Starred Review ALA Booklist (Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

Starred Review In her eloquent introduction to this large-size anthology, Rochelle says that art lets us "look at private moments without interrupting them." Her great selections do just that. Each of the 20 poems is opposite a painting reproduced in splendid color. All are by well-known writers and artists, both classic and contemporary. The poets range from Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen to Alice Walker, and the artists include Elizabeth Catlett, Romare Bearden, and more. The art doesn't overwhelm the words because there's no attempt to make a literal connection. Nikki Giovanni's heartbreaking "Legacies" is opposite Horace Pippin's Saying Prayers ; both show that a grandparent and child cannot express their love, "and I guess nobody ever does." Lucille Clifton's poem "Auction Street" is opposite Jacob Lawrence's painting Community . At the back of the book are short notes on each poet and artist. For children and older readers, this is a stirring book that will take them up close to private moments and also extend their view of themselves.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

In this delightfully spare narrative in verse, Coretta Scott King Award–winning Grimes examines a marriage's end from the perspective of a child. Set mostly in the wake of her father's departure, only-child Gabby reveals with moving clarity in these short first-person poems the hardship she faces relocating with her mother and negotiating the further loss of a good friend while trying to adjust to a new school. Gabby has always been something of a dreamer, but when she begins study in her new class, she finds her thoughts straying even more. She admits: "Some words / sit still on the page / holding a story steady. / … / But other words have wings / that wake my daydreams. / They … / tickle my imagination, / and carry my thoughts away." To illustrate Gabby's inner wanderings, Grimes' narrative breaks from the present into episodic bursts of vivid poetic reminiscence. Luckily, Gabby's new teacher recognizes this inability to focus to be a coping mechanism and devises a daily activity designed to harness daydreaming's creativity with a remarkably positive result for both Gabby and the entire class. Throughout this finely wrought narrative, Grimes' free verse is tight, with perfect breaks of line and effortless shifts from reality to dream states and back. An inspirational exploration of caring among parent, teacher and child--one of Grimes' best. (Poetry. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

In this delightfully spare narrative in verse, Coretta Scott King Award–winning Grimes examines a marriage's end from the perspective of a child. Set mostly in the wake of her father's departure, only-child Gabby reveals with moving clarity in these short first-person poems the hardship she faces relocating with her mother and negotiating the further loss of a good friend while trying to adjust to a new school. Gabby has always been something of a dreamer, but when she begins study in her new class, she finds her thoughts straying even more. She admits: "Some words / sit still on the page / holding a story steady. / … / But other words have wings / that wake my daydreams. / They … / tickle my imagination, / and carry my thoughts away." To illustrate Gabby's inner wanderings, Grimes' narrative breaks from the present into episodic bursts of vivid poetic reminiscence. Luckily, Gabby's new teacher recognizes this inability to focus to be a coping mechanism and devises a daily activity designed to harness daydreaming's creativity with a remarkably positive result for both Gabby and the entire class. Throughout this finely wrought narrative, Grimes' free verse is tight, with perfect breaks of line and effortless shifts from reality to dream states and back. An inspirational exploration of caring among parent, teacher and child--one of Grimes' best. (Poetry. 8-12)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Through 70+ poems, Grimes introduces readers to Gabriella, a city girl who-s prone to daydreaming, frustrating her mother and alienating Gabby from her classmates. Several poems bring readers directly into Gabby-s daydreams, as she explains how a single word can set her mind whirling: -Say -concert,-/ and I-m somewhere/ in the past,/ sprawled out on the grass/ in Central Park,/ my head cozy/ in Mom-s lap,/ her head cozy/ on Dad-s shoulder.- Grimes packs substantial emotional heft into her poems, especially the way that Gabby-s parents- separation weighs on her. Eventually, the right teacher and the right friend provide the support and encouragement Gaby needs, and even her mother-s attitude softens. Although Grimes hits the -importance of dreaming- theme a bit hard, her poems lovingly convey the rich inner life (and turmoil) of a girl in the process of finding her voice. Ages 8-12. Agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown. (Sept.)

School Library Journal (Fri Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

Gr 4-8 In this brief, free-verse novel, readers meet Gabby, whose imagination is fueled by "words with wings that wake my daydreams." Her daydreams have provided solace from her parents' arguments, but now her father has moved out and her parents are getting a divorce. At school, she finds it hard to make friends and avoid being labeled the weird girl who zones out in class. Gabby's dad is a daydreamer, too, but her practical mom chides her for not paying attention, and Gabby longs to win her mother's approval along with that of her teacher, Mr. Spicer. Gabby's struggles to stay focused in school will resonate with many youngsters, as she tries to: "&30;catch every single syllable that falls from Mr. Spicer's lips, pass the pop quiz, and still have enough time left to be bored." Most readers will recognize Gabby in someone they know, and this well-crafted tale should have wide appeal. With its focus on creative wordplay and imagination, it could also be an inspiring resource for creative-writing teachers. Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA