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Enormous Smallness
Enormous Smallness is a nonfiction picture book about the poet E.E. cummings. Here E.E.'s life is presented in a way that will make children curious about him and will lead them to play with words and ask plenty of questions as well. Lively and informative, the book also presents some of Cummings's most wonderful poems, integrating them seamlessly into the story to give the reader the music of his voice and a spirited, sensitive introduction to his poetry.
In keeping with the epigraph of the book -- "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are," Matthew Burgess's narrative emphasizes the bravery it takes to follow one's own vision and the encouragement E.E. received to do just that.
Matthew Burgess teaches creative writing and composition at Brooklyn College. He is also a writer-in-residence with Teachers & Writers Collaborative, leading poetry workshops in early elementary classrooms since 2001. He was awarded a MacArthur Scholarship while working on his MFA, and he received a grant from The Fund for Poetry. Matthew's poems and essays have appeared in various journals, and his debut collection, Slippers for Elsewhere, was published by UpSet Press. His doctoral dissertation explores childhood spaces in twentieth century autobiography, and he completed his PhD at the CUNY Graduate Center in June 2014.
Kris Di Giacomo is an American who has lived in France since childhood. She has illustrated over twenty-five books for French publishers, which have been translated into many languages. This is her sixth book to be published by Enchanted Lion Books. The others are My Dad Is Big And Strong, But . . . , Brief Thief, Me First!, The Day I Lost My Superpowers, and
In keeping with the epigraph of the book -- "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are," Matthew Burgess's narrative emphasizes the bravery it takes to follow one's own vision and the encouragement E.E. received to do just that.
Matthew Burgess teaches creative writing and composition at Brooklyn College. He is also a writer-in-residence with Teachers & Writers Collaborative, leading poetry workshops in early elementary classrooms since 2001. He was awarded a MacArthur Scholarship while working on his MFA, and he received a grant from The Fund for Poetry. Matthew's poems and essays have appeared in various journals, and his debut collection, Slippers for Elsewhere, was published by UpSet Press. His doctoral dissertation explores childhood spaces in twentieth century autobiography, and he completed his PhD at the CUNY Graduate Center in June 2014.
Kris Di Giacomo is an American who has lived in France since childhood. She has illustrated over twenty-five books for French publishers, which have been translated into many languages. This is her sixth book to be published by Enchanted Lion Books. The others are My Dad Is Big And Strong, But . . . , Brief Thief, Me First!, The Day I Lost My Superpowers, and
64 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 292 reviews
June 10, 2015
may my heart always be open to little
birds who are the secrets of living
whatever they sing is better than to know
and if men should not hear them men are old
Welcome to the life of Edward Estlin Cummings.
You may know him better as e. e. cummings.
Learn all about his enchanted childhood in Massachuesetts, where his mother encouraged his poetry and his father was happy to be a pretend elephant. Much time was spent bird watching, star gazing and drawing in a spectacular tree house.
This is just a beautiful book. Burgess's text is poetry in itself. The layout is imaginative and Di Giacomo's artwork simply stunning.
This is one to treasure and keep handy for whenever you need a small dose of magic in your life.
His poems were his way
of saying YES
YES to the heart
and the roundness of the moon,
to birds, elephants, trees,
and everything he loved.
birds who are the secrets of living
whatever they sing is better than to know
and if men should not hear them men are old
Welcome to the life of Edward Estlin Cummings.
You may know him better as e. e. cummings.
Learn all about his enchanted childhood in Massachuesetts, where his mother encouraged his poetry and his father was happy to be a pretend elephant. Much time was spent bird watching, star gazing and drawing in a spectacular tree house.
This is just a beautiful book. Burgess's text is poetry in itself. The layout is imaginative and Di Giacomo's artwork simply stunning.
This is one to treasure and keep handy for whenever you need a small dose of magic in your life.
His poems were his way
of saying YES
YES to the heart
and the roundness of the moon,
to birds, elephants, trees,
and everything he loved.
