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Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Picture Books (2014)
Celebrated poet and anthologist Paul B. Janeczko pairs with Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet for a collection of short poems to sample and savor.
It only takes a few words, if they’re the right words, to create a strong image. Whether listened to in the comfort of a cozy lap or read independently, the thirty-six very short poems in this collection remind readers young and old that a few perfect words and pictures can make the world glow. Selected by acclaimed poet Paul B. Janeczko and gorgeously illustrated by Melissa Sweet, Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems invites children to sample poems throughout the four seasons.
It only takes a few words, if they’re the right words, to create a strong image. Whether listened to in the comfort of a cozy lap or read independently, the thirty-six very short poems in this collection remind readers young and old that a few perfect words and pictures can make the world glow. Selected by acclaimed poet Paul B. Janeczko and gorgeously illustrated by Melissa Sweet, Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems invites children to sample poems throughout the four seasons.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published March 11, 2014
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1547 people want to read
About the author
Paul B. Janeczko
62 books48 followersPaul B. Janeczko is a poet and teacher and has edited more than twenty award-winning poetry anthologies for young people, including STONE BENCH IN AN EMPTY PARK, LOOKING FOR YOUR NAME, SEEING THE BLUE BETWEEN, and A POKE IN THE I, which was an American Library Association Notable Book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 450 reviews
March 16, 2025
Five stars, because it's "amazing." Not perfect. But some of the highest quality poems made accessible to newbies and children that I've ever seen.
See, I judge poetry by the images and feelings a poem evokes. I don't care for ballads, nor do I consider most nonsense to be real poetry (but rather, nonsense is more a sort of word-play like puns and riddles). Good haikus are poems. Much music is poetry. This book suits me. It has some classics; it also has some new to me.
Consider Joyce Sidman, she of the brilliant Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors and other collections. Here she is represented with:
_*A Happy Meeting*_
Rain meets dust:
soft, cinnamon kisses.
Quicky, noisy courtship,
the marriage: mud.
..............
I'll have to look for more by Raymond Souster after reading
_*Spring*_
Rain beats down,
roots stretch up.
They'll meet
in a flower.
.............
One of Carl Sandburg's inclusions is new to me:
_*Window*_
Night from a railroad car window
Is a great, dark, soft thing
Broken across with slashes of night.
---
I mean, look at that. Look at the word choices. Broken, not wrecked or cracked; slashes not stripes or cuts... talk about those with your youngsters.
............
Ok, as I said, the book isn't perfect. For example, included is one of my favorites, _*Dust of Snow*_ by Robert Frost. But the key to the poem is "a day I had rued." And the illustration shows father and child heading home from an afternoon's sledding. They rejoiced in their day; they didn't rue it!
---
Reread. Stands up; first review stands. These are "pocket" poems. Have your children, or students, memorize at least one of them. And look for more by Janeczko; he usually does a good job creating a collection.
See, I judge poetry by the images and feelings a poem evokes. I don't care for ballads, nor do I consider most nonsense to be real poetry (but rather, nonsense is more a sort of word-play like puns and riddles). Good haikus are poems. Much music is poetry. This book suits me. It has some classics; it also has some new to me.
Consider Joyce Sidman, she of the brilliant Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors and other collections. Here she is represented with:
_*A Happy Meeting*_
Rain meets dust:
soft, cinnamon kisses.
Quicky, noisy courtship,
the marriage: mud.
..............
I'll have to look for more by Raymond Souster after reading
_*Spring*_
Rain beats down,
roots stretch up.
They'll meet
in a flower.
.............
One of Carl Sandburg's inclusions is new to me:
_*Window*_
Night from a railroad car window
Is a great, dark, soft thing
Broken across with slashes of night.
---
I mean, look at that. Look at the word choices. Broken, not wrecked or cracked; slashes not stripes or cuts... talk about those with your youngsters.
............
Ok, as I said, the book isn't perfect. For example, included is one of my favorites, _*Dust of Snow*_ by Robert Frost. But the key to the poem is "a day I had rued." And the illustration shows father and child heading home from an afternoon's sledding. They rejoiced in their day; they didn't rue it!
---
Reread. Stands up; first review stands. These are "pocket" poems. Have your children, or students, memorize at least one of them. And look for more by Janeczko; he usually does a good job creating a collection.
September 5, 2014
No actual spoilers here. I mean it's poetry, so there's no plot to spoil. I just am pretty sarcastic and negative in my review so just hiding it for those who maybe don't want to see that. I mean, this has gotten a lot of starred reviews which was why I picked it up.
November 18, 2020
What a beautiful book! Melissa Sweet’s illustrations are absolutely marvelous.
March 12, 2014
If a book brings me back to goodreads to throw up a review, then it transcends "Mr. Hankins said it was good" at this point. I think.
It's been a while since I've been compelled by a book to want to come back--to take time away from the next book (there's always the next book, right)to post a review.
I knew from the moment I saw the cover posted on Facebook that I just had to have this anthology. Paul B. Janeczko? Melissa Sweet? What's not to like? Wait. What's not to sense that one could fall immediately in love with such a collaboration.
