Scieszka,
Jon. Science Verse. Ill. by Lane
Smith. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2004. ISBN: 978-0-670-91057-1.
SUMMARY
Told by his
science teacher, Mr. Newton, that he will begin to "hear the poetry of
science in everything," a young boy is cursed with Science Verse. Familiar
tunes and poems no longer carry familiar words. Instead, science terms and
facts replace the old familiar words. Classical poems take a new twist as
Science Verse takes over and changes their meanings entirely. Will the young
student forever be under the curse of Science Verse, or will he be able to once
again recover his normal student self and be bored during Mr. Newton's science
class? Read Science Verse to find
out!
ANALYSIS
Jon Scieszka
takes science to new realms in his book Science
Verse. Using his quirky sense of humor, Scieszka turns tunes and poems into
funny science-themed verses that are sure to make even the most serious
scientist laugh.
Using rhythm
and rhyming patterns true to the original poems' formats, Scieszka intertwines
science themes and facts into the poems that put a whole new meaning to the
verse. For example, in his poem "Water Cycle" Scieszka uses the rhyme
"It's Raining, It's Pouring" and, using repetitive words, makes the
water cycle seem like, well, a cycle! "It's raining, it's pouring./For H2O,
it's boring:/ Precipitation,/ Evaporation,/ Precipitation,/ Evaporation,/
Precipitation,/ Evaporation.../Evening, night, and morning."
For
Scieszka, nothing is sacred, and he turns to the classical, thought provoking
poetry of Longfellow, Poe, and Frost to make the point that "the poetry of
science is in everything!" He takes
Robert Frost's poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," and
turns it into a solar system experience in his poem, "Astronaut Stopping
by a Planet on a Snowy Evening." It
begins "Which world is this I do not know./ It's in our solar
system though./ I'm thinking that it might be Mars,/ Because it has that
reddish glow." The remaining three stanzas continue to carry the reader
through the astronaut's journey through our solar system and remain true to
the original poem's format of rhyme and meter, yet the ending couplet (which will not be revealed in this review) is sure to
get a chuckle from the reader, instead of the thoughtful musings Mr. Frost's
original poem awakens.
Lane Smith's
illustrations add to the humor of the poetry. The characters' expressions, the
colors, the visual display of detail mixed with large images make each page
worthy of a good pause to carefully see Smith's depiction of Scieszka's poems. Science Verse is not for the serious
minded who are looking for science facts. It is for those who enjoy a playful
break and good laugh from the sometimes too serious side of science.
AWARDS
Parents'
Choice Award 2004: Gold Non-Fiction
Golden Duck
Award for Excellence in Children's Science Fiction Literature, 2005: Winner
Picture Book, United States
Best
Children's Books of the Year, 2004: Banks Street College of Education, United
States
Notable
Children's Books, 2005: American Library Association, United States
SUGGESTED
ACTIVITY
Using the song "I've Been Working on
the Railroad," Scieszka changes the words to fit the theme of a food chain
in his poem, "Food Chain." Play the song, "I've Been Working on
the Railroad" for students to refresh their memory of the original tune,
or to introduce it to those who have never heard it. Then, after the students
have the tune mastered, replace the original words with Scieszka's and enjoy a
fun-filled song that will help the students remember a few key science words!
Food Chain
I've been working in the food chain,
All the livelong day.
In the middle of the food chain,
I've got no time to play.
Can't you see the green plants growing?
That's energy, okay?
Consumer eats up the producer,
Predators eat prey.
Who's for lunch today?
Who's for lunch today?
Don't you just wonder, who's for lunch
today?
Predator or prey?
Predator or prey?
Eat or be eaten, that's the only way.
Science Verse. Cover illustration.
Internet on-line. April 6, 2013 from http://www.flr.follett.com/search?SID=fc7201583581dc8de0ec27730f351ec3
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