My interests and space and poetry are similar: transient, yet somehow a vibrant thread in the tapestry that is my life. While I briefly considered a career in NASA mission control after my stint at Space Camp, I was always going to be a musician, so these days, I can’t spend much time learning about the galaxy. Poetry comes to me in seasons, but my own personal climate must be changing, because the place where poetry resides in my mind has been barren for a while now.

Still, I find my own way to incorporate these subjects into my life, the most recent being a story structured around Holst’s “The Planets”, a musical work that features movements titled after and inspired by the planets. Quick flourishes bouncing around the orchestra create a perfect image of the speedy Mercury, an ethereal curtain of strings mimics the seemingly placid surface of Neptune, and ominous, insistent rhythms paint a picture of the red planet, troops preparing for battle. How much more do we know now than when Holst penned his space-inspired work? How will that knowledge inform the way we create art about the planets? I saw the beginnings of an answer in my own creative process, but that was just the start.


So naturally, when I saw the title, “A Planet is a Poem,” I was immediately interested. I LOVE this book. I’m 23 years old, and I want a physical copy to pore over immediately. The book is the perfect combination of ingredients that few have thought to combine: for each celestial body included, you’ll find a fact sheet, a description of the poetic form, the poem itself, and artwork to bring it all together. As I reintroduced myself to the types of poems this book included, I was brought back to the creative writing and English classes of my childhood, where I worked to assemble the perfect poem according to the formula each form required. Free verse has always been my favorite kind of poem to write, but the rest of these forms feel like old friends. Maybe “A Planet is a Poem” will be what brings life back to that part of my creative world. I can start by writing about Planet X, as the book suggests. After all, it’s the things we can’t quite pin down that beg for our attempts to solidify them in words.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to access this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is a little, cute book with wisdom and rhythm.
This is science and poetry together. Learn about the planets and also learn about some poetic tools.
Do you know what a ‘cinquain’ is? its a poem written using a specific number of syllables. Five lines. Only a few words, like a haiku. What if two ‘cinquains’ are put together? What’ll you call it? Then learn something, not only about planets but also about ‘paired dwarves’ and ‘Kuiper belt’. Earth and Mars are similar in geography. Volcanoes, canyons, polar ice-caps, and impact craters are similar. They both have seasons, and their days are also of the same length.

This book has colourful illustrations, scientific knowledge, and poetic charm all together. You can gift this book to your kids or younger ones. It will not matter if your kid wants to become an astronaut or a poet once he grows up; it can help with both ambitions. And you can also sing some poems to your grandparents. It will work for all.

Here are four random stanzas from a ‘villanelle on Venus’, poem,

“Venus spins slowly the opposite way,

Earth-like in size, air hazy with Sulphur.

The bright light we see at the start of the day.

Her Sky is Deep orange, her Rocks are dark Grey,

Volcanoes pour lava on mountains and craters

Venus spins slowly the opposite way.

covered in clouds that reflects the sun’s rays

storm – lighting flashes through layer on layer

the bright light we see at the end of the day.

Sunrise in the West, months pass in a day.

Her axis is straight- no seasons to savor

Venus spins slowly the opposite way.”

The book is written for a specific audience: young people and educators. A general reader can also gain knowledge about the solar system around us with the help of ballads, acrostic poems, sonnets, etc. It was fun reading. I recommend it for the purpose mentioned.

I thank NetGalley and ‘Kids Can Press’ for providing me a copy.

The thoughts on this book are also posted on Goodreads and on the following site:

https://bookbrooder.com/2024/03/01/when-planets-sing-their-own-poem/

A dazzling book about space, planets and poetry. Amanda West Lewis’ poems are captivating and funny, while Oliver Averill’s illustrations transport you to the rich landscapes of Mars, Uranus, Pluto and Charon. Would highly recommend it to science educators and young people keen on on stepping foot into outer space.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book before publication.

I can’t get over how much I enjoyed this book. Poetry? Yes. Science? Yes. Planets? YES! This reminded me somewhat of Elemental Haiku by Mary Soon Lee, where she weaves haikus about the elements. I love when science and literature make friends and play nice (or dirty. It is poetry, ya know). On every 2 pages we are rewarded with 4 things: information about the subject (most times a planet, however, there are other space subjects), information/history about the poem style, the poem itself about the subject, and a visual representation of the planet or where they are in our solar system. This book fascinated me the entire time I was reading. I was actually reading another book when I decided to take a peek at this one.

This would be a cool book to share with kids. Younger kids wouldn’t understand everything, but older kids definitely would. I’m going to recommend this to the science teachers in my school. I plan on using this book for creative writing and to drum up interest in the lesson.

Thank you for this book!!