FIREFLY JULY: A YEAR OF VERY SHORT POEMS is what I might call that perfect "school year" book. Thirty-six poems selected for placement within the four seasons of the year (nine poems evenly-distributed for each season), this anthology would make a perfect addition to the classroom library. A table of contents would invite the classroom teacher to look for a poem by a poet that might lead to longer works by the same poet. While reading through the anthology, I kept thinking, "someone will put this up on a bulletin board" or "Wow. A person reading the morning announcements could embed any one of these poems into the reading, perhaps on a Monday to kick off the school week or on a Friday to cap it off."
For teachers looking to add that resource for younger readers by way of shorter poems from recognized poets, this one is it. For parents looking for that One Book Four Hands kind of book for bedtime or anytime reading, this one is it.
Janeczko has once again carefully selected the poets and his or her poems for inclusion. One of my favorites--a real surprise for me as a first-time reader of the book is one by Jim Harrison and Ted Kooser:
What is it the wind has lost
that she keeps looking for
under each leaf?
Poets within the anthology include: William Carlos Williams (which affords Sweet the opportunity to bless the verse of WCW with her distinctive illustration style), Carl Sandburg, X. J. Kennedy, Emily Dickinson, Eve Merriam, Robert Frost, and many, many others.
So many are pointing to Melissa Sweet's illustrations. There is so much to love here. One might say that poetry shouldn't need to be illustrated. Billy Collins in his TED Talk says, "We should let the reader do some work." But Sweet's work here is not an attempt to illustrate a poem as much as bring the collection together in a most visual way. Sweet's anchor illustrations for the seasons are whimsical, delightful (don't miss FALL--if you are like Mr. Hankins, you'll find yourself looking for the F followed by the delight of having been surprised by Sweet's illustrative playfulness).
So. . .we are back at goodreads for this review. Because FIREFLY JULY is just that good. You heard it from Mr. Hankins on release day. This is a poetry anthology we will be talking about all year. And especially at the end of the year.
It's been a while since I've been compelled by a book to want to come back--to take time away from the next book (there's always the next book, right)to post a review.
I knew from the moment I saw the cover posted on Facebook that I just had to have this anthology. Paul B. Janeczko? Melissa Sweet? What's not to like? Wait. What's not to sense that one could fall immediately in love with such a collaboration.
FIREFLY JULY: A YEAR OF VERY SHORT POEMS is what I might call that perfect "school year" book. Thirty-six poems selected for placement within the four seasons of the year (nine poems evenly-distributed for each season), this anthology would make a perfect addition to the classroom library. A table of contents would invite the classroom teacher to look for a poem by a poet that might lead to longer works by the same poet. While reading through the anthology, I kept thinking, "someone will put this up on a bulletin board" or "Wow. A person reading the morning announcements could embed any one of these poems into the reading, perhaps on a Monday to kick off the school week or on a Friday to cap it off."
For teachers looking to add that resource for younger readers by way of shorter poems from recognized poets, this one is it. For parents looking for that One Book Four Hands kind of book for bedtime or anytime reading, this one is it.
Janeczko has once again carefully selected the poets and his or her poems for inclusion. One of my favorites--a real surprise for me as a first-time reader of the book is one by Jim Harrison and Ted Kooser:
What is it the wind has lost
that she keeps looking for
under each leaf?
Poets within the anthology include: William Carlos Williams (which affords Sweet the opportunity to bless the verse of WCW with her distinctive illustration style), Carl Sandburg, X. J. Kennedy, Emily Dickinson, Eve Merriam, Robert Frost, and many, many others.
So many are pointing to Melissa Sweet's illustrations. There is so much to love here. One might say that poetry shouldn't need to be illustrated. Billy Collins in his TED Talk says, "We should let the reader do some work." But Sweet's work here is not an attempt to illustrate a poem as much as bring the collection together in a most visual way. Sweet's anchor illustrations for the seasons are whimsical, delightful (don't miss FALL--if you are like Mr. Hankins, you'll find yourself looking for the F followed by the delight of having been surprised by Sweet's illustrative playfulness).
So. . .we are back at goodreads for this review. Because FIREFLY JULY is just that good. You heard it from Mr. Hankins on release day. This is a poetry anthology we will be talking about all year. And especially at the end of the year.
March 14, 2014
Amazing poems, many commissioned for this book, and Sweet's whimsical illustrations make this book a standout.
March 19, 2014
Is reviewing works of poetry essentially a ridiculous thing to attempt? I’m not trying to be facetious or anything, I honestly want to know. It took me a long time to appreciate poetry on any level, but when I did I was able to come to it understanding that its closest relative in the arts world is music. Music that a person enjoys is a deeply personal experience. Only you can replicate the feelings and emotions that certain combinations of notes inspire. By the same token, poetry should be purely a one-on-one experience. And part of the job of books of collected poems for kids is to get each child reader to find that one poem that speaks to them. Maybe if they find one, just one, that hits home then that person will seek out other poems. Maybe it’ll expand their little minds, lead them to modes of thought they might not have reached otherwise. If the ultimate goal of children’s poetry is simply to inspire in kids a love of words and wordplay, then critiquing books that seek to do that is a uniquely difficult proposition. I mean, how can you judge something that’s so subjective? The best that you can do is simply determine if the poems in a collection are good, put together in a logical way, and worthwhile reading. And in the case of Firefly July the answer to all three of those queries is yes and yes and you betcha.
