Friday, December 19, 2008

Poetry Friday - Winter Hues

William and I are not only reading chapter and picture books at bedtime, but also a fair amount of poetry. We've read a ton of Florian as a complement to the stacks of nonfiction books about animals. Last night we started reading Winter Eyes. Here's one of my favorite poems in this volume.
Winter Hues
by Douglas Florian

Winter has to pick and choose.
The clothes she wears
Are few in hues:
A raw sienna,
A dark burnt umber,
Some yellow ochres
Scant in number,
Steel gray day,
Navy night,
And winter white
And winter white.
The round up this week is being hosted by Author Amok. Do stop by and take in all the great poetry being shared. Happy poetry Friday, all!

7 comments:

  1. Tricia,

    I like WINTER EYES best of the four books in Douglas Florian's seasonal series. I really enjoy his poetry about animals. INSECTLOPEDIA is my favorite.
    I can't wait until Florian's next book, DINOTHESAURUS, is published.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't have this one... but I will have to get it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Douglas Florian's word play is always so far beyond clever - because "clever" is just tricky, but reading Florian's work is like watching an aerialist - you just catch your breath sometimes. Wonderful poet.

    ReplyDelete
  4. May I join you and William for bedtime storytime? How lovely to read poems then. Winter Hues is wonderful :).

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yes, he's really a poet. Wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love this poem. It doesn't have the wordplay/humor I most associate him with, so I wouldn't necessarily know it was a Florian at first hearing. Isn't it gorgeous, though? The color words, the repetition at the end, the idea of winter putting on her colors like she's getting dressed for the day? Wonderful!

    ReplyDelete