Poetry-Review

Turtle in July

By: Marilyn Singer

Illustrated By: Jerry Pinkney

A. Bibliographic Data

Singer, Marilyn. 1989. Turtle in July. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company.

ISBN: 0-02-782881-6

B. Plot Summary

Turtle in July is a individual poet compilation by Marilyn Singer. All the writings in the collection offer poems about animals. The animals range from a deer to a snake to a dog. As the reader reads through the book the reader notices that the four seasons are also involved within the book. The season of winter starts the book with four poems about animals in winter. The spring follows with four poems about animals in spring. Summer is next with four poems about animals and summertime. The poem "Turtle in July" is found in this section, where the book obtained its title. The last section contains poems with animals and autumn. There are five poems in this section.

C. Critical Analysis

Marilyn Singer offers a enjoyable book with information about animals and the four seasons. It is very interesting how she joins the two concepts. As the reader reads the poems the reader is learning about how animals feel and adapt to the weather as it changes throughout the year. Adding the seasons in the book gives the book a good flow, and the poems all join together to deliver the same concept. Singer's poems are mostly free verse, but the imagery she delivers allows the reader to visualize what is happening in the poem.

Jerry Pinkney does a wonderful job with his illustrations. His illustrations appear to be mostly paintings. Each poem has its own illustration to go along with the poem. Bright colors of nature are used throughout the paintings, allowing the reader to get a true feel for nature, the seasons, and the animals that enjoy them.

D. Publisher Weekly Review

"From the "January deer so swift and light" to the November beaver chanting "Mud, more mud, add mud, good mud . . . ," this collection of nature poems progresses through the year. Singer divides the year with four seasonal poems featuring the bullhead, a type of catfish which is usually found "belly down in the shallows." Other animals narrate their view of the months or time of year, while apt pairings of animals with months demonstrate the intangible link between them (a Canada Goose flying south in October, a dragonfly in August). The verse rhythmically echoes the actions of a sleepy March bear or a skittish deer mouse foraging in winter. Whether nose to nose with a busy beaver or in the muddy shallows with that bullhead, Pinkney illustrates these works with his splendid watercolors and a unique flair for patterns and textured spaces; his art is perfectly wedded to the verse."-Publisher Weekly Review

E. Connections

*Further science study on how animals adapt to the seasons to prepare for the changes coming.

*Students research their own animal and write a poem about their animal and share.

*Author study over more poems by Marilyn Singer