Four seasons yield 36 poems. Selected by children’s poet Paul B. Janeczko, Firefly July slowly introduces each time of year with gentle, short verses that lure you in. Each poem highlights a different element of the season, whether it’s a cat stalking through the daisies in the summer or winter wind “tearing itself to shreds / On bared-wire fences.” A pleasing mix of canon poets (Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson, etc.) and canon children’s poets (Charlotte Zolotow, J. Patrick Lewis, James Stevenson, etc.) the book touches lightly on those elements that make a season memorable. With illustrator Melissa Sweet’s interpretations of each poem in tow, this collection proves to be the kind of book of poetry no library or poetry-minded household can seriously be without.
Like I said before, so much of critiquing poetry is subjective. So on an entirely personal level, I can at least tell you that I didn’t really begin to warm up to these poems (no pun intended) until we hit the Summer section. Nothing against the Spring, mind you. It’s there that you’ll find a lot of the old standards like the William Carlos Williams poem “The Red Wheelbarrow”. But Summer proved a lovely surprise. Langston Hughes waxing eloquent on “Subway Rush Hour” followed by Joyce Sidman’s lovely “A Happy Meeting” (which conjures up memories of the e.e. cummings poem “in Just”) and then the titular “Firefly July” by J. Patrick Lewis (which really does deserve to have its name appropriated for the title of this book) combine to give one a true, rounded sense of the season. Teachers and parents would do well to read this book to kids and then ask them what their favorite season is. Mine now appears to be summer. Who knew?
The real advantage to this book is in the subtitle. “A Year of Very Short Poems”. Though I struggle in vain to find the right way to sell my poetry collection in months other than April, I can’t help but think that maybe size does matter. Books containing long and lengthy poems (like the delightful A Pond Full of Ink by Annie M.G. Schmidt) will be ideal for the already indoctrinated, but if you’re trying to lure in the poetry shy, short is the way to go. Short and sweet. And brother, it hardly gets any sweeter than this.
Melissa Sweet’s art was an interesting choice as illustrator. It makes sense when you think about it. After all, her Caldecott Honor was bestowed upon the picture book biography of poet William Carlos Williams A River of Words. In this book she is the sole artist interpreting these various works. There are no head scratching moments. No times when you feel as though she’s taking advantage of her position as the illustrator. She switches vantage points and views consistently as well, keeping the viewer awake and interested. Of all the pages, my favorite Sweet was the two-page spread accompanying Carl Sandburg’s poem “Window”. There, panel after panel after panel show scenes from a railway car looking at the countryside. Later, Ted Kooser’s “Snow Fence” contains the striking image of crows perched on a simple red fence set against the pure white drifts. One might argue that Sweet takes few risks with this book but if I’m going to trade in beauty for risk, I figure that’s a pretty fair deal.
As I am a librarian and not a teacher I don’t usually think up classroom applications for books when I read them. Firefly July proves to be the exception to the rule. Reading this book I could imagine all sort of interesting uses. For example, teachers might want to actually revive an old school standard and have the kids in their classroom memorize one of these poems for recitation type purposes. We’ve seen some books collect poems for this very specific purpose (see: Forget-Me-Nots Poems to Learn by Heart, selected by Mary Ann Hoberman) but in this particular case I think the quality of the selections recommend it highly. There is, after all, no better way to learn a poem heart, body, and soul than to incessantly read it over and over and over again.
With its pedigree in place it’s little wonder that Firefly July entranced me as much as it did. I don’t consider myself a poetry connoisseur so it takes something special to break through to me as much as this book did. I still maintain that reading poems of any sort is a personal business and that what suits the goose will never do for the gander. That said, for a work of introductory poems specially selected so as to calm and comfort the reluctant poetry reader, Firefly July ain’t a bad way to go. Lulling and lovely, there’s something for everyone inside. All you have to do is just give it a chance.
For ages 4-8.
Four seasons yield 36 poems. Selected by children’s poet Paul B. Janeczko, Firefly July slowly introduces each time of year with gentle, short verses that lure you in. Each poem highlights a different element of the season, whether it’s a cat stalking through the daisies in the summer or winter wind “tearing itself to shreds / On bared-wire fences.” A pleasing mix of canon poets (Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson, etc.) and canon children’s poets (Charlotte Zolotow, J. Patrick Lewis, James Stevenson, etc.) the book touches lightly on those elements that make a season memorable. With illustrator Melissa Sweet’s interpretations of each poem in tow, this collection proves to be the kind of book of poetry no library or poetry-minded household can seriously be without.
Like I said before, so much of critiquing poetry is subjective. So on an entirely personal level, I can at least tell you that I didn’t really begin to warm up to these poems (no pun intended) until we hit the Summer section. Nothing against the Spring, mind you. It’s there that you’ll find a lot of the old standards like the William Carlos Williams poem “The Red Wheelbarrow”. But Summer proved a lovely surprise. Langston Hughes waxing eloquent on “Subway Rush Hour” followed by Joyce Sidman’s lovely “A Happy Meeting” (which conjures up memories of the e.e. cummings poem “in Just”) and then the titular “Firefly July” by J. Patrick Lewis (which really does deserve to have its name appropriated for the title of this book) combine to give one a true, rounded sense of the season. Teachers and parents would do well to read this book to kids and then ask them what their favorite season is. Mine now appears to be summer. Who knew?