I was really excited to receive an advanced copy of this book to review and I instantly loved it. The illustrations are simple but lovely, calming and not too distracting. I love any resources which can be used to hit multiple curriculums, and poetry is an oft undervalued subject not taught deeply enough. Because of the variety of poems and subjects in the book, there truly is something for every age level, meaning that parents and educators alike can easily build further on poems read to children, using the poems and subject matter as an immensely powerful springboard to work from as they teach a variety of objectives and skills. While teaching about different types of poetry and a variety of literary terms, children also learn a great deal about space and the planets. Sonnets, free verse, and hip hop are all featured, among many others. A full glossary and list of valuable resources provide further information for readers. Poetry has a powerful impact on children, especially when used in conjunction with teaching, so I really hoped this would be all I wanted it to be for teachers, parents, and children alike. What a beautiful book for anyone to add to their collection! Highly recommended. Many thanks to NetGalley, Kids Can Press Ltd. (publisher), Amanda West Lewis (author), and Oliver Averill (illustrator), for granting me this incredible opportunity to read and review this treasure of a book. I cannot wait to buy copies for my daughters' teachers!

This book contains a lot! A lot of information, and a lot of poetry. I did not check the age it is recommended for, but I would think it would be for older children as there is much information and even the poems are long. The artwork is wonderful. I thank NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the advance read.

This is a really cool way to teach kids about poetry and space at the same time. I thought the illustrations were beautiful and the breakdown of each type of poem was very simple and easy to understand. I would definitely give this to a kids who is interested in space and would probably read some of the shorter poems during a storytime.

Of course I couldn’t resist a book about space and poetry! The illustrations serve mostly as background to give color into this book which explains poetic forms (for eg. the sonnet, the free verse, the villanelle) and relates them to certain planets from the solar system, being a kind of 2-for-1 deal. For me though, the poems are not particularly memorable, but I really loved the idea and the resources at the back. I think it’s a nice addition to a school library because it can open up conversations & the imagination.

Thanks to NetGalley & Kids Can Press for the E-arc!

A Planet Is a Poem starts with a scientific explanation of the concept that is going to be addressed in the poem. Then it goes into the "rules" of the poem that follows. I do enjoy the cross-curriculum between science and reading. I do think you could use this in a classroom setting. I think it would be easy to pull lessons out of this book.

The perfect combination of captivating illustrations, poetry, and scientific facts makes this book a great read for adults and children alike. In my opinion, a great children's book is one which adults will enjoy reading repeatedly. This hits the mark.

I love this book so much! The book takes the reader on a journey through the solar system. For each part of the solar system explored, factual information is given and a form of poetry is introduced. Then, the author applies that type of poem to the respective part of the solar system. The reader will learn about space through the poems and the factual excerpts - brilliant for all types of learners. I think the dichotomy of science and poetry and consequent synthesis work so well to show the value of interdisciplinary study. Of course, that makes this more of a book to study slowly rather than a bedtime story considering the flow. Still, I love the idea that a kid may choose this book based on an interest in space and finish the book knowing how to write a sonnet or a cinquain or a hip-hop verse while learning something more about space they perhaps did not before. The illustrations are excellent as well. Finally, I appreciate the sources and resources where a kid may learn more (or where I can go to learn how to pronounce cinquain). This absolutely belongs in an elementary school library!

Thank you NetGalley and Kids Can Press for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

So the positives: the illustrations were amazing and there was a ton of great information. The con: I appreciated the poetry, and the allusions, but I'm not sure the poetry itself worked. Still, this book is very readable and educational
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Oh my gosh.
I loved this book. The artwork was so beautiful. I love learning about the solar system and it was also fun learning about different types of poems. They talked about a different type of poem per planet then made a poem about that planted. Amazing. I can’t wait till I can purchase it. Thank you Netgalley and publishers

A book about poems and space.

In A Planet is a Poem we are learning more about poems, how to write them, what it is, etc, and along the way we get facts about planets and space.

I believe this will be a good book for young readers interested in space/writing to read and enjoy. They will learn facts while learning how to make a poem. It’s a two in one deal! The illustrations were my favorite part, they were beautiful and I could stare at them for a long time!

Happy reading!♥️

Summary: From a ballad of Earth to a sestina for Saturn, each of the 14 original poems is crafted in a poetic form that mirrors the unique characteristics of the celestial bodies. The book is a delightful fusion of art and science, with easy-to-understand facts about each object. Whether it's a sonnet, free verse, or hip-hop poem, every page is a celebration of the cosmos and the beauty of language.

Pros:
🌟 Five stars for this cosmic masterpiece! "A Planet Is a Poem" is like a meteor shower – dazzling, enchanting, and a joyride for young readers.

😄 The book is not only fun but also incredibly informative, seamlessly teaching kids about space and various forms of poetry. It's like learning rocket science with a side of rhyming fun!

🚀 The poems are a delightful mix of whimsy and wonder, making this book a galaxy where each planet is a verse waiting to be explored.

🌌 Oliver Averill's illustrations are a visual feast, capturing the vastness of space and transforming scientific facts into cosmic art.

Cons:
🛸 If you're allergic to poetry or space exploration, you might miss out on the stellar adventure that awaits within these pages. But hey, who doesn't love a good cosmic voyage?


📚 In conclusion, "A Planet Is a Poem" is a delight that makes learning about space and poetry an out-of-this-world experience. Amanda West Lewis and Oliver Averill, you've crafted a literary constellation that shines bright! Bravo! 🌠📚

Disclaimer: A galactic-sized thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for this ARC. All opinions are as uniquely mine as a shooting star in the night sky. 🌌📚