I Am Someone ElsePoems about PretendingCollected by Lee Bennett Hopkins / Illustrated by Chris HsuWho do you want to be?Celebrated poet Lee Bennett Hopkins assembles fourteen of his fellow poets to wax lyrical about pretending to be someone else. Newbery M
Collected by Lee Bennett Hopkins / Illustrated by Chris Hsu
Celebrated poet Lee Bennett Hopkins assembles fourteen of his fellow poets to wax lyrical about pretending to be someone else. Newbery Medalist Lois Lowry imagines what it would be like to be a giant’s wife in her first published poem. J. Patrick Lewis pretends he is the wizard of P.S. 82. Michelle Heidenreich Barnes becomes a veterinarian, helping animals feel better. Each poem explores imagination, creativity, ambition, and desirebe they fanciful or real-world goalsgiving young readers permission to play. Chris Hsu’s cute, quirky illustrations introduce a diverse cast of characters and their wild and wonderful imaginations.
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Lee Bennett Hopkins,collector
Lee Bennett Hopkins is the author of dozens of award-winning books for children, including poetry collections and stories such asAmazing FacesandFull Moon and Stars. He is a former teacher and educational consultant. He has established two poetry awards that bear his name. Lee lives in Cape Coral, Florida.
Chris Hsu, illustrator
Chris Hsu is a classically-trained and versatile artist who has worked in greeting-card illustration, advertising, and animation. He is the illustrator ofThe Boo-Boos That Changed the World. Chris is currently a background artist on the animated FX spy comedyArcher.He lives in Jacksonville, Florida.
Kirkus Reviews
“Imagine! Wish! Support! Invent!”Hopkins organizes this brief, thematic anthology into three sections under the larger umbrella of imagining: “Wish! Be a Storybook Character”; “Support! Be a Person Who Helps”; and “Invent! Be a Person Who’s a Maker.” Each of the collected poems is written in the first-person, and Hsu’s energetic, cartoon-style digital illustrations depict the diverse children as the individual speakers. Words and pictures alike often upend stereotypes and gender norms. For example, a poem about pretending to be a mermaid by Janet Clare Fagal depicts a brown-skinned child with tight, close-cropped curls wearing a green, striped T-shirt as the voice of the poem, allowing children of varying gender identifications to see themselves. Hopkins’ introductory statement affirms that “There is nothing better than being yourself,” which doesn’t undermine the title in the least since he goes on to affirm the fun in pretend play. Sometimes such play is aspirational, and the poems included in the categories “Support!” and “Invent” by authors such as Douglas Florian, Prince Redcloud, and Joan Bransfield Graham (with the standout offering “Nurse: Healing Hand”) give voice to career ambitions. Others, such as the aforementioned “A Mermaid’s Tale” poem, and Lois Lowry’s “Big Problems” (about the challenges of being a giant’s wife) offer up more fanciful imaginings.A good collection, for real.
Booklist
Well-known anthologist Hopkins here focuses on make-believe play, presenting 15 possibilities for children to explore being and doing fanciful or everyday things, with contributions from Lois Lowry, Prince Redcloud, and Douglas Florian. Thematically divided into three sections, the poems feature peppy, reader-directed introductions, followed by first-person poems accompanied by illustrations of diverse children play-acting. Wish! Be a Storybook Character showcases fantasy figures such as pirates (I cry argh to the ocean, / wail yarr to the sky); Support! Be a Person Who Helps includes a firefighter, nurse, and pilot. Invent! Be a Person Whos a Maker spotlights a chef, dancer, and video-game creator, among others. Colorful, cartoon illustrations depict the children, their activities, and the classroom objects inspiring them with subtle, sketchy background elements, like a girl wearing a hard hat and building with blocks and boxes against cityscape background, which extend the themes presented. Throughout, the collection conveys that there are many options for each child, irrespective of gender, and the encouraging, upbeat approach will likely pique interests and imaginations.
Download the Cover
Hardcover
ISBN:978-1-58089-832-4
E-book
ISBN:978-1-63289-717-6 EPUB
ISBN:978-1-63289-718-3PDF
Ages:4-8
Page count:32
9 x 9
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