The real advantage to this book is in the subtitle. “A Year of Very Short Poems”. Though I struggle in vain to find the right way to sell my poetry collection in months other than April, I can’t help but think that maybe size does matter. Books containing long and lengthy poems (like the delightful A Pond Full of Ink by Annie M.G. Schmidt) will be ideal for the already indoctrinated, but if you’re trying to lure in the poetry shy, short is the way to go. Short and sweet. And brother, it hardly gets any sweeter than this.
Melissa Sweet’s art was an interesting choice as illustrator. It makes sense when you think about it. After all, her Caldecott Honor was bestowed upon the picture book biography of poet William Carlos Williams A River of Words. In this book she is the sole artist interpreting these various works. There are no head scratching moments. No times when you feel as though she’s taking advantage of her position as the illustrator. She switches vantage points and views consistently as well, keeping the viewer awake and interested. Of all the pages, my favorite Sweet was the two-page spread accompanying Carl Sandburg’s poem “Window”. There, panel after panel after panel show scenes from a railway car looking at the countryside. Later, Ted Kooser’s “Snow Fence” contains the striking image of crows perched on a simple red fence set against the pure white drifts. One might argue that Sweet takes few risks with this book but if I’m going to trade in beauty for risk, I figure that’s a pretty fair deal.
As I am a librarian and not a teacher I don’t usually think up classroom applications for books when I read them. Firefly July proves to be the exception to the rule. Reading this book I could imagine all sort of interesting uses. For example, teachers might want to actually revive an old school standard and have the kids in their classroom memorize one of these poems for recitation type purposes. We’ve seen some books collect poems for this very specific purpose (see: Forget-Me-Nots Poems to Learn by Heart, selected by Mary Ann Hoberman) but in this particular case I think the quality of the selections recommend it highly. There is, after all, no better way to learn a poem heart, body, and soul than to incessantly read it over and over and over again.
With its pedigree in place it’s little wonder that Firefly July entranced me as much as it did. I don’t consider myself a poetry connoisseur so it takes something special to break through to me as much as this book did. I still maintain that reading poems of any sort is a personal business and that what suits the goose will never do for the gander. That said, for a work of introductory poems specially selected so as to calm and comfort the reluctant poetry reader, Firefly July ain’t a bad way to go. Lulling and lovely, there’s something for everyone inside. All you have to do is just give it a chance.
For ages 4-8.
November 12, 2014
Fine short poems, trumped by the even better illustrations by Melissa Sweet (whose name should come up here first rather than the guy who gets to claim authorship, the guy who picked the poems, many of which are familiar such as William Carlos Williams's "The Red Wheelbarrow"). The art is colorful, splashy, sketchy, cool. I think, based on my scientific study with a sample of three kids and two adults in this home, that this would generally appeal to adults more than kids, really.
I liked the poems, though, including this one:
A welcome mat of moonlight
on the floor. Wipe your feet
before getting into bed
-- Jim Harrison and Ted Kooser
I liked the poems, though, including this one:
A welcome mat of moonlight
on the floor. Wipe your feet
before getting into bed
-- Jim Harrison and Ted Kooser
March 3, 2014
Thirty-six poems, many of them commissioned for this book, celebrate the wonders of the four seasons in various poetic forms. The watercolor, gouache, and mixed media illustrations are stellar. Readers won't soon forget the poetry or the lovely images. My personal favorites included "Little Orange Cat" by Charlotte Zolotow, "Sandpipers" by April Halprin Wayland, and "Water Lily" by Ralph Fletcher. It's nice to revisit William Carlos Williams's "The Red Wheelbarrow," Carl Sandburg's "Fog", and Robert Frost's "Dust of Snow," poems I have loved ever since I was a child.
October 6, 2020
If you have to buy a great book for your little ones and yourself, this is a perfect one. How beautiful most of these small but meaningful poems are!
A perfect collection to read and have!
A perfect collection to read and have!
October 20, 2022
The strength of the 36 short poems Paul B. Janeczko has selected lies in each one's use of descriptive, figurative language that conjures visualization. Melissa Sweet's illustrations seem to magically produce some of the imagery that comes to mind.
The poems are organized to enjoy with the four seasons. Here's two for fall:
The first September breeze fluttered
across the tops
of the withered grass
and fall came tumbling in as
if someone had thrown
open a door.
---Liz Rosenberg
What is it the wind has lost
that she keeps looking for
under each leaf?
---Jim Harrison and Ted Kooser
The poems are organized to enjoy with the four seasons. Here's two for fall:
The first September breeze fluttered
across the tops
of the withered grass
and fall came tumbling in as
if someone had thrown
open a door.
---Liz Rosenberg
What is it the wind has lost
that she keeps looking for
under each leaf?
---Jim Harrison and Ted Kooser
July 26, 2018
Unusual summertime free verse poems.
