Big Talk: Poems for Four Voices

by Paul Fleischman, Beppe Giacobbe (Illustrator)

Have some toe-tapping, tongue-flapping fun with this brilliant new book by Newbery Award-winner Paul Fleischman and gifted illustrator Beppe Giacobbe. You'll have to see, shout, share, perform, and experience it to believe it!

Two's company . . . four's a blast! Especially when you're joining voices with family or friends. Around the kitchen table, on the front steps, or in the classroom, these rousing, rib-tickling, delicious poems will fill you full of the joy of reading aloud. Paul Fleischman won the Newbery Medal for JOYFUL POEMS FOR TWO VOICES. Now he invites us to make more word music.

Settle back and chant "The Quiet Evenings Here," as Grandma rocks, the clock tick-tocks, Sister hums, raindrops rap, and no one cares a hoot for the noisy, fast-paced world outside. Delight in the gossipy "Seventh-Grade Soap Opera," alive with whispers, invitations, and hearsay about who's fibbing, eavesdropping, or holding hands with whom. Let the poignant "Ghosts' Race" reveal the secret hungry ghosts know—and their spirited take on mortal mealtime. Arranged in color-coded groups of four lines, one line per speaker, each poem weaves a rich tapestry of rhythm, sense, and sound.

Written by Paul Fleischman, the renowned author of WESLANDIA, and evocatively illustrated by Beppe Giacobbe, this hip, innovative, and extraordinary book will have readers of all ages sounding off.

Genres: Poetry, Childrens, Picture Books, Theatre, Middle Grade

48 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2000

About the author

Paul Fleischman grew up in Santa Monica, California. The son of well-known children's novelist Sid Fleischman, Paul was in the unique position of having his famous father's books read out loud to him by the author as they were being written. This experience continued throughout his childhood.
Paul followed in his father's footsteps as an author of books for young readers, and in 1982 he released the book "Graven Images", which was awarded a Newbery Honor citation.
In 1988, Paul Fleischman came out with "Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices", an unusually unique collection of poetry from the perspective of insects. This book was awarded the 1989 John Newbery Medal. Factoring in Sid Fleischman's win of the John Newbery Medal in 1987 for his book "The Whipping Boy", Paul and Sid Fleischman became to this day the only father and son authors to both win the John Newbery Medal.

Reviews

[L-Crystal Wlodek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of poems is recommended for students in grades 5-8. This book is a collection of poems for multiple readers to be used for read louds, as four voices intertwine to narrate three different poems and scenarios. Each reader follows color coded lines as they read about ghosts, gossip, and grandma rockin’. Each scenario also gets progressively harder and each poem is rich in rhythm, sense, and sound.

Reading through these scenarios requires a little practice, but is sure to bring laughter, interest, and enjoyment. As readers get used to the format of the book, they will be eager to continue reading as each poem increases in difficulty. Instructions for group reading are helpful and introduce the poems. Spacing and color-coded line bars also help to ease confusion as to how the poems are supposed to be read. The illustrations are also unique and are computer-generated folk-like paintings in warm tones that support the text. There are some full-page illustrations but most of the art is present below the poems.
This book can be used in the classroom for choral reading, readers’ theatre, discussion, and writing. Students will greatly enjoy reading this book of poems as the topics are humorous and the language used make reading fun because rhythmic and repetitive sounds are used.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

