The illustrated Emily Dickinson: 25 essential poems

Gr 6 Up--In sections designated "Exploring Nature," "Innocence & Inspiration," and "Choice & Change," Frost's poems include the expected: "Birches," "Nothing Gold Can Stay," "The Road Not Taken," "Fire and Ice," "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," and "Mending Wall," and the less well-known but excellent selections: "Mowing," "The Oven Bird," "Hyla Brook," "Desert Places," "The Wood-Pile," and more. Dickinson's are similarly ranged in "The Natural World," "Ideas & Imagination," and "Heart & Spirit." Again, the familiar "Because I could not stop for Death" and the worth-knowing-better are here. Fans of each poet will miss some favorites, such as Dickinson's "Wild Nights--Wild Nights!" and Frost's "After Apple-Picking." In a margin on the right of each spread, several words per poem are helpfully defined; however, boldfacing these words within the lines of the poem gives them an importance that changes the impact of the lines. Oddly, in Frost's "The Door in the Dark," the word "native" is defined, but "simile" is not. The margins also contain pertinent, thoughtful, original questions about the poems. Dickinson's idiosyncratic punctuation has been slightly adjusted. Miles's attractive collage illustrations were created digitally with bits of Modigliani, Van Gogh, Friedrich, and more among a lot of colorful 19th-century popular images. Back matter includes a summary and something to notice about each poem; this information extends and enhances readers' experiences and adds greatly to these books' values. VERDICT Admirable introductions to poetry in general and to these poets in particular.--Patricia D. Lothrop

This title in the Illustrated Poets Collection presents 25 notable selections from Dickinson, with questions to enhance critical thinking. The poems fall into three sections: "The Natural World," "Ideas & Imagination," and "Heart & Spirit." Each poem garners a double-page spread and a sidebar with three components. "Engage" poses questions designed to help students grapple with Dickinson's imagery and emphatic yet delicate use of metaphor. "Imagine" suggests activities for playfully approaching the poems, like drawing a map or making a portrait of a poem. "Define" assists with the poems' less familiar words. The sidebars and appended thumbnail commentary provide clues to interpreting Dickinson's linguistic elision, but editorial missteps occur. "She sweeps with many-colored Brooms"--a gorgeous poem that metaphorically casts the setting sun as a housewife at her work--is described thus: "This poem shares how a beautiful sunset is created by a housewife sweeping….The poem sheds some glorious light on the impressive work that homemakers do every single day." (It's all the odder considering Dickinson's own quest to advantage her writing over household drudgery.) Digital collages, created from public domain and stock images, pair cutouts of flora and fauna with landscapes and interiors in haphazard combos. For "These are the days when Birds come back"--a subtle poem limning late summer's cusp--the book depicts a landscape plastered with geese, ignoring the theme. The people depicted are mostly light-skinned. Visually and editorially unworthy of Dickinson's incandescence. (biographical facts, bibliography) (Poetry. 8-11) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 6 Up—In sections designated "Exploring Nature," "Innocence & Inspiration," and "Choice & Change," Frost's poems include the expected: "Birches," "Nothing Gold Can Stay," "The Road Not Taken," "Fire and Ice," "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," and "Mending Wall," and the less well-known but excellent selections: "Mowing," "The Oven Bird," "Hyla Brook," "Desert Places," "The Wood-Pile," and more. Dickinson's are similarly ranged in "The Natural World," "Ideas & Imagination," and "Heart & Spirit." Again, the familiar "Because I could not stop for Death" and the worth-knowing-better are here. Fans of each poet will miss some favorites, such as Dickinson's "Wild Nights—Wild Nights!" and Frost's "After Apple-Picking." In a margin on the right of each spread, several words per poem are helpfully defined; however, boldfacing these words within the lines of the poem gives them an importance that changes the impact of the lines. Oddly, in Frost's "The Door in the Dark," the word "native" is defined, but "simile" is not. The margins also contain pertinent, thoughtful, original questions about the poems. Dickinson's idiosyncratic punctuation has been slightly adjusted. Miles's attractive collage illustrations were created digitally with bits of Modigliani, Van Gogh, Friedrich, and more among a lot of colorful 19th-century popular images. Back matter includes a summary and something to notice about each poem; this information extends and enhances readers' experiences and adds greatly to these books' values. VERDICT Admirable introductions to poetry in general and to these poets in particular.—Patricia D. Lothrop