April 17, 2015
The book is well done and the illustrations are creative and interesting, but most of the selected poems are not of a style I can appreciate, which made it hard to truly enjoy the book. The imagery woven by the words is good, but of the thirty-six selected poems, I only really liked three; the others I found interesting to a degree, but neither educational nor personally appealing.
"Firefly July," the titular poem by J. Patrick Lewis, is my favorite; it's imagery, wording, rhythm, assonance, and rhyme all appeal to me, and furthermore it has a distinct nostalgia factor for anyone who has ever caught fireflies.
"In Passing," by Gerald Jonas, intrigued me with its use of alliteration and assonance. A subject which would have otherwise been bland became interesting and easily visualized through his choice of words and use of syllables, and Sweet's simple illustration echoed the quirkiness of the poem.
"Snow Fence," by Ted Kooser, appealed to me because of the vivid, precise image it portrayed, and the illustration Sweet coupled with the poem complemented the words and imagery in a way that enhanced the enjoyability of each component, visual and verbal.
"Firefly July," the titular poem by J. Patrick Lewis, is my favorite; it's imagery, wording, rhythm, assonance, and rhyme all appeal to me, and furthermore it has a distinct nostalgia factor for anyone who has ever caught fireflies.
"In Passing," by Gerald Jonas, intrigued me with its use of alliteration and assonance. A subject which would have otherwise been bland became interesting and easily visualized through his choice of words and use of syllables, and Sweet's simple illustration echoed the quirkiness of the poem.
"Snow Fence," by Ted Kooser, appealed to me because of the vivid, precise image it portrayed, and the illustration Sweet coupled with the poem complemented the words and imagery in a way that enhanced the enjoyability of each component, visual and verbal.
December 9, 2020
Firefly July : A Year Of Very Short Poems, by Paul B. Janeczko and colorfully illustrated by Melissa Sweet is the recipient of the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. The book is a collection of poems that are relevant to the four seasons. The book starts with spring and the illustrations and poems of the book are wonderfully composed and complement each other well. The poems are from many different authors from, Langston Hughes to Eve Merriam. Each of the seasons has a collection of a few short poems and the colors of the book help the reader feel the season, yellow and bring colors for spring and summer and darker colors like brown and deeper shades of blue for the fall and winter. The book contains a total of 36 poems that can be read and enjoyed by most of your readers. I would highly recommend this book as an additional to any young readers library.
April 28, 2020
This book had a great selection of poems that are short but provoke a lot of emotion. Since they are for children, there are not many words, but the words that are there have meaning. So many different subjects are addressed in the book through poems. The use of descriptive language allows for the reader to imagine what is going on without even looking at the illustrations. Also the illustrations were great because they went along with what the poem was saying. If you were picturing something, then the illustration was of that image. My favorite poem in the book was Window due to the illustrations. It was so cool how each window had a different drawing because each person sees something different when they look out their own window.
March 23, 2021
This poetry anthology is organized by season and begins with Spring. It includes 8-10 poems for each season of the year. This anthology includes a wide range of poets including Emily Dickinson, Langton Hughes, Joyce Sidman, and Ralph Fletcher. Each of the poems is short and various types of poetry are included; which along with the beautiful illustrations by Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet, make this an excellent addition to a classroom library. I accessed this title on YouTube but have ordered a hard copy from First Book. I can't wait to see the illustrations in person. I anticipate using this book as we explore the changes we see in each season as well as using it as a mentor text for poetry writing.
August 20, 2019
The illustrations in this book are absolutely amazing! Each page is filled with imaginative scenes that capture the heartfelt essence of the poetry. Delightful reading! A book to relax with and enjoy simple beauty through word and art.
TALL CITY
Here houses rise so straight and tall
That I am not surprised at all
To see them simply walk away
Into the clouds — this misty day. (Pulsifer)
(No title)
A wild winter wind
Is tearing itself to shreds
On barbed-wire fences. (Wright)
TALL CITY
Here houses rise so straight and tall
That I am not surprised at all
To see them simply walk away
Into the clouds — this misty day. (Pulsifer)
(No title)
A wild winter wind
Is tearing itself to shreds
On barbed-wire fences. (Wright)
December 11, 2014
Loved it - although I would have liked to have seen a few more rhyming poems, as the book is heavy with free verse and can be hard to keep the attention of a younger child. The fact that these are all very short poems is a plus, though, as far as younger readers are concerned. I enjoy anthologies because a diverse group of poets means a diverse range of styles.
August 24, 2018
Anthologist Paul Janeczko collected thirty-six short poems and Melissa Sweet provided the beautiful illustrations in a mixed media which includes paintings, drawings, and collages. This picture book a must-have for poetry lovers.
February 26, 2014
A great collection of poems but the best thing about this anthology are Melissa Sweet's amazing illustrations.
Read
December 5, 2021Firefly july, is a nice little anthology of short poems that takes the reader through the year poem by poem. All of the poems are by different authors, my favorite being Robert Frost. I love the imagery that is used each little poem and feel as though this book would be a great introduction to how great poetry is written. Since these poems are short students of any age can focus on the imagery that is created easily in order to write their own.
