Bibliography: Sidman, Joyce. DARK EMPEROR. Illustrated by Rick Allen. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2010. Print

ISBN: 9780547152288

A wonderful merger of science and poetry, Dark Emperor offers a unique arrangement of 12 poems that take the reader on an enlightening journey through a forest as experienced through the nocturnal creatures and plants that flourish in the night. 

Joyce Sidman makes use of metaphors, personifications, alliteration, and concrete form throughout the various poems.  Her utilization of different styles allows her to capitalize on the animal’s or plant’s characteristics that she is describing, which enables her to bring to life the seemingly inactive world of the nocturnal forest.  For example, in the poem Oak After Dark Sidman personifies the oak tree’s constant state of growth and regeneration - “I stretch my roots into the hill and slowly, slowly, drink my fill.”         

This book is masterfully organized, although the poems are very different they all progress effectively in a way that feels more like a cohesive story than a collection of various poems.  The first poem Welcome to the Night greets the creatures of the night (to all of you who crawl and creep… welcome to the night).  The subsequent poems pay homage to the creatures of the night (Snail At Moonrise).  Finally the last poem Moon’s Lament bids a woeful farewell to the constituents of the night (where are the bright dips of fireflies?... Where has it all gone -).  This book is also distinguished by its physical layout.  The poems appear on the even pages. In contrast the odd-numbered pages are an almost full-page illustration of the topic at hand, anchored by facts that tie in with the poem.  The arrangement of these three parts creates a wonderful whole that describes and explains the obscure nocturnal features of the forest’s ecosystem.  For example, in the poem Dark Emperor the phrase “What fills the cool moons of your mesmerizing eye?” metaphorically explains the size of the horned owl’s eyes, while the nonfiction text on the opposite page states “nocturnal animals have specially adapted senses for hunting… great horned owls have huge eyes and extraordinary hearing.”  The illustration that accompanies this poem depicts a horned owl perched on a tree branch and it is staring right at the frightened mouse who lends his voice to the poem.  This particular poem is also composed in the shape of an owl.  This particular poetic element truly heightens the emotion conveyed by the mouse.       

Each illustration contributes to the mood set by the poem, some are bright and some are dark.  But, more importantly they are all detailed... the more you look the more you see!  There are shadows and animals cleverly hidden among the vegetation of the forest.  Rick Allen “produced original linoleum cuts, curious wood engravings, eccentric broadsheets, and other printed ephemera.”  This style of artwork along with the use of gouache colors creates convincing nighttime scenery which was beautifully captured by the illustrations.

This book is meant to be read out loud. Whether you use the table of content to choose individual poems or chose to read the book as a whole, its universal appeal is sure to appeal to a wide audience.

Awards and Honors

• Newbery Honor Book
• Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book
• Boston Globe/Horn Book Award Honor Book
• Cybils Poetry Award Finalist
• NCTE Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts
• Horn Book Fanfare
• Bulletin Blue Ribbon
• Booklist Editor's Choice
• CBC Bank Street Best Book of the Year (starred)
• Chicago Public Library Best book of the Year
• NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Award

 Activities:

Science: Owls can they see in the dark better than humans can? Why do they seem to prefer moving through the dark rather than in daytime hours? Students may research nocturnal animals and categorize them as to type, activities, and other commonalities.

Science : As a whole class have students become familiar with the descriptions given about each animal. What do they find in each passage that may be compared to information about other nocturnal animals? What may be contrasted? In other words, what is similar and what is different about each nocturnal animal?  

Divide the class into groups.  Assign each group one of the animals described in the passages.  Ask the groups to create a product such as a Thinglink image that will teach others in the class about the sense which allows their animal to survive at night.  Students will need to research more deeply to gain information. They will want to plan their product as they seek information that will help them in their understanding.  Younger students can report on simple facts.  Older students, especially secondary students, can extend their research into major concepts to include information such as, an understanding of the forest’s food chain and how one animal affects another.

 

Recommended Books by Joyce Sidman:

• Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature Illustrated by Beth Krommes
• Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors Illustrated by Beckie Prange
• Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow Illustrated by Beth Krommes

Reviews:

"'Welcome to the night!" cries the opening poem in this celebration of nocturnal life. Everything from snails to  mushrooms has a role to play and something different to say (the title is taken from a concrete poem about a horned owl, narrated by its would-be prey: "Perched missile,/ almost invisible, you/ preen silent feathers,/ swivel your sleek satellite/ dish of a head"). Spiders offer advice, porcupettes pirouette, and the moon laments the dawn, all illuminated by debut talent Allen's detailed yet moody prints, which encapsulate the mysteries and magic of the midnight hours. Opposite each poem is a short note on the featured creature, explaining its appearance and habits. In Sidman's delicious poems, darkness is the norm, and there's nothing to fear but the rising sun. (Excerpt from Publishers Weekly, 2010)

Sidman continues her explorations of natural history in this set of poems about nocturnal life in the forest. As in her other collections, each selection is set in an expansive spread that includes a factual discussion of the featured subject. The illustrations are bold, richly detailed linoleum prints colored in gouache… The bookmaking is beautiful with the concept of night lending itself generously to poetry. It invites lingering enjoyment for nature and poetry fans, and, as with Sidman's earlier collections, it might be used with varied curriculums. (Excerpt from School Library Journal, 2010) 

 

Bibliography:

Bush, Margaret. "Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night." School Library Journal 56, no. 8 (August 2010): 122. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed February 22, 2014).

"Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night." Publishers Weekly 257, no. 31 (August 9, 2010): 50-51. Library, Information Science& Technology Abstracts with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed February 22, 2014).