"The Sun Is So Quiet" Book Review

The Sun Is So Quiet

Giovanni, Nikki. THE SUN IS SO QUIET. Ill Bryan, Ashley. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996.

The first poem in “The Sun Is So Quiet” brought back memories of my childhood. Most children will probably ask, “What is “Father John’s Medicine?” It’s a collection that allows you to feel the warmth of winter and the urgent desire for the return of the sun. The bright illustrations by Ashley Bryan connect with each poem to present an isolated moment in time. The many images of children provide a connection with various children’s age groups as well as adults.

Ms. Giovanni stirs your imagination with well placed figurative language. The poem, “Snowflakes,” begins with the simile, “Little boys are like Snowflakes, No two are alike. “ She then has the snowflakes, “waltz around my ears,” and “laugh and go away.”

I enjoyed the tongue twister, “Prickled Pickles Don’t Smile.” It’s a poem that children will repeat several times in an effort to say it correctly. You will find with the thirteen poems a use of elements that are timeless, “frogs in mud, falling snowflakes, sun that melts our names off glass windows and rainbows.”

Riding rainbows, watching stars and fairies, or licking chocolate off your fingers, the imagery will keep children reading “The Sun is so Quiet” for years to come. The images cross many cultural, ethnic and geographical lines which makes it a book for any child to enjoy.

Connie (the last part)
“quiet…like a quilt on a feather bed…and frost on
The window….we write our names knowing…the sun
Will melt them off
But the sun is so quiet…that we don’t care
We smile

Reviews

Publisher’s Weekly--- The bold, fluid lines of the gouache and tempera compositions make for a particularly eye-catching volume, just right for reeling in the read-aloud crowd and introducing them to the joys of poetry. Ages 4-up.

Booklist--- Of the 13 poems presented here, 12 appeared in books published between 1973 and 1993. The new poem, entitled "Connie," represents the best of Giovanni: a series of quicksilver images that capture a mood to perfection. Painted in Bryan's signature style, the illustrations fill the pages with sunny colors and bold patterns. Although the quality of the art and the verse is uneven, the book has plenty to offer, including illustrations that feature African American children in many cultures and settings and a warmth of feeling in both the poetry and the artwork.

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