March 28, 2019
A Lee Bennett Hopkins honor book, Firefly July is a collection of approachable poems that highlight the different seasons through various short, well crafted poems by famous poets. Many of the poems have beautiful imagery and figurative language that produce stunning imagery for readers. Though the poems are written by well accomplished poets, the selection and placement of the poems within in the different seasons can help younger readers understand the figurative language behind many of the poems. This book is a great introduction into poetry for teachers and a good starting place for elementary school students who might be exposed to poetry for the first time. The collage of illustrations as well does a good job of enhancing the poems and helping readers understand the imagery behind the words.
June 17, 2018
This book is very informational and written is short poems so I think it would be pretty interesting on it's own. But for a twin text I chose "One Little Bean" by Chiara Dattola. One little Bean is about the journey that a bean makes in order to grow. It pairs nicely with Firefly July because those poems are about nature and how it changes through the year. I would use these books in a science lesson with a K-W-L chart. This way I can make sure the students learn everything they want to about nature and how it happens. We can also compare the two books to find their similarities and differences.
January 24, 2025
My mom put it best on the note accompanying this gift: “Its illustrations and brevity are delightful.” The colorful illustrations are what bumped it up to 4 stars for me!
December 8, 2020
Firefly July is an anthology of poetry, by Paul Janeczko. It was published in 2014 and has received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, and School Library Journal. It has also received positive reviews from the New York Times and the Washington Post, and was nominated for Vermont’s Picture Book Awards, The Red Clover, and a Good Reads Choice Award for Picture Books. I can’t recall how I first discovered the book, but I was able to access it via a read aloud on YouTube, which was sufficient for reading and viewing the illustrations.
The book is a collection of poetry by various authors, some of whose names I recognized, like Langston Hughes, Emily Dickenson, and Patricia Hubbell. The poetry is organized by season, and each poem relates in some way to the season in which it is featured in the book, though some more indirectly than others. The relatable topics, rhyming language, and engaging artwork are sure to capture the attentions of children. Every poem features beautiful, whimsical pictures that are large and colorful, and really play to the imaginations of its young suitors. The language in the book is mostly simple and easy to understand, but there are some interesting words throughout that may be unfamiliar, such as “serene” and “thrust.” However, one of the strengths of the anthology, other than being a great introductory text into poetry, is that it would undoubtedly help expand children’s vocabularies. Context clues and artwork do a good job of providing support to aid with comprehension. Another strength is that the poems are very short, just the right length for the recommended age range.
I would recommend Firefly July for children in grades K – 3. It would be a nice supplemental resource for a poetry unit. I think it could also be used as a mentor text for a teacher who dares to have their class try their own hands and writing poetry. The anthology contains poetry that is related to the universal topic of the beauty and uniqueness of each season, and would appeal to children of any background.
The book is a collection of poetry by various authors, some of whose names I recognized, like Langston Hughes, Emily Dickenson, and Patricia Hubbell. The poetry is organized by season, and each poem relates in some way to the season in which it is featured in the book, though some more indirectly than others. The relatable topics, rhyming language, and engaging artwork are sure to capture the attentions of children. Every poem features beautiful, whimsical pictures that are large and colorful, and really play to the imaginations of its young suitors. The language in the book is mostly simple and easy to understand, but there are some interesting words throughout that may be unfamiliar, such as “serene” and “thrust.” However, one of the strengths of the anthology, other than being a great introductory text into poetry, is that it would undoubtedly help expand children’s vocabularies. Context clues and artwork do a good job of providing support to aid with comprehension. Another strength is that the poems are very short, just the right length for the recommended age range.
I would recommend Firefly July for children in grades K – 3. It would be a nice supplemental resource for a poetry unit. I think it could also be used as a mentor text for a teacher who dares to have their class try their own hands and writing poetry. The anthology contains poetry that is related to the universal topic of the beauty and uniqueness of each season, and would appeal to children of any background.
December 1, 2014
Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems selected by Paul B. Janeczko is a collection of poems categorized by month of the year. My favorite season of poems is summer. A poem that stood out to me in this section is called: "A Happy Meeting" by Joyce Sidman. "Rain meets dust: soft, cinnamon kisses. Quick, noisy courtship, then marriage: mud." I like how the author describes mud as a marriage between dust and rain. I would definitely use this book to teach a writing lesson on adjectives. This poem challenges the reader to think about different ways of describing an object or thing: mud. I want to see how 4th-5th graders would approach this topic of adjectives by describing something they know in a whole new way. The students could also illustrate their poem to add meaning to the words.
The pictures in each section of the book compliment the season: summer has pictures of flowers, green fields, a day at the beach ("Sandpipers" by April Halprin Wayland.) The name of each season is also incorporated into the illustrations as well. The winter section has wonderful pictures of a foggy scene, snow and clouds. In addition to pointing out the elements of writing in the poems I would pull in the theme of weather for younger students as a read aloud.
This book can be used across many grade levels (1st-6th)pointing out the many elements of the book and sections: writing, reading, rhyming, meaning, pictures, months of the year and seasons. A kindergarten classroom would enjoy reading a few poems at the beginning of each season or month as the school year goes on. I would incorporate this as part of the morning circle or read aloud. As a class we would expand on what it means to change seasons and what it looks and feels like outside.
