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A Blue Ribbon award winner for
nonfiction, 2002
Outside The Lines: Poetry At Play
received this award from The Bulletin of the Center for
Children's Books (BCCB). It
was one of only
11 children's books selected in that category for the
year.
From the BCCB's
review:
"Sparkling synthesis of text,
layout, and
art."
"There’s some
calorie-burning reading here."
"Bouncier but no less
interesting than Janeczko’s A Poke in
the
I, this will give kids a chance to leap
into poetry."
The L.A. TIMES (November 23,
2007):
(Reviewer: Lynne Heffley)
Evocative
poetry [whose] words flutter and roll, soar, circle and bounce on
the page, in poems about softball, kies, fireflies, soccer,
Hula Hoops and other happy subjects.
Riverbank
Review:
(reviewer: Renee
Victor)
"Twenty-two poems that just won't sit
still."
".
. . language is consistently simple and accessible,
infused with the childlike exhilaration of the moment at
hand."
"Burg's poems make it impossible to stand off to the side and
observe. Readers are compelled to jump
in."
"Energy is as hard to resist as the enticing red, gold, and
orange mound in 'Leaf Pile,' which
can't be ignored, despite Dad's order to 'keep things neat.' . .
."
School
Library
Journal:
"Visually
delightful."
Publisher's Weekly
(Starred review):
(unsigned)
"High-energy."
"The
adventurous verses try everything from kite-flying to
castle-building. Young readers will . . . appreciate the
way their experiences can be preserved on the page.
Ages 5-up.
"In a tour-de-force, one of Burg's briefest poems puts words to the
act of looking at sky and ground while rolling down a hill: "Green/
green/ blue/ blue/ green/ green/ blue/ blue/ dandelion!/ green/. . .
"
Language Arts (the
journal of the National Council of Teachers of
English).
(Reviewers: Junko Yokota and Mingshui
Cai)
"A cohesive visual experience through
which readers gain as much from the design of the illustrations as
from the clever layout of the text in offering concrete
poetry."
"The acrylic paintings complement the text
perfectly and enhance the comprehensibility of the poem. Readers
will have an opportunity to reflect on each poem and think about how
it relates to the games played in childhood."
Amazon customer reviews:
(Reviewer: Roz
Levine)
"An imaginative, interactive collection ... a feast for
the eyes and ears."
"Perfect for youngsters 5 and
older."
"A marvelous introduction to
'concrete' poetry, and a fun-filled masterpiece of creativity, not
to be missed."
The Free Library
of Philadelphia:
"Exuberant!"
"A delightful glimpse into a child's world of
play."
"Poems shaped like a game of catch, tag, or a jungle gym
will fascinate the reader. Rebecca Gibbon's lively watercolor
illustrations splash across the pages and complement the unique
construction of each poem. Children
in Grades 3-5 will enjoy this
immensely!"
Amazon.com:
(Reviewer: Emily
Coulter)
"Delightful!"
". . . [A] rolling, swinging, skipping, bouncing book of
'poetry at play' ".
Borealis
Magazine:
(Reviewer: Christine
Alfano)
"Gives playful shape
to ordinary childhood experience."
"The opening poem, 'Catch,' works rhythmic mischief and perfectly
captures the cadence of a ball flying between two mitts. Single
syllables are split into two neat columns so that the eye must
travel back and forth across the page . . . The poem reveals
'THE / SLEE- / PY / SOUND /
OF / SUM- / MER'S / CLOCK.' "
[Note
from Brad: I've auppliws reviewers' names, where
available. It's always pleasant to have your name on your work,
especially when it's written with care, like
these reviews--which describe the book with grace,
precision and
imagination.] | 
