Marriage of True Minds

Poems and pictures

by Freda Nobbs

Ah, finally, spring is here… the days are longer, softer, and there are possibilities all around us. The world is new again—who knows what adventures are in store?

Like spring, poetry has the power to awaken us to what is both familiar and surprising. It can comfort, disturb, astonish and, if we are lucky, inspire. Often, for the very young, poetry provides a first introduction to the playfulness of language; the timeless verses of Mother Goose, which have been around for centuries, are read, recited and sung. Young, and not so young children are entertained by the delightful goofiness of Dr. Seuss, Dennis Lee and Shel Silverstein (hey, even Johnny Cash liked Shel!). For older children, poetry can provide a deepening connection to the world of ideas, words and images. When great poems are brought together with great illustrations, a whole new kind of magic occurs.

That is the certainly the case with British children’s laureate Michael Rosen’s anthology, Classic Poetry: An Illustrated Collection (Candlewick Press, 2009). Chronologically arranged, this volume of more than 80 poems spans several centuries, moving from Shakespeare’s time to the present day. As Rosen suggests, these are poems that have mattered to people—all kinds of people—that is why they have lasted and why they are such a pleasure to share with young readers. Rosen introduces the poets with some biographical information, as well as information about the times in which they lived. He also provides some notes about poetic forms. But Rosen knows when to stand back and let the poetry speak for itself, and it does. Shelley’s Ozymandius explores the majestic futility of power and might; William Butler Yeats’ poems open the enchanted door into the world of Irish magic; Langston Hughes offers a vision of freedom and longing.

Throughout, the poems are accompanied by Paul Howard’s gorgeous illustrations. Using the poems as an imaginative point of departure, he explores different techniques, allowing readers new ways of envisioning the worlds that the poems offer. He also provides thoughtful portraits, helping young readers to get a sense of the poets as they embark on the discovery of the poems. All in all, this is a truly wonderful collaboration of art and language; not only is it a perfect introduction to poetry, but it will enrich young readers as they grow. An added bonus: it has a great index to first lines and titles. A great collection for all ages.

The Kids Can Press (KCP) series Visions in Poetry presents another brilliant marriage between pictures and language. This award-winning series, currently with seven titles, combines classic poetry with contemporary artistic vision. One of my favourites is the sixth in the series, Edward Lear’s The Owl and the Pussycat (KCP, 2007), wonderfully illustrated by Stephane Jorisch. Lear’s lovely nonsense verse is enhanced by Jorisch’s playful interpretation: an aristocratic owl has a romantic encounter with a delightful cat from the other side of the tracks; happily fleeing the disapproval of conventional society, they sail away together, finding happiness and wedded bliss in a land of mismatched animals who celebrate difference. How cool is that? And the pictures! Fantastic, in every sense of the word. This is another book that transcends age.

In stark contrast to this world of whimsy and light is another in the series, The Raven (KCP, 2006) written by the brooding Edgar Allen Poe and illustrated by Ryan Price. Poe’s dark appeal is timeless, and countless children have read him, usually by flashlight, late at night, shivering with goosepimpled pleasure. Price’s artwork deepens the eerie pleasure of Poe’s images: the glossy, dark raven, amid the creeping shadows offers a portent of…what? The book’s endnotes will offer young readers, 10 and up, some clues worth considering, and discussing.

The most recent title in the series is Emily Dickinson’s My Letter to the World and Other Poems (KCP, 2008), illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault, who uses pen and ink, collage, touches of colour, and portraits of Emily herself to bring Dickinson’s imaginative world to her readers. The poems are spare, and they can be wonderfully enigmatic—equally they can be witty, and often full of wordplay. Certainly Dickinson knew how to balance intensity with simplicity. Addressing the universal themes of love, death, immortality, despair and hope, these poems and illustrations will work their magic on young teens, inspiring the budding artists and poets who read them.

And what a perfect time of year to be inspired! Enjoy the merry month of May!

Freda Nobbs is a writer, editor and children’s literature consultant who believes that the right book in the right hands changes the world, one person at a time. You can reach her at fenobbs@shaw.ca.