BIG TALK Poems for Four Voices by Paul Fleischman is a poetry book written exclusively to be read out loud by at least two voices, preferably four voices. The book includes three poems and each poem has four colored lines that are meant to be read by one person; for example, person A is green and reads everything in the green highlight, person B is yellow and reads everything in the yellow highlight and so on with orange and purple. There are times when each person reads a phrase alone, sometimes it’s two people reading the same phrase and sometimes they all read together. Each poem is harder than the one before it and all three stories are great fun for kids and adults alike. I think this would be a great book to read aloud for grades 4-6 or even higher into middle school. This book could be used as a lesson in readers theater and in showing students how to get more involved and invested in their reading as it is very difficult to read through this book without getting excited and extremely engaged. Another lesson with this book could be one focusing on fluency. Because there are so many parts of this book that students will read together, it is helpful that the students be on the same reading level and have the ability to keep up with each other. I think this would also be a great way to start a lesson in poetry as the launch. This book is not only engaging for the students reading it but also for the students watching and listening as the stories are quirky and funny. This is a WOW book because it shows poetry in a new light, one that surpasses the idea that prose has to be boring and uneventful. It is a great way for students to get more involved and take ownership in their reading.

[Katie Stokes · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this poetry book, there are four parts to each poem. Stories are told in the form of poetry using four voices. All of the stories in the book are about different and unrelated things. This book would be perfect for students to use during a poetry slam. I would implement a poetry slam in upper elementary grades (3-6). In the poetry slam, the students can pick some poetry to perform for the class. To make it even more exciting, we could invite guests, like parents, other classes, or other teachers. The students could get in a group of four and use one of these poems to perform. Another activity that students could do is use this book as a model for students writing their own poems. The whole class could get in groups of four and write their own poems for four voices. It would be helpful for students who are learning about poetry to have more experience writing and reading poetry, both of which can be accomplished through these activities.

I think this is a WOW book because these poems tell a story but in the form of poetry. There are so many different kinds of poetry that students should be exposed to, and poems that tell stories is one of them. These poems make you feel like you are immersed in the story and you are seeing a whole different side to things. I think this would be a great book for all students to read in their poetry units so they can see how much can be done with poetry.

[Alyson Carroll · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good book to read out loud with a class. You need a minimum of four people, but in a classroom setting there could be groups. The entire book is read back and fourth between the four people/groups. This is a good way to introduce poems to younger children, while working on their reading skills at the same time.

[Amanda Ramos · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is great for a group reading in class. It is color coded to have 4 different people reading it at the same time. The poems are super nice and a lot of rhyming going on. I did have trouble reading it, I tried to read it with my daughter helping me but it was sort of confusing. However I'm sure if read with 4 people it would sound great.

[Amanda Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read, especially with all 4 people reading in different voices. I like that it is relateable, as well as entertaining to read. (Poetry)

[Mallory Hargett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could be used for read aloud for elementary students.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What? Well, here is another of Fleischman's poetry books for multiple voices, but this one is for FOUR voices. It seems a real challenge to read, with the four voice "lines" moving across the page. You have to read is something like a musical score. It has three poems in it, each one several pages long. One is about a family who likes their quiet evenings together, strumming/chirping/popping/tapping, which, after several stanzas doesn't sound so quiet. The second is about middle school kids--really rings bells for anyone who spends much time in middle schools. The third is yet another quirky look at life--from death. A departed relative comes to watch the family have dinner--called "Ghosts' Grace."

So what? Again, I'm seeing these patterns in Fleischman's work--quirky takes on common human experiences, multiple points of view, poetry to perform (not just read silently, and the use sounds and rhythms that make the reading fun. I can imagine how much fun this would be for kids to read and perform for one another. What about costumes? Or what about a "radio play" or "podcast with sound effects"? Or what about giving them these mentor texts and inviting them to write one of their own?

Now what? This reminds me of the power of choral reading and reader's theater. Multiple voices reading literature aloud, "performing" literature for an audience. I've had kids revise poetry and short stories into scripts for choral reading or reader's theater. Fleischman provides the script for kids. The more proficient readers have fun with this and the less proficient readers are reading along with others so they can participate and not be expected to perform independently. The focus is on experiencing and enjoying the literature--not on perfect decoding or pronunciation. Such a great way to enjoy literature together (and build oral fluency, if that is a goal for some readers).

[Ava · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary
This book has poems that can be used with four different speakers or speaking groups. Once you get a rhythm going with these poems, they can be a lot of fun to perform. There are four colors to help with choosing parts and each speaker's part will be in that color throughout the entire book. The book is composed of three poems.

Response
This was a nice book of poems that children could have a lot of fun with. It can be a little challenging when it comes to reading the correct part at the right time, so I gave this book 4 stars. The book is bright and colorful wth nice illustrations. This book can make poetry exciting for the students.

Classroom Connection
I would use this book for a Poetry lesson. I think the students would enjoy working together in groups to bring their poems to life with rhythm and movements. I would also use this book for a lesson in Literature. The students can look closely at the language the author used and try to interpret the messages in the poems.

Text Complexity
This book is GR level NR and it is appropriate for grades 3 to 5.

[Madison Gervais · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annontation:

This book is very interesting and contains a bunch of silly poems that four people read at the same time. There really is no plot to it; it is simply a goofy book for kids to enjoy.

Response:

I read it by myself so I am not entirely sure how the reading with four people would work, but I think in a classroom full of children this poetry book would be a blast! The concept in itself is very interesting as well. The thought of the children all trying to read it together is very funny.

Classroom Connection:

This would be a good book to use when there is extra class time. It gets the students actively involved in reading and helps them work with their synchronization skills and understanding how to work together to accomplish things.

Reading Complexity:

Scholatic.com said this book has an interest level of 3-5 and a grade equivalent of 5.2. I would only use this book as a read aloud in class and have the 4 kids read it together to the class.

[Grace Livengood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fleischman, P., & Giacobbe, B. (2000). Big talk: Poems for four voices. Cambridge, Mass: Candlewick Press.
Through the narration of four different voices, readers are given the chance to hear the power of the overlap of different voices in poetry and how it can add to the literary experience. We walk through the experiences of four different students as they speak what they are feeling and with their overlap, we can see how they relate to one another. The different color coordinated lines and contrasting colors used in the illustrations of this book allows readers to see the characters as individuals and as parts of the story. It was hard being able to read this by myself, I needed three other voices to help me have the full experience, but I thought that this book would be a great thing to read with other people and share with students to see how they can interact with one another and add to the story. It would also be a good model for teaching elements of poetry in the classroom.

[Abbie Shawano · Rating 2 out of 5]

Personal Reaction:

-This book was not one of my favorites. While reading it, I got confused and I was unable to understand it fully the entire time. It is a poetry book with many different characters doing numerous actions.

Purpose:

-I would read this book aloud to children between the grades of first and second.
-Although it is a poetry book, the only helpful tool I got from it was the use of repetition and some vocabulary like "e-mail" or "saxophone."
-The layout of the poems was interesting and different making it more intriguing to read. The poems are aligned horizontally with different colors which was interesting to me.

Other:

-I would not personally recommend this book for a poetry unit.

[Madison · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a short little book full of several different poems that are meant for four different people to read at once. So at times all four people were supposed to be reading the same part and other times only one person was reading it. This is a type of poem that I had never heard of before and can be very fun for children to read.

The illustrations in this book are very unique and actually quite simple. The text and the illustrations were aligned in such a way where you would follow the line and illustrations as the text progressed.

I am not sure how I felt about this kind of poem setup. It was different than anything I had ever seen before and I think it could be fun in a group- much more than reading it by myself.

[Luann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the "poems for four voices" concept! I just wish this had more than three poems with a wider variety of subjects. Two of the poems deal with families and one is for middle school students. These could certainly be used in a classroom or school library setting. They would be a great way to help build reading fluency, among other things. I made a few modifications to the first poem to fit an upcoming family reunion, and I'll be performing it there with some family members. We'll see how it goes!

[Turrean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be marvelous for groups of students to perform. Speakers say the words in a particular color band across the pages, and all together, four speakers perform Fleischman's "word music." The only quibble I have is that the bright colors and illustration style seemed to call for a slightly younger audience than the text level and topics (ghosts watching a family eat, and a "7th Grade Soap Opera" poem on sneaking out of the house and shoplifting). Would be great to perform with grades four and up, for kids who have outgrown Hoberman's "I'll Read to You, You Read to Me" series.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read "The Quiet Evenings Here" and all the poems in the book require four people to read. More than one can talk at a time. I didn't actually read it aloud because I didn't have three other people with me in the library but I'm sure it sounds awesome. Some of the words probably sound like what they're describing. For example, "grandma rockin'" sounds like rocking and "clock tick-tockin'" sounds like tick-tocking. So that makes it more "alive" and sound really cool :)

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this is a "children's book" this is really a great read and something that would be great for teachers. Paul Fleischman is one of the most innovative and creative writers writing today, and the way he plays with language--how it sounds orally, how it appears on the page, how it sounds (rhymes, alliteration, etc). Don't let the "children's" classification scare you away from this cute read!

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the idea of this a bit better than I like the actual execution of it. I think it's cool for poetry units and for drama classes. There were only 3 poems in this book. Granted they were long ones and the format for writing out a poem this way takes up a lot more space, but the range of interests is limited. Still, this would be so cool to hear read aloud, and you can then challenge students to find favorite poems and format them for four voices.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn't my favorite book. I thought the topics of the poems were kind of odd and not very interesting to me. I've heard multiple voice poems before and I have read some, but this one didn't appeal to me very much mostly because of the subject matter. I think part of the problem was that we didn't have a lot of time to practice it and perfect it so I didn't think it sounded that impressive. With some practice performing it iI might grow to like it a little better.

[Gwen the Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really interesting concept book from Fleischman. It's part music, part verse, part story. You and three other people each have a speaking part. You follow the colored lines, but the order is written like music on the page. Would your kids cooperate to read this together? That's the real test.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives students an opportunity to "perform" poetry, experimenting with and discovering rhythm and voice.
Relating to math, I think it can also help students to gain a deeper understanding of patterns - the students often read the poetry in a set pattern, or the poem itself has a set pattern.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a poetry book meant to be read by 4 different voices. It has three stories in it that students can read together. At times students speak in unison and other times by themselves. I would use this to make poetry fun and help students work on fluency. It could be used for older kids but also for younger kids during "read to self" time of daily five.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book of elementary-age appropriate group performance poetry. It helps students learn to move to the rhythm of poetry and how to perform it with others. This book requires four readers to perform each poem. These poems are appropriate for elementary students grades 3 and higher. It would be an interesting class activity for everyone to perform.

[Sarah Federspiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big Talk: Poems for Four Voices is a innovative book of poetry that allows for several readers to participate in reading one poem. In the book, different parts of the poem are highlighted in different colors, and each student reads a different color. I think that this book would be a fun way to introduce poetry to students and keep them involved.

[Audrey Rozman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Multiple voice poems require concentration and participation from readers. They often time require a bit of practice for ALL readers. This is a great way for struggling readers and on track readers to participate together in an activity that requires focus and teamwork. It also helps students with volume, character, and timing while reading aloud.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this author. He has a great ear for rhythm and flow. This book is really 3 poems meant to be read by 4 people at once (everyone has a different part-- sometimes in unison, sometimes not). Great for teacher types. Great for performance. Not really a sit-down-and-read-alone kind of thing.

[Kesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this is a children's book of three poems, it is a meaningful read. I think "Ghosts' Grace" will inspire readers to slow down at the dinner table and truly enjoy both the meal and the company.

[Paul Hankins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a little difficulty getting my head wrapped around the rhythms here, but I didn't have three other readers. So, I ordered a copy and I will let my students work through the pieces to see how it goes. They seem to get this kind of thing pretty quickly.

[Leah Gimre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book because they are great poems that more than one person can read. It is great to have students read their part of the poem. Then they can also come up with their own poems that have multiple voices.

[Paige Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extremely interactive book for multiple readers. It tells fun stories in the form of poems. It would definitely take some practice for readers to master reading the story in time together.