SKY SCRAPE/CITY SCAPE Illustrated by Ken Condon Boyds Mill Press 1996 ISBN# 1-56397-179-8 Boyds Mills hardcover

I am a city girl by birth, a country girl by choice. Born in New York City, I can still thrill to some things about the skyscraper life. This anthology of poems--a few by me but most by other writers--covers a lot of city living, from graffiti to tall buildings to jaywalking to the city parks. I brought Condon's sprightly work to the attention of the publishers and he produced a perfect cityscape, I think. AMERICAN BOOKSELLER "PICK OF THE LISTS" - Spring 1996 BANK STREET COLLEGE BOOK OF THE YEAR - 1996

       Available in Boyds Mills hardcover.

What reviewers have said: "Skyscrapers, subways, and crowded streets are the settings for the 25 poems and pictures in this anthology. The pages are packed with people, buildings, garbage, traffic. Everything is bursting with movement, light, and sound ... this will be welcome in classrooms and libraries across the country, an exciting companion to all the volumes of nature poetry.--School Library Journal

"Skyscrapers, subways, and crowded streets are the settings for the 25 poems and pictures in this anthology. The pages are packed with people, buildings, garbage, traffic. Everything is bursting with movement, light, and sound ... Like Adoff's Street Music: City Poems (1995), this will be welcome in classrooms and libraries across the country, an exciting companion to all the volumes of nature poetry." -- Booklist starred review

"The excitement and exuberance of city life pulsates through the selected poetry of Langston Hughes, Lee Bennet Hopkins, Myra Cohn Livingston, Lucille Clifton, Eve Merriam and more. Yolen's selections capture all aspects of urban life--day and night, clean and dirty. Condon's illustrations boldly evoke the sounds and sights of the city--the rumble of the commuter subway train, the lofty skyscrapers and diesel smoke. A masterful picture book of urban life! All city dwellers will love it! Recommended for all ages." -- Catholic Library World

"This picture book anthology of poetry capturing the excitement of big-city life features an impressive collection of authors, including Lucille Clifton, Langston Hughes, Eve Merriam, and Carl Sandburg. Condon's energetic illustrations, done in chalk and pastels, complement the vibrant words perfectly." -- BookLinks

"Skyscrapers, graffiti, subway trains, even the city dump, are some of the subjects that poets such as Rachel Field, Langston Hughes, Dennis Lee, and Eve Merriam focus on in an energetic evocation of city life. Busy pastels illustrate this collection framed in a picture book format." --Horn Book Guide


"The beat of the city--its sights, sounds and energy--is captured in this anthology of 25 poems written by such notables as Langston Hughes, Carl Sandburg and Rachel Field. Urban life in all its glory and grit are explored, from skyscrapers, city parks and subway trains, to graffiti, unclean streets and the city dump. The chalk and oil pastel drawings are bold and expansive, and their earthly colors evoke a feel for the city that seems "just right."--Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

"This worthy successor to Lee Bennett Hopkins' The City Spreads Its Wings (Watts, 1970; o.p.) offers readers a glorious glimpse of New York City in particular and urban centers in general. Lively chalk-and-pastel scenes--streets, parks, crowds--appear on every page with poetry that celebrates one aspect of city life. . . .A dynamic hymn to what Lucille Clifton refers to as "the inner city / or / like we call it / home."--School Library Journal

In this oversized volume, Jane Yolen has collected a number of poems about city life. . . . Included are well-known poets such as Lucille Clifton, Eve Merriam and Jane Yolen, as well as a number of lesser known writers. The poems are short and provocative. Each page is accompanied by a full-page illustration that depicts the same portion of city life as the poetry. The pictures are beautiful, evocative and most importantly can be seen from a distance. Excellent for reading, sparking discussion or program use."--Children's Book Review Service, Inc

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