October 25, 2017
“To be nobody but
yourself in a world
which is doing its best day and night to make you like
everybody else means to fight the hardest battle
which any human being can fight and never stop fighting.”
“I will take the sun in my mouth
and leap into the ripe air
Alive
with closed eyes
to dash against darkness”
“I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing
than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance”
“I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.”
“The snow doesn't give a soft white damn whom it touches.”
Edward Estlin Cummings became e. e. cummings.
This is a non-fiction picture book, and a biography for kids and all ages about a wonderful poet, with gorgeous artwork to match the wondrous poetry. You must read. I love the playful text, capturing the playful life he lived, where his mother encouraged the imagination, and his father was (okay, played) an elephant.
See Melki’s review for images ftom the book, so lovely.
yourself in a world
which is doing its best day and night to make you like
everybody else means to fight the hardest battle
which any human being can fight and never stop fighting.”
“I will take the sun in my mouth
and leap into the ripe air
Alive
with closed eyes
to dash against darkness”
“I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing
than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance”
“I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.”
“The snow doesn't give a soft white damn whom it touches.”
Edward Estlin Cummings became e. e. cummings.
This is a non-fiction picture book, and a biography for kids and all ages about a wonderful poet, with gorgeous artwork to match the wondrous poetry. You must read. I love the playful text, capturing the playful life he lived, where his mother encouraged the imagination, and his father was (okay, played) an elephant.
See Melki’s review for images ftom the book, so lovely.
February 28, 2023
ah, e e cummings
how i have
loved
you since 7th grade you took me by
surprise
and now enormous smallness your biography
in small form
lovely lovely lovely
yes i say yes
read this book
how i have
loved
you since 7th grade you took me by
surprise
and now enormous smallness your biography
in small form
lovely lovely lovely
yes i say yes
read this book
September 16, 2015
This picture book biography of e.e. cummings is an excellent debut for author, Matthew Burgess. Nice artwork by Kris Di Giacomo and lyrical writing are combined to tell the life story of one of the great, inventive American poets from his early childhood in the 1800s until his death in the 1960s. Edward Estlin Cummings started writing at age three, and was always a "color outside the lines" guy, who refused to follow convention and expressed himself in words and art. I really liked one reviewers observation that "the book invites young readers to view their own world with wonder," as e.e. Cummings did throughout his life.
April 5, 2016
"Inside an enormous city
in a house on a very small street,
there once lived a poet
I would like you to meet."
- Matthew Burgess, enormous smallness: A Story of E.E. Cummings
I bought this illustrated, small, children's biography of E.E. Cummings for my wife, my lover, my best friend since childhood. We were raised reading E.E. Cummings. We passed his poems back and forth in high school. I mimicked E. E. Cummings in love poems I would send to Jeni as a heart sick college student. The words and |ˈriT͟Həm| of E.E. Cummings poems are etched in our lives.
I figured since I bought it for her, and she had already read it, it was probably
ok
if
I
borrowed it back and gave it my own read.
This is an illustrated and short book, but the illustrations are beautifully done. I can't imagine a book about E. E. Cummings NOT including art, paintings, illustrations or exaggerations. Anyway, a nice introduction to his art and life. If you aren't new to E.E. Cummings, think of it as a poetic Valentines card that costs $17.95 plus tax.
in a house on a very small street,
there once lived a poet
I would like you to meet."
- Matthew Burgess, enormous smallness: A Story of E.E. Cummings
I bought this illustrated, small, children's biography of E.E. Cummings for my wife, my lover, my best friend since childhood. We were raised reading E.E. Cummings. We passed his poems back and forth in high school. I mimicked E. E. Cummings in love poems I would send to Jeni as a heart sick college student. The words and |ˈriT͟Həm| of E.E. Cummings poems are etched in our lives.
I figured since I bought it for her, and she had already read it, it was probably
ok
if
I
borrowed it back and gave it my own read.
