Swan Song: Poems of Extinction (ASPCA Henry Bergh Children's Book Awards ) - Hardcover

Lewis, J. Patrick; Wormell, Christopher

4.33

12 ratings by Goodreads

9781568461755: Swan Song: Poems of Extinction (ASPCA Henry Bergh Children's Book Awards )

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1568461755 ISBN 13: 9781568461755

Publisher: Creative Editions, 2003

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In this award-winning picture book, evocatively illustrated wood engravings combine with stirring poems to celebrate the lives and commemorate the deaths of 20 of the hundreds of animals that have gone extinct over the last three centuries.

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About the Author:

The author of nearly 40 picture books, poet and storyteller J. Patrick Lewis has been delighting readers young and old for more than two decades. His books, which include Freedom Like Sunlight, The Last Resort, and The Stolen Smile, have won numerous awards and wide acclaim.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-8-New Zealand's Chatham Island Swan, which sang its last song circa 1690, joins 8 other birds, 11 mammals, a fish, and a tortoise in this poetic tribute to species forced into extinction by humans. The book begins with European aurochs (extinct circa 1627) and concludes with Miss Waldron's Red Colobus monkey (extinct in Western Africa circa 2000). Many of the poems strike a melancholy tone, touching repeatedly on themes of greed and cruelty: "Humans sewed their eyes shut and nailed their feet/to a stand. When other birds flew down to investigate,/nets and guns welcomed the `stool pigeons' forever." Some are simple tributes to their subjects, and occasional wordplay or wry humor lightens the mood. Lewis favors rhyming alternate lines, often lapsing into repetitious rhythm, though he sometimes makes a welcome break into varied poetic forms. Wormell's woodcuts provide realistic portraits. Unfortunately, the layout is often a clutter of columns of text and small pictures. A few illustrations are given full-page stature, though some of these cross the gutter awkwardly. A time line runs across the bottom of most pages, and an entry at the top notes the species, extinction date, and location. Endnotes add a bit more information about each animal. Some are familiar examples of extinction, but lesser-known examples, such as the elephant bird and the Tasmanian pouched wolf, are intriguing. Though uneven in execution, the poems offer reflective and thought-provoking bits on an important theme.
Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
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