  | My magic wand : growing with the seasons Author: Mora, Pat | |
| Price: $23.26 | ||
Summary:
A collection of original poems that celebrate family, universal childhood experiences, and the pure pleasure a young girl feels as her mastery and understanding grow throughout the seasons of a year.
| Illustrator: | Alvarez, Amber |
Download a Teacher's GuideReviews:
Kirkus Reviews (08/15/21)
School Library Journal (11/01/21)
Booklist (09/15/21)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 09/15/2021 This collection of lovely poetry comes together with warm, loving illustrations to show how extraordinary everyday life is. Double-page spreads full of life and love pair one poem with a depiction of the narrator, a young girl using her pencil (aka her magic wand) to share verses as she spends time extolling life by sledding with her dog, vacationing with her family, gardening, rafting, celebrating birthdays, and attending a special funeral for her friend’s dear pet snail. Spanish words are sprinkled throughout, with each entry opening up the senses with words such as muzzle, munch, and sparkling. Each spread, vibrant with color, will have readers lingering as they seek all the treasures detailed in the art. All these special moments are sure to return readers to their own worlds with new eyes that will easily spot the magic all around, which they will want to make into their own poems using their own “wands.” A wonderful addition to children’s-poetry collections. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 11/01/2021 PreS-Gr 1—The titular poem of this charming collection introduces a five-year-old girl who's found magic in a pencil and is eager to share it. From there, 13 first-person poems take readers through a year of experiences with family and friends, including sledding, gardening, and swimming, baking, birthdays, and caring for pets. The poems vary in length, from a few lines to several stanzas, and are accessible yet evocative. the author uses some figurative language— notably onomatopoeia and sensory detail. In one poem, the girl and her family travel to Mexico, and Spanish words are sprinkled throughout. The girl is depicted with white skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. Other family members and characters appear to have white or light brown skin and dark hair. Alvarez's mixed-media illustrations are bold, bright, and colorful. While some spreads are relatively simple, others offer sweet details for observant readers to notice. An author's note reminds readers that not all poems rhyme and encourages them to try crafting their own poetry. VERDICT Warm and joyful, this is suitable for most collections.—Lauren Strohecker, McKinley Elem. Sch., Elkins Park, PA - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