This is an illustrated and short book, but the illustrations are beautifully done. I can't imagine a book about E. E. Cummings NOT including art, paintings, illustrations or exaggerations. Anyway, a nice introduction to his art and life. If you aren't new to E.E. Cummings, think of it as a poetic Valentines card that costs $17.95 plus tax.
December 20, 2017
I knew nothing about e.e. cummings until I read this book, and hadn't read any of his poetry since I was a teenager, so this was a refreshing reintroduction. He started composing poems when he was 3 years old! Lucky for us that his mother thought to write them down. I had forgotten how experimental and different--even by today's standards--his poetry was. Author Kris Di Giacomo tells the story of cummings' life in rhyme and free verse, and also provides us with samples of some of his best-known poems. What makes a person think of alternate forms of poetic expression? He surely had a playful mind! According to the chronology of his life at the end of the book, he was also an artist, a painter. Di Giacomo was focusing here on his poetry, but I wish she had provided an example or two of his paintings. I must look them up. In the author's note at the back of the book Di Giacomo states:
"In many ways, Cummings was a champion of the small. He wrote about birds, grasshoppers, snowflakes, and other everyday pleasures. He frequently used lowercase letters, and he became famous for his use of the small 'i'. At a time when many of his contemporaries believed it was necessary to write a 'long poem' to become established as a major poet, Cummings preferred smaller forms."
I wonder if the subjects of his paintings are equally small and everyday. I think young readers will be inspired to want to read more of his poems, and perhaps to try writing some "small poems" themselves. Recommended!
"In many ways, Cummings was a champion of the small. He wrote about birds, grasshoppers, snowflakes, and other everyday pleasures. He frequently used lowercase letters, and he became famous for his use of the small 'i'. At a time when many of his contemporaries believed it was necessary to write a 'long poem' to become established as a major poet, Cummings preferred smaller forms."
I wonder if the subjects of his paintings are equally small and everyday. I think young readers will be inspired to want to read more of his poems, and perhaps to try writing some "small poems" themselves. Recommended!
July 31, 2017
I read this after getting a recommendation from a lovely-friend. She had slogged through my Swedish mystery recommendation (gave it a tepid 3, btw, don't think I missed that) and my movie recommendation and song recommendation. So it would certainly be a lovely-friend foul if I shirked on her suggestion for me to read a mere 62 page children's book.
Indeed, I don't know how often I recommended/loaned a book to somebody but they do not read it . It is like my bookish suggestions is a kiss of death, and that once praised, they will in fact now NEVER read the bloody book. So with respect and affection I read Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings?
What a great book! Totally charming. A biography of E.E. Cummings of all things. And at only 62 pages you can cheat and read in at the BN while the kids argue over who gets Thomas the Engine in the kid's section play area. But why cheat, it is really nice (though you can still hedge and get it from library.) I admit, I had to resist the urge to write my review with rhythm and rhyme, but how long did I want to spend trying to work in forgiven in time.
Besides, the author Mathew Burgess follows that urge and weaves in some fine writing that children will take to easily. Kris Di Giacomo's artwork is fun and clever palate for the poems, and remains close to the story, so a child who still can't read can easily follow along and 'read' it alone later. Adults will enjoy the images of early 20th century America as well.
One of the things that struck me was how Edward Eslin's parents started to record his musings long before he could write them himself. He lived with a loving extended family that went to to great efforts to provide wonderful creative places, like a tree house.
But the best part is the inspiring hopeful and carefree poetry. The opening lines is a good message for the little ones (and big ones, too) "... it takes courage to grow up and become who you are."
If you are unfamiliar with e.e.cummings, he really was the first to use the page/canvas as a place to display the words he loved. He used small letters in place of capitals and left large spaces between words, among other things. (modern internet writers, i suspect, could love his loose regard of trad. writin' conventions, lol)
And I daresay, saying 'yes' to my lovely-friend's suggestion to read this book, I discovered a lovely world for children and adults alike.
Indeed, I don't know how often I recommended/loaned a book to somebody but they do not read it . It is like my bookish suggestions is a kiss of death, and that once praised, they will in fact now NEVER read the bloody book. So with respect and affection I read Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings?
