Hey, You!

Hey, You!

Selected by Paul B. Janeczko

Illustrated by Robert Rayevsky

HarperCollins, 2007

40 pages

Poetry

     As I search the rows of books in my local library for poetry collections, I find a one book titled with red capital letters, "HEY, YOU!" I quickly look behind me to see whose attention the book is trying to grab. But it seems as though I'm the only one here. Is this book talking to me? I had to open it to find out! Hey, You! is an anthology of poetry collected from various authors written on various subjects. The one thing all 30 of these poems have in common, is that they are all written to something. A silly poem written to warn a fork and a heartfelt whisper to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial can now be found within the same 40 pages. I love this book because it is so versatile. Today, do I want to read a poem written to a mailbox? A skyscraper? An octopus? A black hole? An astronaut? There are so many options, I know I can't go wrong!

     Robert Rayevsky's illustrations are the perfect companion for this collection of poems. Rayevsky uses multiple forms of media ranging from cartoons to watercolor paintings and mixed-media collages. Each doublespread layout transforms with each poem. "Whispers to the Wall" has horizontal lines, dark value, and calm colors; "Skyscraper" has vertical lines, light value, and bright colors. Each illustration is fitting to the poem itself so that the artwork is a continuation of the mood set in words. Rayevsky's use of heavy black line, bold colors, and broadly brushed, often semi-abstract backgrounds create a texture to the images as though we might grab an object straight off the page!

     This anthology would be a great asset in an elementary classroom. I believe this set of poems would be very appropriate for 1st-4th grade. Although this book does not have any awards, it does contain pieces from award winning poets. Before beginning a space science unit (or even to conclude a space science unit), it would be great idea to read "To an Astronaut" by Beverly McLoughland. Students could discuss what it would be like to be an astronaut. Would you be lonely? What would you see in space? Would it make you miss and love Earth even more? Students could have class discussions, complete a pros and cons graphic organizer, or do creative writing about the time they went to space. For language arts, I believe "Little Blanco River" by Naomi Shihab Nyeand and "Toad" by Norman MacCaig would be excellent for identifying descriptive and figurative language. What words in "Little Blanco River" are describing touch? Sound? Sight? Taste? Smell? In the poem "Toad," "Stop looking like a purse" is an example of which figurative language device? This lesson might be an independent reading assignment, read aloud, or shared reading. "Whispers to the Wall" by Rebecca Kai Dotlich could easily be used in a social studies lesson. If students were reading about the Vietnam War (or any war), this poem could help relate what students have learned to a soldier's sacrifice for our country. Perhaps if it were close to Veteran's Day, students could write a letter to retired veterans or active military thanking them for their service.