Comet, Stars, the Moon, and Mars

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Florian, Douglas (author and illustrator). COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS. 2007. New York: Harcourt Children’s Books. ISBN: 9780152053727

2. PLOT SUMMARY

In COMETS, STARS, THE MOON AND MARS, Douglas Florian presents twenty playful poems about astronomy and the many wonders of our universe. Various heavenly bodies are described, including the stars and constellations, the sun and moon, the planets, and other outer space marvels. Each poem is also accompanied by an illustration of mixed media (e.g., paint, collage, stamped lettering) created by Florian, many of which also include die cuts on the pages. At the end of the collection is a “galactic glossary” that gives further scientific descriptions of the celestial terms presented in the poems.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Douglas Florian’s COMETS, STARS, THE MOON AND MARS is an out of this world collection of twenty lighthearted poems for children describing the astronomical bodies that fill the universe. The poems are witty, yet present fascinating tidbits of information that will engross young readers. For example, Florian humorously describes the planet Mercury: “Speedy, nimble, quick and fast/Round the sun it rushes past/always racing on the run…/you’d run, too, so near the sun.”

All of the poems have fun, rhyming words that contribute to the rhythmic beat of the verses. The poems are relatively short—most ranging from four to ten lines, but each is chock full of facts and fanciful language. This can be seen in “The Constellations” poem, where Florian writes: “Pisces is two fish/Musca is a fly/And Cygnus is a swan/in this zoo up in the sky.”

This collection of poems is also a showcase of Florian’s illustrative talent. Throughout the book, he uses a variety of artistic techniques, including painting, collage, and die cuts. The colors and designs he selects beautifully coordinate with the poems. For his poem “A Galaxy,” Florian uses deep blues, oranges, and whites to illustrate the many shapes of galaxies (spiral, round, and flat) and even presents the actual words in a spiral pattern. This collection of poems, which uses a combination of catchy lines, intriguing facts, and eye-catching illustrations, will help readers discover the delights of poetry.

4. AWARDS WON AND REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

• New York Times Book Review: "The poet-painter's latest book brings warm wit to the outermost reaches of cold, dark space . . . Florian's illustrations depict the marvels of space with luminous texture and detail."

• School Library Journal (starred review—2007): "Nothing gladdens the heart of believers of good poetry for children more than a new collection by Florian. . . . This one literally sings the music of the spheres. . . . In both language and artwork, Florian strikes the perfect balance between grandeur and whimsy.

• Kirkus Reviews: “Stunning mixed-media illustrations accompany a series of poems that celebrate the wonder and mystery of space…The verse is characteristically playful, wrapping itself around astronomical facts with ease.

• Booklist: “Stamped type, cutout pages, collage elements with printed papers, and sweeping brushstrokes all figure prominently in the expressive collage artwork, which ably illustrates the verse.”
  

5. CONNECTIONS

• Recommended for children ages 5 to 10.

• Other children’ poetry related to astronomy include:
  -Salas, Laura Purdie. AND THEN THERE WERE EIGHT: POEMS ABOUT SPACE. 2008. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press. ISBN: 978-1429617475.
  -Prelusky, Jack (author) and Pickering, Jimmy (illustrator). THE SWAMPS OF SLEETHE: POEMS FROM BEOND THE SOLAR SYSTEM. 2009. New York: Random House Children’s Books. 9780375846748.

• Douglas Florian has written numerous children’s poetry books. Some examples include:
  -Florian, Douglas. DINOTHESAURUS: PREHISTORIC POEMS AND PAINTINGS. 2009. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. ISBN: 9781416979784.
  -Florian, Douglas. HANDSPRINGS. 2006. New York: HarperCollins Publishers: ISBN: 9780060092801.
  -Florian, Douglas. WINTER EYES. 1999. New York: HarperCollins Publishers: ISBN: 9780688164584.
  -Florian, Douglas. INSECTLOPEDIA. 1998. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN: 9780152013066