What a great book! Totally charming. A biography of E.E. Cummings of all things. And at only 62 pages you can cheat and read in at the BN while the kids argue over who gets Thomas the Engine in the kid's section play area. But why cheat, it is really nice (though you can still hedge and get it from library.) I admit, I had to resist the urge to write my review with rhythm and rhyme, but how long did I want to spend trying to work in forgiven in time.
Besides, the author Mathew Burgess follows that urge and weaves in some fine writing that children will take to easily. Kris Di Giacomo's artwork is fun and clever palate for the poems, and remains close to the story, so a child who still can't read can easily follow along and 'read' it alone later. Adults will enjoy the images of early 20th century America as well.
One of the things that struck me was how Edward Eslin's parents started to record his musings long before he could write them himself. He lived with a loving extended family that went to to great efforts to provide wonderful creative places, like a tree house.
But the best part is the inspiring hopeful and carefree poetry. The opening lines is a good message for the little ones (and big ones, too) "... it takes courage to grow up and become who you are."
If you are unfamiliar with e.e.cummings, he really was the first to use the page/canvas as a place to display the words he loved. He used small letters in place of capitals and left large spaces between words, among other things. (modern internet writers, i suspect, could love his loose regard of trad. writin' conventions, lol)
love is a place
& through this place of
love move
(with brightness of peace)
all places
yes is a world
& in this world of
yes live
(skillfully curled)
all worlds.
And I daresay, saying 'yes' to my lovely-friend's suggestion to read this book, I discovered a lovely world for children and adults alike.
February 6, 2021
Another picturebook biography which I came across having browsed Maria Popova's delectable selection over on her brainpickings.org website. Presenting the life of Cummings in verse (Burgess) and picture (Di Giacomo), Smallness sees a pitch-perfect collaboration bring together a delightful stroll through the life of this gifted poet (and artist).
The story starts in Cummings' New York flat, then it whisks us back through his enviable childhood (acres of space, doting, kind parents and a wonderful education) through to his time in the war and then back to Manhattan. Double-page spreads show both the time the story is set in with words and images whilst flourishes of dappled pictures reflect aspects and moments of the poetry and art he created at that time too.
This is a book of courage and following your dreams but also seeing beauty in the everyday too. It's pretty perfect.
The story starts in Cummings' New York flat, then it whisks us back through his enviable childhood (acres of space, doting, kind parents and a wonderful education) through to his time in the war and then back to Manhattan. Double-page spreads show both the time the story is set in with words and images whilst flourishes of dappled pictures reflect aspects and moments of the poetry and art he created at that time too.
This is a book of courage and following your dreams but also seeing beauty in the everyday too. It's pretty perfect.
March 18, 2016
Informative and beautiful.
July 27, 2025
It felt like a little gift to read this treasure of a biography written for kids! An example of the writing: Estlin looked around as if his eyes were on tiptoes.
I learned so much about e.e. cummings including that he was an artist as well as a poet. His given name was Edward Estlin. He was a champion of small things. He recalls wandering through the woods near his home, in Cambridge: “Here, as a very little child, I first encountered that mystery who is Nature; here my enormous smallness entered her illimitable being…”
A quote from his poem on spring: when the world is puddle-wonderful.
And part of another:
(and feeling:that if day
has to become night
this is a beautiful way)
I learned so much about e.e. cummings including that he was an artist as well as a poet. His given name was Edward Estlin. He was a champion of small things. He recalls wandering through the woods near his home, in Cambridge: “Here, as a very little child, I first encountered that mystery who is Nature; here my enormous smallness entered her illimitable being…”
A quote from his poem on spring: when the world is puddle-wonderful.
And part of another:
(and feeling:that if day
has to become night
this is a beautiful way)
June 26, 2023
I have recently been exploring poetry by e.e. cummings and stumbled across this jr. biography about him. I learned so much and it was beautifully done. The illustrations were so poetic, such a compliment to e.e.’s life. I adore children’s literature that is written in such a thoughtful way. Young and old can enjoy this book.
