Phrases of the Moon: Lunar Poems

 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lewis, J. Patrick. 2018. Phrases of the moon: Lunar poems. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions. ISBN 9781568463117

 

2. PLOT SUMMARY

In this book of poetry, Lewis shares an array of poems about the moon.  Some are written with ABAB rhyming stanzas, others follow the AABB, there’s a Haiku, a found poem, and a few myths about the moon.

 

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Lewis’ poems are rhythmically appealing and flow off the tongue. The rhymes are fun and lighthearted. Most either follow an ABAB or AABB rhyming stanza. There is 1 found poem, haiku, a moon-agram, and 5 moon myths all written in the form of poems that make some a little confusing, but overall enjoyable.

 

The themed book has a table of contents that makes the book easier to navigate. There is also a page filled with fun moon facts at the end. The illustrations are all dark and whimsical, adding to the brightness of the moon, stars, and other characters in the story. The whimsical nature of the illustrations lend themselves well to the myths and poetry shared in the book.

 

 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Reviewed in School Library Journal: “A solid purchase for elementary poetry collections.”

 

5. CONNECTIONS

*Invite children to compose their own poems about the moon. Poems can be displayed around the library.

*Other notable poetry books written by J. Patrick Lewis:

Lewis, J. Patrick. Doodle dandies: poems that take shape. ISBN 9780689848896

Lewis, J. Patrick. Harlem hellfighters. ISBN 9781568462462

Lewis, J. Patrick. Arithme-tickle: an even number of odd riddle-rhymes. ISBN 9780152058487

Lewis, J. Patrick. Keep a pocket in your poem: classic poems and playful parodies. ISBN 9781590789216