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Lasso the Wind: Aurélia’s Verses and Other Poems

by George Elliott Clarke; Susan Tooke; illus.

Lauded Governor General’s Literary Award winning poet and playwright George Elliott Clarke sets the tone for his first collection of verse for young readers with its opening lines: “Can you burn down the sun? / Can you darken the moon?”

The poems, dedicated to Clarke’s dau­gh­ter, Aurélia, traverse a variety of moods, from lighthearted romps to sombre meditations on the darker aspects of human existence. Playful poems celebrate the wonders of
childhood exploration and imagination: “Pirates with parrots voyage all around, / Eyeballing islands where gold can be found, / Without looking – or digging – very hard; / But I measure treasure in my backyard.”

Clarke’s rhythms swing and sway from scene to scene, evoking the exuberant imagination of the child who declares, “If I seem / A weed to some / Eyes, I dream – / And flower I am.” Some of the sweetest poems are found in the section titled “Aurélia’s Verses,” each celebrating a year of the girl’s life.

Halifax artist Susan Tooke’s brilliant illustrations bind together Clarke’s verses, adding a sense of unity through colour and style. Her gorgeous images, which incorporate painting, photography, digital illustration, and collage, expand the imaginative vision of Clarke’s words. For instance, the lines “That sugary whiteness of the moon: / Snow scooped up by a silver spoon” are accompanied by an image of the moon cupped in a spoon that echoes the shape of the Big Dipper, its fluid lines mimicked by the wings of a snowy owl.

Clarke’s latest effort may be intended for children, but adult readers will find much to delight in as well.

 

Reviewer: Joanne Findon

Publisher: Nimbus Publishing

DETAILS

Price: $24.95

Page Count: 64 pp

Format: Cloth

ISBN: 978-1-77108-050-7

Released: Nov

Issue Date: 2014-1

Categories: Picture Books

Age Range: 8-12