April 12, 2019
‘In many ways, Cummings was a champion of the small. He wrote about birds, grasshoppers, snowflakes, and other everyday pleasures. He frequently used lowercase letters, and he became famous for his use of the small ‘i.’ At a time when many of his contemporaries believed it was necessary to write a ‘long poem’ to become established as a major poet, Cummings preferred smaller forms.’
This is a stunning and inspiring picture-book biography.
It tells and shows the story of one of the world's most beloved poets E. E. Cummings. It is very simple but at the same time reveals interesting and important details of his life and perfectly depicts why he is so great.
The name E.E. Cumings stands for Edward Estlin Cummings.
He wrote his first poem when he was 3 years old.
His mother would write his poems down.
He had a teacher who encouraged him to continue his experiments with words.
He loved elephants.
He had a passion for drawing.
His father built a small house in the branches for his son.
He fell in love with Paris…
It tells you so much about Cummings - about his childhood, bravery, playfulness and talent.
Enough to understand his poems better.
It is a brilliant book for both kids and adults.
Great job, Matthew Burgess and Kris Di Giacomo!
‘To be nobody but
yourself in a world
which is doing its best day and night to make you like
everybody else means to fight the hardest battle
which any human being can fight and never stop fighting.’ - E. E. Cummings
This is a stunning and inspiring picture-book biography.
It tells and shows the story of one of the world's most beloved poets E. E. Cummings. It is very simple but at the same time reveals interesting and important details of his life and perfectly depicts why he is so great.
The name E.E. Cumings stands for Edward Estlin Cummings.
He wrote his first poem when he was 3 years old.
His mother would write his poems down.
He had a teacher who encouraged him to continue his experiments with words.
He loved elephants.
He had a passion for drawing.
His father built a small house in the branches for his son.
He fell in love with Paris…
It tells you so much about Cummings - about his childhood, bravery, playfulness and talent.
Enough to understand his poems better.
It is a brilliant book for both kids and adults.
Great job, Matthew Burgess and Kris Di Giacomo!
‘To be nobody but
yourself in a world
which is doing its best day and night to make you like
everybody else means to fight the hardest battle
which any human being can fight and never stop fighting.’ - E. E. Cummings
March 9, 2018
I need more than 5 stars to rate this book. It is the incredible, true story of E.E. Cummings. Filled with creative illustrations and a variety of fonts and letter alignment, it keeps the reader engaged from beginning to end. Interspersed throughout the book are snippets of E.E. Cummings poetry and writing. The end of the book contains a full chronology of Cummings' life and two pages of his poems. This book is chalked full of details about Cummings' life but written in a way that makes the pages come alive and whiz by without feeling like you are being "bogged down" with nonfiction reading. It does an excellent job of pushing the underlying message of E.E. Cummings' life to persevere no matter what anyone tells you.
Read
September 2, 2019The main character in this book is a lot like my dad. This is because even from a young age the main character had strived for greatness and a will to learn. My dad is similar because his whole life he has tried to enlighten himself with knowledge. At 29 he decided on his own that he wanted to further his education by going to Penn State Univerity to earn an MBA. This is why I believe my dad is similar to the main character in my book, "Emomous Smallness"
November 8, 2021
I knew I would love this book from the very first end page of interesting typed words and subtle, inviting colours. The following page encourages me to have courage, to become who you really are. The story of E.E Cummings' life is written and illustrated with warmth, a lovely sense of humour, bringing to life Cummings' talent and joy of words and of using and finding them in life. His gift takes him to university, to make inspirational speeches and to challenge and change the way people think about, read and engage with poetry.
January 9, 2025
The thing that strikes me the most about this E.E. Cummings biography is what a charmed and wondrous childhood he had: A lively house filled with relatives and pets. Loving, playful parents who nurtured creativity, observation and imagination. Joy Farm, where Estlin played in fields and forests. His own little cabin and a tree house built just for fun.
There are things not mentioned about his life - like the accident that killed his father, and two brief marriages (and a child) before meeting the love of his life, Marion - likely due to the fact that this is a childrens book.
Matthew Burgess does a nice job of maintaining his focus: playfullness and fun, and how that carried over from Cummings' childhood to his poetry.
I learned a few good things.
There are things not mentioned about his life - like the accident that killed his father, and two brief marriages (and a child) before meeting the love of his life, Marion - likely due to the fact that this is a childrens book.
Matthew Burgess does a nice job of maintaining his focus: playfullness and fun, and how that carried over from Cummings' childhood to his poetry.
I learned a few good things.
April 24, 2015
I was captivated by this beautiful picture book...a glimpse into the life and poetry of e. e. cummings. The poetic writing of author, Matthew Burgess, combined with the lovely collages of Kris Di Giacomo, and snippets of Cummings' work, captured the spirit of a young boy whose wonderings were encouraged and whose writings beautifully and playfully communicated his thoughts and imaginings. I know e. e. cummings as a famous poet, but I didn't really know much about his life or many of his poems. Now I do! This book is one to be explored again and again! Here's hoping it inspires other young dreamers and writers!
June 22, 2016
Listed in CCBC Choices 2016 under The Arts. I didn't know much about poet, e. e. cummings, before reading this book. It is a picture book for older readers, which is often a hard sell. This book really lends itself to the picture book format. I love how his poems were integrated throughout the book. Great supportive parents as a youngster in the early 20th century. Sweet Spot: Grades 4-8
April 26, 2015
I love everything about this book. The text and illustrations are married so perfectly. The choice of poems. The changes in font and size. Such a beautiful design. So fitting for the subject. I'm happy dancing inside. :)
May 17, 2015
The wheels are turning...thinking about a picture book biography unit for next year...
April 14, 2018
Edward Estlin Cummings was born on October 14, 1894 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He made up his first poem when he was three. His mother would record his poems in a little book called “Estlin’s Original Poems.”
He also invented new words for his poems.
Cummings had a teacher that encouraged him in his writing, and an uncle who gave him a guide to writing poems called The Rhymester which became one of his most cherished possessions. The Poetry Foundation reports: “Between the ages of eight and twenty-two, he wrote a poem a day, exploring many traditional poetic forms.”
Estlin served in World War I, and published a fictionalized account of his experiences in 1922. It was called "The Enormous Room." A year later, he published his first book of poems. As the author observes:
“Using a style all his own, e.e. put lowercase letters where capitals normally go, and his playful punctuation grabbed readers’ attention. His poems were alive with experimentation and surprise!”
Typical poems by cummings placed words all over the page. He changed grammatical rules to meet his needs. Burgess observes in the Author’s Note:
“In many ways, Cummings was a champion of the small. He wrote about birds, grasshoppers, snowflakes, and other everyday pleasures. He frequently used lowercase letters, and he became famous for his use of the small ‘i.’ At a time when many of his contemporaries believed it was necessary to write a ‘long poem’ to become established as a major poet, Cummings preferred smaller forms.”
The author further explains that because of Estlin’s love for lowercase letters, he began to sign his name all in lowercase, so that he became e.e. cummings.
At the end of the book, there is a timeline, some examples of his poems, and an author’s note.
Illustrator Kris Di Giacomo uses multimedia and wordplay of her own to show the imaginative ways cummings experimented with form. She used a typewriter typeface to distinguish cummings’ words from the author’s narration.
The author explains that cummings ran into a lot of resistance for his unique rendering of words into art, but he “went right on dreaming and making. For inside, he knew his poems were new and true.” In time, the author informs us, “more and more people came to see the beauty of E.E.’s poetry, and he became one of the most beloved poets in America.”
Evaluation: I’m not sure the author picked the best poems to introduce cummings to children, but at the very least, Burgess shows the creative ways in which the poet’s words were arrayed on a page. The books conveys a couple of positive messages: that sometimes to make advances one needs to think outside the box, and that courage and persistence can pay off in the end. My own personal favorite by this poet I think has appeal for both children and adults:
He also invented new words for his poems.
Cummings had a teacher that encouraged him in his writing, and an uncle who gave him a guide to writing poems called The Rhymester which became one of his most cherished possessions. The Poetry Foundation reports: “Between the ages of eight and twenty-two, he wrote a poem a day, exploring many traditional poetic forms.”
Estlin served in World War I, and published a fictionalized account of his experiences in 1922. It was called "The Enormous Room." A year later, he published his first book of poems. As the author observes:
“Using a style all his own, e.e. put lowercase letters where capitals normally go, and his playful punctuation grabbed readers’ attention. His poems were alive with experimentation and surprise!”
Typical poems by cummings placed words all over the page. He changed grammatical rules to meet his needs. Burgess observes in the Author’s Note:
“In many ways, Cummings was a champion of the small. He wrote about birds, grasshoppers, snowflakes, and other everyday pleasures. He frequently used lowercase letters, and he became famous for his use of the small ‘i.’ At a time when many of his contemporaries believed it was necessary to write a ‘long poem’ to become established as a major poet, Cummings preferred smaller forms.”
The author further explains that because of Estlin’s love for lowercase letters, he began to sign his name all in lowercase, so that he became e.e. cummings.
At the end of the book, there is a timeline, some examples of his poems, and an author’s note.
Illustrator Kris Di Giacomo uses multimedia and wordplay of her own to show the imaginative ways cummings experimented with form. She used a typewriter typeface to distinguish cummings’ words from the author’s narration.
The author explains that cummings ran into a lot of resistance for his unique rendering of words into art, but he “went right on dreaming and making. For inside, he knew his poems were new and true.” In time, the author informs us, “more and more people came to see the beauty of E.E.’s poetry, and he became one of the most beloved poets in America.”
Evaluation: I’m not sure the author picked the best poems to introduce cummings to children, but at the very least, Burgess shows the creative ways in which the poet’s words were arrayed on a page. The books conveys a couple of positive messages: that sometimes to make advances one needs to think outside the box, and that courage and persistence can pay off in the end. My own personal favorite by this poet I think has appeal for both children and adults:
"dominic has
a doll wired
to the radiator of his
ZOOM DOOM
icecoalwood truck a
wistful little
clown
whom somebody buried
upsidedown in an ashbarrel so
of course dominic
took him
home
& mrs dominic washed his sweet
dirty
face & mended
his bright torn trousers (quite
as if he were really her &
she
but)&so
that
's how dominic has a doll
& every now and then my
wonderful
friend dominic depaola
gives me a most tremendous hug
knowing
i feel
that
we & worlds
are
less alive
than dolls &
dream."
February 25, 2019
Enormous Smallness tells the story of the poet E. E. Cummings, how he became a poet, and other aspects of his life. This book is a biography and I would use it in any grade 3-6.
I would use this book as part of a unit on biographies. In one of my field placements, the teacher first modeled how to get information from a biography to write a paper over a few days, and then the students were to find a book on someone they were interested in and do their own research and writing. I think this book would be great for modeling or for a student to be able to choose for his or her own work.
This book would also be great to use to teach comprehension strategies because there is a lot of information in the book that students may have a hard time digesting it all. I would particularly like to use this book to help kids work on predicting and inferring, since the book is in a sequential order.
This was a WOW book for me because it taught me a lot about the life of E. E. Cummings, a man that I only knew as a poet before. I think it is important that we introduce our students to the lives of famous figures, so that we can see them as people and not just the work that they do.
I would use this book as part of a unit on biographies. In one of my field placements, the teacher first modeled how to get information from a biography to write a paper over a few days, and then the students were to find a book on someone they were interested in and do their own research and writing. I think this book would be great for modeling or for a student to be able to choose for his or her own work.
This book would also be great to use to teach comprehension strategies because there is a lot of information in the book that students may have a hard time digesting it all. I would particularly like to use this book to help kids work on predicting and inferring, since the book is in a sequential order.
This was a WOW book for me because it taught me a lot about the life of E. E. Cummings, a man that I only knew as a poet before. I think it is important that we introduce our students to the lives of famous figures, so that we can see them as people and not just the work that they do.
April 8, 2018
Not only did I love the story here, because I found the poet interesting and his life moreso, but I loved the layout and design. Even the typography was riveting, making this a delightful addition to the world of biographical picture books.
I also found I had a deep desire to read poetry e.e.cummings when this book was through, which is good, because several full-length poems are helpfully included in the back of this book.
For lovers of poetry, biography and picture books, this volume is not to be missed. As you can see, I really liked it. :)
I also found I had a deep desire to read poetry e.e.cummings when this book was through, which is good, because several full-length poems are helpfully included in the back of this book.
For lovers of poetry, biography and picture books, this volume is not to be missed. As you can see, I really liked it. :)
September 7, 2019
This book is beautiful to look at. Everything - the art, the fonts, is gorgeous. The text stays approachable for the older picture book crowd, and the choice of poems is brilliant. This is definitely e.e. cummunigs poetry, but it isn't intimidating for kids.
March 1, 2019
Picture book about the poet e.e. cummings, likely appropriate for upper elementary students ready to explore freewheeling poetic forms. It left me curious about the poet's original drawings.
January 19, 2021
Yummy. Enough details about cumming's life to satisfy all readers, lovely descriptions of how he came to write poetry in his special style.
August 8, 2020
This sweet picture book effectively captures the wit and whimsy of e. e. cummings and his poetry. I enjoyed this greatly, just as I've often enjoyed his little poems, unconventional as they are.
April 19, 2019
I ran across this book today at the library and I’m ordering a copy for myself. What a delightful look into the history and life of my favorite poet ,
e. e. cummings. It is written for young people but speaks also to my adult heart in much the same way that an e. e. cummings poem does.
e. e. cummings. It is written for young people but speaks also to my adult heart in much the same way that an e. e. cummings poem does.
October 13, 2015
I read this book as part of the Chapter and Verse Book Club's discussion of possible Sibert Award-Winning books for 2015.
The good:
- There are strong adult influences throughout the whole book, examples: dad pretending to be an elephant so E.E. could use his imagination and ride him and dad helping to build a treehouse, mom asking what he saw and writing it down, strong positive influences from his teacher and uncle.
- This book encourages time spent alone to reflect; I think in our society today, kids are often over-scheduled with little time to encourage creativity and time for self-reflection. E.E. spent time alone, seeing, observing, writing.
- As an adult, E.E. experienced criticism from some people who didn't understand his word choice or his rhythm, his lowercase letters, but he continued to be who he was and do what he loved in the face of his critics
The not-so-good:
- There were times throughout the book when the script was hard to read. Examples are on the page where he moves to NYC and the page that discusses his critics where the letters are so spread out, it's hard to make words of them.
- While this book is a perfectly fine description of E.E.'s life, I found it a little dull. There was no climax to the plot line that made me want to continue to learn more about him as a person and as a writer. I can't really see a lot of kids getting overly excited about reading this book.
The good:
- There are strong adult influences throughout the whole book, examples: dad pretending to be an elephant so E.E. could use his imagination and ride him and dad helping to build a treehouse, mom asking what he saw and writing it down, strong positive influences from his teacher and uncle.
- This book encourages time spent alone to reflect; I think in our society today, kids are often over-scheduled with little time to encourage creativity and time for self-reflection. E.E. spent time alone, seeing, observing, writing.
- As an adult, E.E. experienced criticism from some people who didn't understand his word choice or his rhythm, his lowercase letters, but he continued to be who he was and do what he loved in the face of his critics
The not-so-good:
- There were times throughout the book when the script was hard to read. Examples are on the page where he moves to NYC and the page that discusses his critics where the letters are so spread out, it's hard to make words of them.
- While this book is a perfectly fine description of E.E.'s life, I found it a little dull. There was no climax to the plot line that made me want to continue to learn more about him as a person and as a writer. I can't really see a lot of kids getting overly excited about reading this book.
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