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An Overview

Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman contains a dozen poems, starting with "Welcome to the Night," which begins, "To all of you who crawl and creep,/ who buzz and chirp and hoot and peep,/ who wake at dusk and throw off sleep:/ Welcome to the night."

Throughout Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night, the artwork by Rick Allen makes a strong impact, from the cover print of a great horned owl to the double-page print of the owl at dusk at the edge of the woods at the start of the book to the prints that accompany each poem to the double-page print of the owl at dawn at the end of the book.

Each double-page spread follows the same basic design: a poem and a spot illustration on the page on the left and a large illustration on the right, with a narrow column of factual information related to the subject of the poem on the outside edge. Dark Emperor is both an illustrated book of poetry and a science book. Reading the evocative poems and looking at the illustrations whet the reader's appetite for more information. The addition of the narrow column of factual information that can be found on the far right of each illustrated poem is a placement that takes advantage of the reader's heightened interest and provides the reader with science information about what has just been introduced through the poetry and artwork.

The subjects of these poems of the night include woodland snails, the primrose moth, great horned owls, the oak tree, nocturnal spiders, a baby porcupine, a cricket, eft, mushrooms and bats. The book ends with Moon's Lament, a poem about the coming of the day. A science glossary at the end of the book provides additional information.

Author Joyce Sidman

Both of the poetry books by Joyce Sideman published in 2010, Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night and Ubiquitous, have been named Outstanding Science Trade books by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and the Children's Book Council (CBC). Dark Emperor has also been recognized as a 2011 Newbery Honor Book. (Read about the 2011 Newbery winners.) Some of Joyce Sidman's other poetry books for children include two Caldecott Honor books, Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems and Red Sings from Treetops, as well as Eureka! Poems About Inventors and Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow.

Artist Rick Allen

Printmaker Rick Allen's artwork provides a dramatic look at night in the woods and the nocturnal animals to be found there. His use of color and line results in striking prints that both complement and enhance the impact of the poetry of Joyce Sidman. Allen operates the Kenspeckle Letterpress in Duluth, Minnesota, and works in collaboration with Marian Lansky, assisted by Janelle Miller. Allen used the relief printing process to create the artwork for Dark Emperor. According to a note in the front of the book, "The prints for Dark Emperor were each printed from at least three blocks (and in some instances as many as six) and then hand-colored with a strongly pigmented watercolor called gouache."

My Recommendation

It's been my experience that while children don't necessarily tend to choose poetry books on their own, they often become fans of poetry after an adult - a parent, a teacher or librarian, for example - has introduced them to various types and forms of poetry. Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night is a book I recommend for a rather wide audience. It's a book parents can read to younger children, a book a family can enjoy together and a book that tweens and teens can enjoy at home or in the classroom where it will provide a fascinating and creative introduction to the world of nocturnal animals in the woods. Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night is also be a wonderful book to share as a prelude to your own family's camping trip or evening walk through the woods. (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, An Imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. ISBN: 9780547152288)

Other Recommended Books for Kids Interested in Science and Nature

Along with her poems, Jane Yolen's Poetry Books About Nature include factual information and stnning nature photography by Jason Stemple. Her poetry book An Egret's Day includes poems, photos and information about the daily life of the Great Egret, a large and handsome bird.

For kids 9-14 who are interested in the work of scientists, I recommend the nonfiction Scientists in the Field series, which includes Digging for Bird Dinosaurs and Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot.