Steady Hands: Poems About Work

by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

In this collection of free-verse poems, inspired by Walt Whitman's I Hear America Singing, Tracie Vaughn Zimmer celebrates workers and the doing of work. The poems are short and direct, with strong, fresh images, and readers can easily imagine themselves in the roles she portrays: welder, librarian, surgeon, retail clerk, camp counselor. The illustrations are as original as the text---amazing multilayered collages made of paper, found objects, ephemera, photographs, dried flowers, and archival images. Steady Hands is sure to inspire discussion, creative writing, art projects, and new answers to the old question: What do you want to do when you grow up?

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Childrens

48 pages, Hardcover

First published February 16, 2009

Reviews

[BrocheAroe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This hardcover picture book harkens back to the post I did earlier about picture books for adults (Part I is posted, Part II is coming soon). Published by Clarion Books just last year in 2009, everything about this book screams “made for an adult audience here!”. From the sophisticated collage-style, often abstract artwork (not that children can’t also appreciate, understand, and create this type of artwork) to the free verse, deep though poetry about various types of jobs adults have, I can’t really imagine children under the age of 12-14 enjoying this book in the “Can we read that book before going to bed?” sort-of-way.

That said, not being a child any more myself (despite whatever my parents may tell me), I greatly enjoy this book and keep a copy above my desk at work. Not only is the cover illustration inspiring, but if I need some inspiration, it’s fun to take a 2-minute break and read about what someone else may be doing for work right that very minute, say as a Dog Walker, Filmmaker, Personnel Administrator, or even:

Writer
Paid daydreamer
imaginary soothsayer
odd-fact researcher,
the writer
hovers like a hummingbird
by the
answering machine
computer
mailbox,
holding her breath while
scanning e-mails
listening to messages
sifting through junk mail
waiting, waiting,
forever waiting,
for the next
check
project
or call.

[Audrey Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steady Hands: Poems About Work is a book of poems that describes a variety of different occupations, like a welder, cafeteria cook, and a sheriff's deputy. I like how this book portrays lots of different jobs so that younger kids can see what jobs are like, but the lack of rhyme makes me think that this book is for the older elementary grades. There are nice and large illustrations on every page throughout the whole book, but the students would most likely prefer something that rhymes since they are being introduced to poetry. This definitely reminds me of the types of books that used to be considered middle-class books. Those books were made a long time ago and were meant to convey information about jobs or skills so that kids could be successful in the future.
This book could be used as an independent reading book, or it could be used during a occupation/job unit. If students are learning about types of jobs, they could read this book or have it read aloud by the teacher to provide new knowledge about multiple different occupations they could have when they are older.

[Paige Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, love, love this book. Every page tells the story about a different career. It gives the reader a short insight on what each job entails and tells it so well! The illustrations are out of this world! The illustrator uses a patchy looking method where they use both realistic and drawn images layered on top of each other to tell a story that is jut a strong as the poem it’s self. This would be a great book for the classroom when teaching children about different occupations.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

These poems are cleverly written, but many of the photos are rather odd.

[Shel]

Zimmer, T.V. (2009). Steady Hands: Poems about work. New York: Clarion.

9780618903511

Structured as sharing the events of a day, Steady Hands shares descriptive poems about various jobs, including such occupations as waiter, electrician, baker, artist, surgeon, park ranger, etc.

The people pictured in the various occupations are representative of multiple racial backgrounds and ages. While many of the jobs incorporated in the book are ones often not thought of, the vast majority are middle class jobs, with few education expectations. I go back and forth between thinking this is wonderful and realistic and thinking it’s dismissing children’s futures before they even have a chance to get that far in their education. Thoughts? Tipping the scales toward the positive side, there’s also non-stereotypical gender representations as well.

When speaking about this book of poems, Zimmer has revealed that it feels very much like her own family photo album. In fact, the illustrators, Megan Halsey and Sean Addy, incorporated the work gloves and eyes of Zimmer’s own father on the page with the poem “Welder."

Activities to Do with the Book:

Students could write about school as though it were their job. Or they could create poems about the occupations of their various family members.

A teacher could also ask students which jobs appeal to them and why.

Also, following the style of Halsey and Addy’s illustrations, students could create a class scrapbook, with each incorporating images and poems about their school year together.


Favorite Quotes:

“Hot showers and fresh coffee
transform zombies
into humans,”

“The tow truck driver
fishes in the city.”

“Paid daydreamer
imaginary soothsayer
odd-fact researcher,
the writer”

“The clerk
is glad she doesn’t have to see
what becomes of the clothes she sells—
the perfect folded
pastel polo shirt
crumpled up
on a customer’s bathroom floor.”

For more of my reviews, visit sjkessel.blogspot.com.

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

In this collection, Zimmer offers readers an inside look at many professions including electrician, librarian, florist, and filmmaker. Using third person narration, Zimmer seems to take on the persona of each profession.

What I thought: A great collection! Every poem was a surprise. I’d be interested to know how much research Zimmer did for the collection. My favorite poems were “Writer,” “Librarian,” and “Florist.” I love how Zimmer disregards gender roles. The electrician is a woman. The librarian is a guy. I think teachers and home schooling parents will find this collection particularly useful. I have an urge to write my own profession poem. I loved the illustrations. They suited each poem perfectly.

[Alexa Maring · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you want to be when you grow up? It is a question that we ask our students all the time. When we think about this question, how often is it asked when students do not know many options or what these jobs entail. This book offers different occupations and brief summaries of their roles in poetry form. I love how this book informs in way of poetry. I have found it rare that poetry be informative. It is often inspiring or telling a story or a song. Zimmer offers a book that can be split up and read when time allows or as a series of occupations. As these poems explain the job, students can write poems about why they want to be a (insert) when they grow up.

[Sally Derby · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I love about Tracie Vaughn Zimmer's book of poems, "Steady Hands" is that it celebrates people who may be present in a child's life but are seldom present in his or her reading world. A welder, for example, "dressed like a knight preparing for battle." The grocery store clerk, "lifting, scanning, sorting, bagging," her day "a ballet of hands." The tow truck Driver who "fishes in the city."
And the mixed-media illustrations by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy are equally innovative.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book intending to flip through it and found myself intently reading each page. The poems are spot-on, thoughtful and accessible. The collage art makes me yearn for scissors and paint. Works for a poetry unit, but also fits in well with the "careers" units kids do in upper elementary. Teachers will love the poem about their job - and kids may see teachers and other workers in a new light.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely lyrics, awesome art!
A must-have for middle school libraries
as well as a wonderful gift book.

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tracie is such an amazing poet, and this collection really came from her heart. And I love what the artists did to enhance her words in this!

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Excellent collage illustrations but the poems seem more for older readers. A few are very good (Teacher, Flight Attendant), otherwise, these poems were only so-so.

[Candi]

Ages 9-12