Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
As these titles suggest, Fleischman's poetry collections are designed to be read aloud by more than one person. Hughes and Snively, with some assistance from several other performers, rise to the occasion, giving Fleischman's words the cheerful musicality the author intended. Throughout these readings, voices join in harmony, reading the same passage simultaneously, echoing each other, or answering one another in a playful dialogue style. The result is verse that has an appealing theatrical quality. Humor and information abound in Fleischman's writing as well. Listeners learn about the behavior and natural sounds of insects (Joyful Noise) and birds (I Am Phoenix) with rhythms and fun-to-say adjectives. From the "whirling, twirling and gyrating" of whirligig beetles and the vibrant "humming, buzzing and droning" of cicadas to the rhythmic chanting of whippoorwills and the whispering, nighttime voices of owls, the cast skillfully energizes Fleischman's work. Listeners of all ages will likely be eager to try their own Fleischman read-alouds. All ages. (Jan.) FYI: Joyful Noise won the 1989 Newbery Medal. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
School Library Journal
Gr 3-6-Paul Fleischman's Joyful Noise (HarperCollins, 1988) and I Am Phoenix (HarperCollins, 1985), both subtitled Poems for Two Voices, are standard school texts for poetry study. They are great read aloud poetry, especially for younger students who enjoy rhyme and a bit of nonsense. The poems are performed by Melissa Hughes and Scott Snively, with four other actors having smaller roles. After listening to the tape for a while, the poems all begin to run together. Many of them have similar themes and rhythm, and the readings don't do enough to individualize the poems. Individual poems can be used to teach about rhyme, personification, or the use of folk tales in poetry, but students' interest will wane if they must listen to a number of poems in one sitting. For example, students could listen to one poem per day during National Poetry Month. They would get more from the poems if they had copies of the book and provided the two voices for the poems. Live readings are more involving and more likely to convince students that poetry isn't boring.-Suzanne Libra, Huron Middle School, Northglenn, CO Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
APR/MAY 01 - AudioFile
This recording is an audio treat! Paul Fleischman’s books of poetry for two voices, Joyful Noise and I am Phoenix, have been acclaimed (Newbery Medal for Joyful Noise) and are favorite reading material. But now, the listener will never do anything else but listen to the poems. Melissa Hughes, Scott Snively, and supporting young voices transport the listener to Fleischman’s world of insects and birds. Their voices are crisp and eager. The play between multiple voices brings natural moments into memorable focus whether it be the flash of the fireflies’ lights, the mimicry of the mockingbird, the conflicting viewpoints of life in a bee hive, or the flurry of early morning finches. Listen and enjoy, and listen and enjoy again! A.R. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine
