of how humans are connected to our own families by our roots and that those connections ground us, too.