Product Description

Written to be read aloud by two voices--sometimes alternating, sometimes simultaneous--here is a collection of irresistible poems that celebrate the insect world, from the short life of the mayfly to the love song of the book louse. Funny, sad, loud, and quiet, each of these poems resounds with a booming, boisterous, joyful noise.

In this remarkable volume of poetry for two voices, a companion to I Am Phoenix,Paul Fleischman verbally re-creates the "Booming/boisterios/joyful noise" of insects. The poems resound with the pulse of the cicada and the drone of the honeybee. Eric Beddows's vibrant drawings send each insect soaring, spinning, or creeping off the page in its own unique way.

Paul Fleischman has created not only a clear and fascinating guide to the insect world--from chrysalid butterflies to whirligig beetles--but an exultant celebration of life.

Winner, 1989 Newbery Medal
Notable Children's Books of 1988 (ALA)
1988 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)
1988 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award Honor Book for Fiction/Poetry
1989 Fanfare Honor List (The Horn Book)
1988 Notable Trade Books in the Language Arts (NCTE)
Children's Books of 1988 (Library of Congress)
1988 Books for the Teen Age (NY Public Library)
100 Books for Reading and Sharing (NY Public Library)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36153 in Books
• Published on: 1992-01-01
• Released on: 2004-12-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780064460934
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
Winner of the 1989 Newbery Award, Joyful Noise is a children's book of poetry about insects that was designed for two readers to enjoy together. On each page are two columns of verse for children to alternate reading aloud about the lives of six-legged creatures ranging from fireflies writing in the sky to a love affair between two lice, crickets eating pie crumbs and the single day in the life of a mayfly. Charming large scale soft-pencil illustrations enhance the comical, easy-to-read text.

From Publishers Weekly
In resonant voices and striking use of language, this 1989 Newbery Medal-winner explores the various sounds and concerns of the insect world. All ages.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 3 Up In this collection of 14 ``Poems for Two Voices'' about insects, Fleisch man surpasses its companion volume, I Am Phoenix (Harper, 1985). He has com bined the elements of sound and meaning to create clear, lively images of a variety of insects. Elements of repetition, ono matopoeia, and alliteration are effectively used to create a character for each of these creatures, with fireflies ``Flickering, flitting, flashing'' and mayflies ``lying, dy ing,'' which make these poems a joy for reading aloud. In addition, elements of personality, both fictional and real, are presented with charming effect. The love lorn moth who yearns for the lightbulb and the book lice who overcome their differing ``tastes'' represent the lighter side, while the digger wasp's reflection on the home it digs for children it will never see and ``Re quiem,'' written for the victims of ``Fall's first killing frost,'' represent real beha viors. Beddows uses personified black- and-white drawings to capture the feeling of the poems, including a sultry queen honeybee reclining on her couch. This book can join Bugs (Viking, 1976) by Mary Ann Hoberman and Never Say Ugh! to a Bug (Greenwillow, 1979) by Norma Farber as proof that insects are indeed the stuff of poetry. Barbara Chatton, Col lege of Education, University of Wyo ming, Laramie
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Refreshing poetry
Here are fourteen poems about, of all things, bugs. Some may wonder at the subject matter; some may be disgusted. By the time you're done reading them, however, I'm sure you'll no longer feel that way.

Speaking of fireflies, book lice, and honeybees, Fleischman shows the unique perspective of each. At times his poems are hilarious, with the worker ant complaining in time to the languid satisfaction of the queen; some are poignant enough to touch your heart and make you think twice about that caterpillar you shuddered at the other day.

What makes these poems truly wonderful, however, is the fact that they are "for two voices". For full effect, they *must* be read aloud by two people, sometimes in chorus, sometimes speaking alone, and other times echoing each other. In such a manner, the already-delightful poetry becomes alive.

Two readers.
A human.

..........A bug.

Quite different,we two

..........Quite different,we two,

but now here we are

..........with a book to review.

"Joyful Noise"

..........as it's called,

is a beautiful book.

..........Whether human or insect, it's sure worth a look.

Two voices, aloud, join in poems like these:

..........a story of booklice, and one about bees.

So get with a friend and find out the joys that come out of making

..........A JOYFUL NOISE!

An original idea
These poems about the lives of different insects are meant to be read by two voices, thereby mimicking the sounds or characteristics of those bugs. The book works rather well, especially the whirligig beetle poem. Appearing in bookstores nation wide in 1992, I remember being given this book at the age of 10 from my mother. At that particular age I was not interested in participating in a picture book, clearly designed for younger students. Had I received it at a younger age I think I would have liked it more. I would recommend presenting this book to a group of students, having them perform it together. That would be the best use of this singular text.