Welcome to the Wonder House

Starred review from July 1, 2023

Gr 4-6-A stellar collection of 29 brief poems and numerous mixed-media illustrations. Arranged into 12 "rooms," topics range from curiosity and wishes to science, nature, and ordinary things. Lyrical free verse captivates with rich imagery and language. In "Room of Praise," poems limn the qualities of rain, paper, and web-spinning spiders, described as "quiet as air, patient as monks." Crisp and concise, with internal rhymes and alliteration, these poems beg to be shared and read aloud. Freedman's illustrations complement and add whimsical details, including a stargazing penguin and a scaly, red dragon glimpsed amidst a jumble of blocks. In "Room of Creatures," a murky underwater scene features a sleepy dolphin and the tentacles of an otherwise unseen octopus. A concluding note suggests that readers "look and listen to the ordinary and extraordinary all around you. You'll find wonder everywhere." VERDICT Thoughtful readers will relish the figurative language and imagery, and pore over the well-crafted illustrations. An excellent resource for teachers looking to inspire students in an array of topics, from science and nature studies to creative writing.-Marilyn Taniguchi

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2023
Twenty-nine poems in a lovely mix of forms and styles populate this book, presented as a "house" with twelve double-page-spread "rooms." Each room has a slightly different focus on the function of wonder in exploring the natural world. In "Room of Curiosity," two poems invite readers to question, think, and imagine as they observe their surroundings and investigate the world around them. "Room of Science" considers the work of different disciplines: e.g., "In a lab, a physicist creates soap bubbles, / wobbling gifts of air wrapped in slippery skin / that POP in an instant." The topics are abstract (time, imagination, quiet), but the poems guide readers through specific moments and questions, including wondering about a pebble's history and speculating about dinosaurs' last day on Earth. Freedman's intriguing mixed-media illustrations use wide washes of color in shades of blue, green, gold, or purple with subtle hints to the objects referenced in the poems. In the final "Note About Wonder," the poets encourage questioning and creativity and challenge young readers to express themselves through writing, painting, building, and more. Sylvia Vardell

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from June 1, 2023
Set within 12 ethereal "rooms," 29 poems contemplate the wonders of Earth, sea, sky, and beyond. Co-authors Dotlich and Heard each offer one or more poems on each double-page spread. For "Room of Curiosity," Dotlich lists 10 questions about Earth (as well as Saturn and meteorites), while Heard presents a two-line, koanlike verse: "Keep an open heart, / that's where curiosity likes to start." In "Room of Praise," poems celebrate raindrops, house spiders, and paper: "the way it is so papery / as it waits for me / to trace my hand / or spill my heart." The poets infuse their verse with vibrant, child-accessible imagery. A pond's whirligig beetles twirl "like tiny bumper cars that never touch." "Thunder drums the skin of sky, / striking / an / electric / scar / from cloud to cloud." Freedman's depictions of vaporous clouds and starry skies have a watercolorlike look. Against these miasmas, she places images of tools and utensils (a pencil appears repeatedly), windows, fire escape ladders, visual jokes, and more, in a palette contrasting warm earth tones with blue-grays that evoke water and sky; several pages are reminiscent of vintage scientific illustration. This slim volume teems with STEAM extensions, from exploring poetic forms and devices to investigating scientific facts and hypotheses. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A beautifully conceived invitation: to look, see, wonder. (Picture book/poetry. 6-10)

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July 1, 2023
Twenty-nine poems in a lovely mix of forms and styles populate this book, presented as a "house" with twelve double-page-spread "rooms." Each room has a slightly different focus on the function of wonder in exploring the natural world. In "Room of Curiosity," two poems invite readers to question, think, and imagine as they observe their surroundings and investigate the world around them. "Room of Science" considers the work of different disciplines: e.g., "In a lab, a physicist creates soap bubbles, / wobbling gifts of air wrapped in slippery skin / that POP in an instant." The topics are abstract (time, imagination, quiet), but the poems guide readers through specific moments and questions, including wondering about a pebble's history and speculating about dinosaurs' last day on Earth. Freedman's intriguing mixed-media illustrations use wide washes of color in shades of blue, green, gold, or purple with subtle hints to the objects referenced in the poems. In the final "Note About Wonder," the poets encourage questioning and creativity and challenge young readers to express themselves through writing, painting, building, and more.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)