Review of THE SUN IS SO QUIET

Giovanni, Nikki. Ashley Bryan. (Ill.) 1996. THE SUN IS SO QUIET. New York: Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 0-8050-4119-2

This individual poet compilation includes many poems about the seasons and weather. Giovanni uses a variety of strategies to catch her readers’ ear. These strategies include rhyme, assonance and alliteration. In the selection Prickled Pickles Don’t Smile, the reader finds herself concentrating on the words in order to read them correctly—it is almost a tongue twister. “Never tickle a prickled pickle ‘cause prickled pickles don’t smile.” This jaunty poem goes on to include assonance: goad, loaded, toad. While the poems can stand on their own, Ashley’s playful gouache and tempera paint illustrations add to the humor and enhance readers’ understanding. Giovanni reaches readers’ emotions in her poem The Reason I Like Chocolate. In this poem, a child reveals his emotional connection to his favorite things: “I like to cry sometimes ‘cause everybody says, What’s the matter don’t cry” and “I like books … ‘cause they just make me happy and I really like to be happy.” To facilitate browsing, this colorful compilation includes a helpful table of contents.

This collection of poetry, with its multicultural illustrations, is highly recommended for poetry enthusiasts ages 4-10.