For this selection, we were asked to read and evaluate one book of poetry by J. Patrick Lewis, Nikki Grimes, Douglas Florian, or Marilyn Singer. I will be honest and say I have not heard of any of these poets. I chose the book FACE BUG by J. Patrick Lewis. I learned from the book jacket that J. Patrick Lewis won the 2011 NCTE Award for Excellence and he was the United States of America Children’s Poet Laureate from 2011-2013.
Bibliography:
Lewis, J. Patrick, FACE BUG, Pennsylvania, Word Song (An Imprint of Highlights), 2013. ISBN: 1590789253.
Murphy, Kelly, FACE BUG, Pennsylvania, Word Song (An Imprint of Highlights), 2013. ISBN: 1590789253.
Siskind, Federic B., FACE BUG, Pennsylvania, Word Song (An Imprint of Highlights), 2013. ISBN: 1590789253.
Plot Summary:
FACE BUG is a collection of topical poems about unusual insects and their features or behaviors. The poems range in a variety of styles. Lewis invites the reader to the “Face Bug Museum Grand Opening” by saying “Drop whomever you are eating: Our Grand Opening is here!” (Lewis, 4). It is meant to be whimsical as well as factual in its exploration of bugs and is targeted towards children in the 4th – 6th grades. The inclusion of the line art drawings by Kelly Murphy and stunning photography by Frederic B. Siskind make serve to elevate the work in a fun and interesting way.
Critical Review:
What makes this work successful is the amazing photos and amusing line art illustrations. Lewis owes a huge debt to both Murphy and Siskind for their work in elevating his poetry to something that was marketable. Further, their work answers questions that Lewis’ poetry misses in its execution. It is Siskind’s pictures that emphasize the book’s title and in which Lewis tries to write poetry around. Siskind is able to capture the wonders of the insect world. Murphy is the glue that ties both Lewis’s poetry and Siskind’s pictures together. Her line drawings are humorous and bring build the idea of a bug museum to showcase both the poetry and the photographs. One great example of the collaboration of this trio is on pages 6 and 7 and their work on the “Hickory Horned Devil” Caterpillar.
Lewis’ poetry in this work was just not quality poetry. He tries to be witty and informative, but the individual poems leave the reader confused and wondering what the purpose of the poetry format and word choice were about. He misses the mark. It feels like Lewis was cranking out a collection of works because he had a deadline to meet and this was good enough for the deadline, or that he was approached by Siskind to write poems about his topic and Lewis was just not that into it. Either way, it is hard to fathom that this is the work of a national poet laureate.
A poem that best summarizes Lewis’ work is “Dogday Harvestfly Cicada” on page 13 of the book. The poem is a simple 4 stanza poem with rhyming in the 2nd and 4th lines. The language of the poem is simple and uses fun word rhymes and like “ugly” and “Bugly”, “crack” and “back”, “mutt” and “butt”, “heck” and “wreck”, and “does” and “fuzz” which would have appeal to young children in the target age group (Lewis, 13). The poem along with the picture does a great job at making the reader want to avoid touching it despite it being harmless. While Lewis does address the cicada’s call as a “Wonder-buzz,” this is a primary feature of the cicada as well as its life cycle which was not addressed in the poem, but later in the included reference aid. I believe he could have done more to address sound in his poem. The short stanzas could reflect the short life of the bug, but that is digging really deep and kids are not likely to draw that conclusion.
Awards, Mentions, Reviews:
California Reading Association’s Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Awards 2013 Eureka Gold Awards
Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List 2014-2015
Reviews:
Kirkus Review – “The attempt to present science in a humorous way is a well-meaning one, but the effect seems rather lame for today’s visually sophisticated kids and might work better as an app than a book” (Kirkus, 2013).
Wahington Post – “Bugs get a close-up in this new book of poetry that shows off their thousands of eyes, bucktooth incisors, prickly exteriors and more. Frederic B. Siskind’s wonderfully creepy full-color photographs and Kelly Murphy’s cartoony black-and-white illustrations are abuzz with activity alongside J. Patrick Lewis’s witty verses about insects and spiders” (Nolan, 2013).
Publisher’s Weekly – “Who says bugs aren’t cute? Lewis zeros in on insects’ best assets in this poetry book with a quirky concept: it’s the grand opening of the Face Bug Museum, which features closeup [sic] photos of insects. The accompanying poems are nimble and playful” ( Publisher’s Weekly, (n.d.).
Suggestions for Connections:
This collection would be great for a science unit on insects and for a short, stop and read a poem break.
This could be a good book example for students how to combine different art mediums to convey an idea.
Compare with other works by J. Patrick Lewis. Did you like any of these more or less than FACE BUG? Why or why not?
References:
Kirkus, FACE BUG by J. Patrick Lewis, Kelly Murphy, Frederick B. Siskind, 2013, February 1, Retrieved February 26, 2019, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/j-patrick-lewis/face-bug/
Nolan, A. M., Face Bug, insect and spider poems by J. Patrick Lewis, The Washington Post, 2013, April 09, Retrieved February 26, 2019, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/face-bug-insect-and-spider-poems-by-j-patrick-lewis/2013/04/09/67f131d6-9304-11e2-8ea1-956c94b6b5b9_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f53b0680b0a1
Publisher’s Weekly, Children’s Book Review: Face Bug by J. Patrick Lewis, photos by Frederic B. Siskind, illus. by Kelly Murphy. Boyds Mills/Wordsong, $16.95 (36p) ISBN 978-1-59078-925-4, n.d., Retrieved February 26, 2019, from https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781590789254
Newbarian Book Reviews 