|
________________
CM . . . .
Volume VI Number 15 . . . . March 31, 2000
excerpt:
Each of the eight "If I were..." verses consists of four lines with rhyming words ending the second
and fourth lines. Double page illustrations by Leslie Elizabeth Watts portray the appropriately
diverse array of friends and relatives the young girl counts as those she loves. Watts successfully
achieves a Peter-pan like quality in each painting with her lush colours and exaggerated
landscapes. Perhaps it is the imaginative setting of the story that accounts for some rather strange
depictions of the creatures who inhabit the narrator's otherwise realistic world.
In discussing If I Were the Moon, Fitch says that the idea "...came from an impulse to write a
love poem to my husband," but, after completing it, she discovered "...it was a love poem for my
husband, my children, my best friends, siblings and my own parents." Although the book seems to
be simple, as Fitch says, "...simple does is not equal easy." The poem ends with a strong
affirmation of the narrator's sense of self:
excerpt:
The last page of the book shows the moon beaming down on the sleeping girl and finishes with
the words "...and after," an ending that may well inspire a discussion on what is meant by the
phrase. "What comes after forever?" certainly is an intriguing question. Fitch says that If I Were
the Moon feels a bit like a prayer when she reads it, and that maybe it is. As a bedtime book, it is
a gentle, comforting book which will remind readers of Margaret Wise Brown's greatly loved
classic The Runaway Bunny. Teachers may enjoy using the "If I were...I would" pattern with
primary students as a model to inspire original poems.
Recommended.
Valerie Nielsen is a retired teacher-librarian living in Winnipeg, MB, who keeps herself busy doing
many children's literature related activities.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association.
Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice
is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without
permission.
Published by
TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - March 31,
2000.
AUTHORS |
TITLES |
MEDIA REVIEWS |
PROFILES |
BACK ISSUES |
SEARCH |
CMARCHIVE |
HOME
|
Sheree Fitch's most recent picture book is a dramatic departure in style and content from her usual
rambunctious poetic romps. According to the publisher, If I Were the Moon "...hums like a
lullabye" in its depiction of a young girl who envisions herself becoming the moon, the ocean, a
tree, a snowflake and a rainbow. Every metamorphosis allows her do something wonderful and
magical with her loved ones...