Joyful Noises

Title: Joyful Noises: Poems for Two Voices

Author: Paul Fleischman

Illustrator: Eric Beddows

Medium: Black and White Soft-Pencil

Genre: Poetry (short lines, rhythm and repetition are used throughout the book)

Theme: Celebration of Life: exploring the unknown life within the insect world.

Other Relevant Information: This book won the 1989 Newbery Award.

Summary: This book is a collection of fourteen poems, meant to be read by children about insects. Insects include book lice, fireflies, and honeybees.

Literary Elements:

The book provides a short description of each insect. Through reading each poem, children can develop a sense of each insect species. For instance, with mayflies, they have a life expectancy of 24 hours which is portrayed with the author’s description: “born this day in May birthday and dying day, this particle of time this single sip of living all that we’re allowed.” The well- developed characters are easy for children to understand. It is written with a first person view, which allows the reader to immerse in thoughts and feelings of each insect. With each poem the reader’s five senses are enriched with the choice of words and illustrations.

The setting of each insect lies in where they are found. For instance with book lice, they are found within book shelves.

Style: Through poetry Paul Fleischman created a clear but yet humorous guide to the insect world for the readers. Each page consists of two columns of verses with the purpose for children to alternate their reading aloud hence the “two voices.” The author plays with the words in each poem. He presents alliteration with one poem about mayflies, “swarming, swerving.” He also emphasizes imagery and repetition to remind the reader the importance of the insect’s lively behavior. Another example: “Light is the ink we use, night is our parchment,” this saying is a clever representation of fireflies.

Evaluation:

This lively book is the winner of the 1989 Newbery award which reveals its’ importance within Children’s literature especially in the poetry genre.

The illustrations in the book are vibrant even though it is black and white. The unique drawings allow each insect to come alive in order to enhance the poem itself. The drawings also allow the readers to enhance their understanding of living things such as insects. Insects actually have their own characteristics expanded by each poem and drawing. With the addition of two voices/readers, it allows children to work together to allow the poem to become alive with their read-alouds. I feel as if each poem is an adequate portrayal of each insect and how poetry can become creative and alive.