It is often surprising to me what is popular in my classroom library. I have some idea of what might be of interest to my high school students (of course!) and I supply those books whenever my budget allows. I picked up Grant Snider's graphic novel Poetry Comics on a whim at an ALA convention, and given its intended audience–much younger readers–I didn’t think it would resonate, but I put it on the shelf anyway. Imagine my shock when it turned out to be a choice reading time sleeper hit! After seeing several students pick it up, I decided to take a closer look myself, and I can see why it was (is!) in demand.
Combining poetry and comics in a whole new way, this fun and imaginative book is perfect for poetry lovers and reluctant readers alike.
From the cloud-gazing hours of early spring to the lost bicycles of late autumn, Grant Snider’s brilliantly illustrated Poetry Comics will take you climbing, floating, swimming, and tumbling through all the year’s ups, downs, and in-betweens. He proves that absolutely everything, momentous or minuscule, is worthy of attention, whether snail shells, building blocks, the lamented late bus, or the rare joy of unscuffed shoes. These poems explore everything you never thought to write a poem about, and they’re so fun to read you’ll want to write one yourself. Not to worry, there’s a poem for that, too!
Poetry Comics is just what it sounds like: a book of comics but also a poetry anthology. Each page, or each couple of pages, consist of poem(s) told panel by panel, in integrated, illustrated format. As one might guess from the cover illustration, the poems focus on nature, following the structure of the seasons, with some variation and tangents to take on the art of poem-writing itself, identity, and even things like waiting for a late bus. The compilation, while meant for young readers in the 7-12 age range, will also be of interest to aspiring comics artists and writers of all ages.
Snider’s art is simplistic, with basic 2D figures and landscapes, and a focus on the sky and horizon. Primary colors, fairly literal interpretations of each poem, and two “characters” (a boy and a girl) dominate the panels when nature and the natural world does not take center stage. Snider also makes interesting use of panels and the gutter–the white space around panels–on each page.
As far as the poems themselves, Snider’s key features are alliteration, repetition, lists (catalog), and of course the aforementioned organization around seasons and seasonal changes. My favorite poems in the book are “How to Write a Poem” numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4. Ah! Can’t forget to mention the structure of Snider’s poems too: a lack of commas, sparse periods and end stops, and very short poems overall. Each poem stands alone: some merely a single line, others still short but spreading over two pages. They don’t have to be read in any particular order either. Beyond that, the most stand-out thing about them is their clever titling, which amused me most.
According to the notes in the book, Snider’s illustrations are done in pen and marker, and reedited in Photoshop. The balance in the book definitely leans to image over text, which, while pleasing to the eye, does not grant a huge amount of depth, since those images themselves are also fairly simplistic. A note: they contain no evidence of phones or digital life, and in that way feel timeless.
Overall, Poetry Comics is a decent collection of poems and art for young people that may inspire adventures and a couple of reflective, poignant moments.
Recommended for: readers ages 7+, and read alouds with younger children to foster reflection and contemplation.
Fine print: I picked up an advanced copy of this title for review consideration at an ALA conference. I did not receive any compensation for this post.