The pictures in each section of the book compliment the season: summer has pictures of flowers, green fields, a day at the beach ("Sandpipers" by April Halprin Wayland.) The name of each season is also incorporated into the illustrations as well. The winter section has wonderful pictures of a foggy scene, snow and clouds. In addition to pointing out the elements of writing in the poems I would pull in the theme of weather for younger students as a read aloud.
This book can be used across many grade levels (1st-6th)pointing out the many elements of the book and sections: writing, reading, rhyming, meaning, pictures, months of the year and seasons. A kindergarten classroom would enjoy reading a few poems at the beginning of each season or month as the school year goes on. I would incorporate this as part of the morning circle or read aloud. As a class we would expand on what it means to change seasons and what it looks and feels like outside.
May 3, 2015
There are thirty-six very short poems in this collection, enhanced by stunning illustrations by Melissa Sweet.
The poems are divided into four sections, one for each season of the year. In Spring, for example, you will find this evocative gem by X. J. Kennedy:
"Open-billed
gulls
fighting
for fish heads
creak
like rusted
gates.”
Summer features, inter alia, the title poem, “Firefly July” by J. Patrick Lewis:
"When I was ten, one summer night,
The baby stars that leapt
Among the trees like dimes of light,
I cupped, and capped, and kept.”
In Fall you will find this wonderful thought by Jim Harrison and Ted Kooser:
"What is it the wind has lost
that she keeps looking for
under each leaf?”
What would winter be without some Carl Sandburg?
"The fog comes
on little cat feet.
it sits looking over harbor and city
on silent haunches and then moves on.”
You will find other beloved poets in this collection, including William Carlos Williams, Charlotte Zolotow, Langston Hughes, Robert Wallace, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and Richard Wright.
Award-winning illustrator Melissa Sweet used watercolor, gouache and paper to create outstanding mixed-media collages representing the poems. Along with the poems, the artwork demonstrates how dominant colors and moods change throughout the year. Furthermore, the pictures are full of movement and whimsey and hidden delights. Each page is full of revelations, and lends understanding to the poetry as well.
Evaluation: This book is not to be missed, even if you don’t think you are an aficionado of poetry. The poems are short and pleasing, and the pictures are wonderful.
The poems are divided into four sections, one for each season of the year. In Spring, for example, you will find this evocative gem by X. J. Kennedy:
"Open-billed
gulls
fighting
for fish heads
creak
like rusted
gates.”
Summer features, inter alia, the title poem, “Firefly July” by J. Patrick Lewis:
"When I was ten, one summer night,
The baby stars that leapt
Among the trees like dimes of light,
I cupped, and capped, and kept.”
In Fall you will find this wonderful thought by Jim Harrison and Ted Kooser:
"What is it the wind has lost
that she keeps looking for
under each leaf?”
What would winter be without some Carl Sandburg?
"The fog comes
on little cat feet.
it sits looking over harbor and city
on silent haunches and then moves on.”
You will find other beloved poets in this collection, including William Carlos Williams, Charlotte Zolotow, Langston Hughes, Robert Wallace, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and Richard Wright.
Award-winning illustrator Melissa Sweet used watercolor, gouache and paper to create outstanding mixed-media collages representing the poems. Along with the poems, the artwork demonstrates how dominant colors and moods change throughout the year. Furthermore, the pictures are full of movement and whimsey and hidden delights. Each page is full of revelations, and lends understanding to the poetry as well.
Evaluation: This book is not to be missed, even if you don’t think you are an aficionado of poetry. The poems are short and pleasing, and the pictures are wonderful.
April 29, 2014
There are just over thirty poems in this collection and as promised in the title, all of them are very short. These short poems though each have power and perfection in just a few words, offering insight into the way that language can be edited and played with to make it speak much more than the few words on the page. Readers will find poems that are well-known mixed with others that are delightful new surprises. Through it all, there is a feeling of joy that comes from the page and from the words as well as a pleasure of traveling the seasons through poetry.
Thanks to the brevity of all of these poems, this is a very child-friendly book to introduce children to poetry. Their condensed format also gives them a lot of power and bang per word, which makes them easy to discuss with children. Readers will also want to try their hands at creating short poems and are sure to quickly realize that while they read easily, they are very difficult to create. That makes this book all the more impressive with its high level of quality of poem and a perfect level of accessibility for youth.
Sweet’s illustrations frame the poems into one cohesive unit. They celebrate the small things, like these poems and their themes, looking at leaves, butterflies, fog and lots of other bits of nature. Her work is playful and yet not too light, bringing depth into each image.
A beautiful collection of short poems, this belongs in every library and would make a perfect way to start every day with a poem. Appropriate for ages 4-8.
Thanks to the brevity of all of these poems, this is a very child-friendly book to introduce children to poetry. Their condensed format also gives them a lot of power and bang per word, which makes them easy to discuss with children. Readers will also want to try their hands at creating short poems and are sure to quickly realize that while they read easily, they are very difficult to create. That makes this book all the more impressive with its high level of quality of poem and a perfect level of accessibility for youth.
