Water Music: Poems for Children

by Jane Yolen, Jason Stemple (Photographer)

In pond, river, and ocean, as a solid, liquid, or gas, water is everywhere. But what does it evoke? What emotions are brought forth when we hear the crash of surf, see the rush of a stream, or feel the tickle of soap bubbles on our skin? In thoughtful poems, renowned author Jane Yolen takes a fresh look at water in all its forms, using photographer Jason Stemple's breathtaking pictures as inspiration. Waterfalls, steams, lakes, ocean waves, even bath water take on new meaning as poet and photographer examine these liquid landscapes through careful words and a camera's lens.

Genres: Poetry, Childrens, Picture Books

40 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1995

About the author

Jane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Reviews

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are poems about water for children by Jane Yolen, a well-known writer of picture books. there are photographs accompanying the poems. Some of her poems almost sound like Emily Dickinson's. For instance, in her poem "Water Jewels," she writes:
How well bedecked the weeds become
When dressed in water gems
They wear rain jewels upon their leaves
And raindrop diadems.

This book can be used with children when teaching them about poetry. It also contains haikus.

[Christine Kallner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love thank you concept if this book and enjoyed most of the poems, but unfortunately the photography has really not held up since this was published in the 90s.

[Jessica]

There are a lot of components of this book that would make it a good resource for elementary aged children. First of all, it is written and illustrated by a mother/son combo. That is an interesting aspect that can be discussed with the children. The book itself is full of beautiful photographs. When reading a poem to a class, the photograph can help the children to visualize what the poem is about. If doing a lesson on poetry writing, this book could be used to introduce different types of poetry. At the end of the book, there is a message from the author explaining that she looked at the photos that her son took before she wrote her poems. A teacher could use that as a tool in having a class of children create a poem. After reading the book, show the class some photographs or images and have the children write poems based on their interpretations or feelings regarding the images.

[Bridget R. Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this collection of poetry, Yolen treats water in all its forms--indoor, outdoor, liquid, frozen, lakes, rivers, falls, oceans, rain showers, and water flora.

What I thought: A delightful collection. Stemple's photographs are magnificent. I wonder which came first, the poems or the photographs? I'm especially fond of the imagery Yolen uses in these poems. My favorites are "Water Jewels," Embroidery," "Observation," and "Tangle." I will definitely be reading more of Jane Yolen's poetry.

[Ileana Lindner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Water Music
Author: Jane Yolen
Grade: 1st and 2nd Grade

This science poetry book takes the time to explore many different types of water. This could be helpful to use in the water cycle lesson, or natural resources lesson. As a natural resource, this book really helps evoke the emotions that different bodies of water pull from us as human beings. It is an aesthetically pleasing approach to really taking the time to admire the wonders of water.

[Audrey Ageyev]

This book had many different styles of poems about water in our environment. The poems were accompanied perfectly with beautiful photographs taken of water in nature by Jason Stemple. There were poems that were written in haiku form and other longer and shorter forms.

[Sydney West · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book that focuses on the different types of water that we see all around the world. I would use this to teach students about the different types of poetry. I would also have them write their own poem about water.

[Jimmy · Rating 2 out of 5]

If these weren't by Jane Yolen, would they have even been published?

[Ash Kemp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yolen has given us so many beautiful literary gifts, this lyrical work is absolutely breathtaking. The pages are small works of art and nicely complement the lovely words written thereon.

[Paige Partlow]

This is a poetry book about water sounds found in nature. It could be used in music and science lessons.

[Sharon Nicholls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry
Jane Yolen and Jason Stemple examine water in its many forms with rhythmic poetry and close-up photographs capturing its interactions with nature. This collection of seventeen poems for children gives readers and listeners exposure to various forms of poetry from rhyming, shape poems, haiku, and sometimes crafts a combination with words and photographs. These exquisite photographs take the reader by lakes, oceans, waterfalls, bathtubs, and even examine soap bubbles as water takes on different dimensions. Author and photographer also explore how plants and water connect as seen in the poem, “Water Jewels.” Yolen takes the image of a weed touched by water droplets and transforms the image into leaves dressed in “water gems.” This thoughtfully-written book evokes a gentle and quiet mood of contemplation. These poems are ideal for children because they are short, yet are certainly profound enough to appeal to a wider audience. Target audience: Ages 9-13.