ON THE WING:BIRD POEMS AND PAINTINGS

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Florian, Douglas. 1996. ON THE WING: BIRD POEMS AND PAINTINGS. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0152004971

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Each of the twenty-one poems describes a different bird. The topical collection starts with an egret causing the beach to have “A feathered hat”. “This helicopter of a bird” refers to the hummingbird while a vulture is described as being “weak on culture”. The hill mynah’s poem is told through a first person (bird) point of view “I gab/ I blab/ I’m never terse” while the harsh life of emperor penguins is shown “Of Antarctic sea/ All huddled together/For warmth and protection”. Woodpeckers are described as “peck-uliar” while the stork “feeds on frogs without a plate”. Each bird’s poem is emphasized by a full page illustration done in watercolor. Bird watching was never so easy!

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Douglas Florian’s collection of bird poems showcases some different forms of poetry. Each poem rhymes although not in a constant way. In “The Egret” there is one, four- line stanza with the second and fourth line rhyming (On morning tide/An egret sat/And gave the beach/A feathered hat.).

In “The Andean Cock-of-the-Rock” the ten lines could be divided into two stanzas, reminiscent of a limerick’s five lines with the first, second and fifth line rhyming
and the third and fourth lines rhyming. (The Andean cock-of-the-rock/Has a crest that’s as round as a clock/Its shoulders and head/Are a flaming bright red-/Just to think of it gives me a shock). (Descending upon forest floor/It feeds upon fruit, and what’s more /On ground or in trees/ Each expert agrees/This vivid bird can’t be ignored).

In “The Quetzal” the poem’s words circle around just as the tail of the bird does in its illustration. The book’s table of contents makes it easy for the reader to find the poem he/she would like to read.

Florian’s watercolor illustrations enhance each poem. In the illustration for “The Green Catbird” the word meow appears in the picture, interjecting onomatopoeia into the book. For “The Magnificent Frigate Birds” the breast of the bird is puffed out, covered in military medals so that the lines “Our crimson chests/We can inflate/How could you /NOT/Regard us great?” are emphasized. The hummingbird has a propeller over its head and landing strips added to its claws since it is a “helicopter of a bird”.

There is a comic element to the illustrations which are given a full page for every poem represented. The roadrunner has wheels, the hill mynah a tape recorder for its brain, and the hawk sports a pair of binoculars around its neck. On the back flap of the book cover, instead of a photograph of the author there is self portrait of him with a beak.

Although the strokes of the paintings are simple, the illustrations add a new dimension to the poems creating the visuals for the words.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist: “This colorful collection features twenty-one poems about a variety of birds, from hummingbird to vulture, roadrunner to emperor penguin. The imagery in these short poems finds visual expression in the full-page, watercolor paintings, illustrating verse with high spirits and ingenuous charm. Many of the poems use internal rhyme effectively, but the book’s appeal lies in its fluent wordplay and generous use of humor in both the poetry and the paintings.”

Kirkus Reviews: “As in that book (BEAST FEAST), biology and whimsy combine in verse and pictures. Florian’s watercolors match the tone of the verse, bright and funny portraits of individual birds, combining accurate representations with visual puns (the roadrunner has wheels; the nightjar is shown flapping its wings inside a jar). Nonfiction and humor don’t always fit comfortably together, but in this book they become a delightful whole, a sturdy foundation from which to explore the playfulness of language.”

5. CONNECTIONS
After reading the poems, viewing the illustrations, and discussing ON THE WING: BIRD POEMS AND PAINTINGS, read other Douglas Florian poem collections without showing the illustrations. Have the students discuss and/or draw what they think the illustrations for each poem would be. After the students share their illustrations and explain their choices, show the original pictures.

Books to share:
Florian, Douglas. BEAST FEAST: POEMS. ISBN 0152017372
Florian, Douglas. INSECTLOPEDIA. ISBN 0152163352
Florian, Douglas. LIZARDS, FROGS, AND POLLIWOGS. ISBN 0152052488
Florian, Douglas. MAMMALABILIA. ISBN 0152050248
Florian, Douglas. ZOO’S WHO. ISBN 0152046399