LS5663 - Module 2 - Multicultural Poetry

Swann, Brian. 1998. Touching the distance. San Diego: Browndeer Press. Illustrations by Maria Rendon. ISBN 9780152008048.

The pictures in this 29 pg. children's poetry book are really interesting and amazing, based on mixed-media constructions!

There is one riddle on a page, with the facing page showing an illustration of that riddle. The illustrator very cleverly matches the short little Native American riddles, helping the reader to guess the answer. Some were easy to figure out, and on others, I really had to ponder how the picture was reflecting the meaning of the riddle.

At first, the Native American riddles seemed to be very simple, but after rereading the book several times, you start to realize the creativity and brilliance behind each one. The riddles don't rhyme, or have a rhythm or beat that you can feel in the words. Mr. Swann seems to rely more on figurative language of methaphor, simile, and imagery. I even tried imagining a picture in my own mind, based on the words only, without looking at the illustrations. This was a great exercise, because it then made me look even more intently at the pictures to see if they included some other ideas that popped into my head, based on the words. I started appreciating the words and pictures even more!

Mr. Swann has devised these riddles from various Native American cultures, such as Aztec, Mayan, Amizgo, Omaha, etc. I feel like the illustrator kept these origins in mind as the pictures were created. They have a Native American "feel" to them.

The Native American poetry in this book does have the potential to evoke sensory images. Children will find this book appealing because the words are simple, but effective. Matched with the illustrations, kids will be able to guess the riddles and enjoy the beautiful, and colorful, artwork.

One of my favorites in the book is:

There is that person--if you eat his mouth

he'll eat yours.

The accompanying illustration is in reds and yellows, with peppers showing on each side, and seeds in the middle. The very center of the picture is a mouth. By looking at the picture, you really do start to "see" the heat in the illustration, and the peppers, seeds, and mouth are the clues.

The answer to the riddle is "chili pepper."

After reading this riddle and solving it, kids will love talking about their experiences with hot foods!

This is a great book to share with elementary children. As an extension of reading and discussing this book, it would be interesting to put up the "words only" to a couple of these riddles, and to let the children draw or create their own illustration. A variety of art supplies would be provided, allowing for creativity. This could then be incorporated into a bulletin board display of this book and the poet, Brian Swann.

This is another wonderful example for children, showing them a new and different style of poetry. Not everything has to rhyme, but this is a type that is fun and engaging, and easy to imagine!