In this “conversation between two art forms,” poets around the world wrote a poem in response to a work of art. The art appears along with the poems – in their original languages as well as an English translation. The art ranges from folk art – ceramic and painted wooden figures from Mexico to Picasso, Hopper, elaborately painted Egyptian tombs, Navajo clay with corn husks, Botticelli, Lo Ch’ing and many more. The poets are contemporary, and with the exception of Alexander Pushkin, all living. Their works appear in such languages as Turkish, Tigrinya, Polish, Navajo, Vietnamese, Korean, Arabic, Spanish, and more. The poems are meditative and thought-provoking, or whimsical and familiar, and invite the reader to return to the book again and again, finding something new about each work of art, or revisiting an unexpected connection a poet may have made, or comparing translated texts with their originals.

Curriculum: I think the book would be an excellent partner to use with the Junior Great Books program, in which students engage in guided reading of world literature, poetry, and folktales, and discuss their readings and interpretations with very open-ended questions. It would also be an excellent book to use in a poetry unit. I would love to have students write poems, even as a group, after viewing the art, and then compare to the poems in the book. Many of the poems offer unique worldviews of the poets, which would offer a rich area for analysis and interpretation. The book could be incorporated into social studies units, art history, and visual arts. Students could respond to student-created artwork with poetry, creating a unique, collaborative and creative showcase for young artists and poets. Using this book in this way would address ISTE/NETS standard 2c: develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures, particularly if the lesson incorporated an aspect of collaboration and sharing using media and web. It would also address AASL standard 4.1.3: respond to literature and creative expression of ideas in various formats and genres.

Greenberg, J. (Ed.). (2008). Side by side: New poems inspired by art from around the world. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers.

My favorite poem in Side by Side was “Quetzalcoatl,” about a colorful bird that gave life to the Mexican culture, but then died when Mexico was given its heart. We see this wonderful five-part painted mural next to this poem which includes historical events and figures of Mexican history. One of the figures toward the end is Frieda Kahlo and next to her is the old flag that hung before it was burned. This poem gives off a sense of cultural pride. I believe that the idea in this collection is to have art by the side of history, with poetry to emotively show what happened during that time. The quality of the muralist art is surrealist. ( )

It was a compilation of art and poetry from people around the world. Both the art and the poetry was beautiful, each poem written in it’s home language and then English with a painting to go along with. The paintings did generally match the theme of the poem. ( )

Greenberg has filled this book with photographs of artwork that lends itself to poetic interpretation. As in her Printz winning anthology, Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art, Greenberg finds poets to write poems about the art selected. In Side by Side, Greenberg found artists and poets from 33 different countries and 6 continents to include in this volume. Greenberg prints the poems in the poet’s native language (everything from English to Tigrinya) and then includes an English translation. Readers may enjoy attempting to predict what the artwork will be from just hearing the poem or vice versa. Comparing the artwork and the poem side by side, however, is where the real fun begins. This book should have a home in both English and art classrooms, as well as in school libraries. ( )

A book I wish existed in my childhood. A collection of poems from around the world, in the writer's native language, translated into English paired with art corresponds to the poems. Captures the voice of peoples around the world, often the mood of complicated worlds. The book also includes biographies. A sophisticated, intelligent, and informative book. Impressive. Art from Hopper, Matisse, Picasso, poems from Puskin Lo Ch'ing. Useful as a classroom exercise to duplicate the experience. Also, art history, and exposure to foreign languages. Beautiful, genius book ( )