Sweet’s illustrations frame the poems into one cohesive unit. They celebrate the small things, like these poems and their themes, looking at leaves, butterflies, fog and lots of other bits of nature. Her work is playful and yet not too light, bringing depth into each image.
A beautiful collection of short poems, this belongs in every library and would make a perfect way to start every day with a poem. Appropriate for ages 4-8.
April 28, 2018
Summary:
A selection of short American poems dealing with the four seasons and the different weather events and animal patterns that can occur within each.
Celebrated poet and anthologist Paul B. Janeczko pairs with Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet for a collection of short poems to sample and savor. It only takes a few words, if they're the right words, to create a strong image. Whether listened to in the comfort of a cozy lap or read independently, the thirty-six very short poems in this collection remind readers young and old that a few perfect words and pictures can make the world glow. Selected by acclaimed poet Paul B. Janeczko and gorgeously illustrated by Melissa Sweet, Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems invites children to sample poems throughout the four seasons.
Daybreak reminds us / Spring / The red wheelbarrow / The island / In passing / Water lily / Open-billed / Window / Little orange cat / Subway rush hour / A happy meeting / Firefly July / Sandpipers / Bronze Age / In the field forever / Sea trade / The moon was but a chin of gold / What is it the wind has lost / Screen door / Headline / In the alley / Tall city / The first September breeze fluttered / November night / Between walls / Moonlight / Old truck / Fog / Uses for fog / Dust of snow / Snow fence / The house-wreckers have left the door and a staircase / A wild winter wind / Winter twilight / Night / A welcome mat of moonlight
A selection of short American poems dealing with the four seasons and the different weather events and animal patterns that can occur within each.
Celebrated poet and anthologist Paul B. Janeczko pairs with Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet for a collection of short poems to sample and savor. It only takes a few words, if they're the right words, to create a strong image. Whether listened to in the comfort of a cozy lap or read independently, the thirty-six very short poems in this collection remind readers young and old that a few perfect words and pictures can make the world glow. Selected by acclaimed poet Paul B. Janeczko and gorgeously illustrated by Melissa Sweet, Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems invites children to sample poems throughout the four seasons.
Daybreak reminds us / Spring / The red wheelbarrow / The island / In passing / Water lily / Open-billed / Window / Little orange cat / Subway rush hour / A happy meeting / Firefly July / Sandpipers / Bronze Age / In the field forever / Sea trade / The moon was but a chin of gold / What is it the wind has lost / Screen door / Headline / In the alley / Tall city / The first September breeze fluttered / November night / Between walls / Moonlight / Old truck / Fog / Uses for fog / Dust of snow / Snow fence / The house-wreckers have left the door and a staircase / A wild winter wind / Winter twilight / Night / A welcome mat of moonlight
March 23, 2016
Firefly July is a picture anthology that was compiled by Paul B. Janeczko. The illustrations are by Melissa Sweet. The medium of the pictures is a combination of watercolor, gouache (which is a sort of opaque watercolor), and mixed media. She has created a lovely layered sketched effect that, I think, adds a touch of whimsy to the poems they represent. The book is split into 4 sections: one for each season. There are 8-10 poems for each section. What I really liked was the array of authors featured in the anthology they range from Emily Dikinson, Robert Frost, and Carl Sandburg, spanning from the late 19th century to today. The poems are all very short which could make for a really nice daily bellringer poem for a poetry unit for secondary students. The imagery in the poems would be great to pick apart with older students. However, this would also make a great read aloud for primary students. I wouldn't, however, let them read this alone because poetry, in general, can become confusing independently. This book was a Red Clover Nominee (2016) and a Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Picture Books (2014).
January 3, 2015
Full review at: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=3738
My Review: Paul B. Janeczko did a wonderful job choosing poems that represent each season beautifully from amazing poets such as Sandburg, Williams, Hughes, and Fletcher, then add Melissa Sweet’s mixed media illustrations that engulf the page in color, and you have a perfect poetry anthology for any age. There isn’t much more to say about this book, but that it is something every person should see.
Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: What can you not do with this book?! It has every type of poem imaginable that can be used in so many different situations. Need an example of a type of figurative language? You’ll find it in here. Need an example of a rhyme scheme? Yep, in here. Need to talk about rhythm? This’ll do. Want to introduce poetry? Have examples of poems for mentor texts? Allow students to draw how they interpret different poems and come back together and share? All can be done with this. And all with short, non-overwhelming, yet amazing poems.
My Review: Paul B. Janeczko did a wonderful job choosing poems that represent each season beautifully from amazing poets such as Sandburg, Williams, Hughes, and Fletcher, then add Melissa Sweet’s mixed media illustrations that engulf the page in color, and you have a perfect poetry anthology for any age. There isn’t much more to say about this book, but that it is something every person should see.
Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: What can you not do with this book?! It has every type of poem imaginable that can be used in so many different situations. Need an example of a type of figurative language? You’ll find it in here. Need an example of a rhyme scheme? Yep, in here. Need to talk about rhythm? This’ll do. Want to introduce poetry? Have examples of poems for mentor texts? Allow students to draw how they interpret different poems and come back together and share? All can be done with this. And all with short, non-overwhelming, yet amazing poems.
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