Review: This is Just to Say by Joyce Sidman

This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness by Joyce Sidman

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sidman, Joyce. 2007. This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness. Ill. by Pamela Zagarenski. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780618616800

2. PLOT SUMMARY

This is Just to Say is a book of poetry written by students at fictional Florence Scribner School. Anthony K., sixth grader in Mrs. Merz’s class, introduces a book of poems written by himself and his classmates apologizing to people or things in their life. Part one includes the apologies written by the class and part two has responses to the original poems. All of this was inspired by William Carlos Williams’ “This is Just to Say”, read during the class poetry unit.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Sidman has created a charming poetry book about the emotions surrounding apologies and the reasons for seeking forgiveness. Each poem is constructed in a different font and organized in different ways to differentiate the personalities of the children “writing” them. There is no strict format or style of poetry consistent throughout the book. Almost all the apology poems are written from the student’s point of view, and each have a definite emotional impact. Some of the most heartbreaking are “Next Time” written by Jewel to her father, and “Spelling Bomb” by Anthony to his mother. The rhythm is different for each poem, as is the language used. Occasionally the editor, Anthony K., makes notes on the poem to include additional details for the reader. While many of the poems pack an emotional punch, others fall flat. An adult writing poetry from the point of view of a child makes me uncomfortable, and pulls me out of the poem.

Pamela Zagarenski created magnificent illustrations using mixed media on paper canvas and wood. She also incorporates computer graphics to embellish the illustrations and make them stand out. One of the cleverest things Zagarenski does is use dictionary pages in her illustrations. A girl’s skirt or boys pants have the definition for “apology” written on them. Each page has a different background color to distinguish the poems from one another. It appears as through the illustrations are designed to look like they were made by the authors of each individual poem, to maintain the illusion of the book being a class project for a 6^th grade class.  Zagarenski indicates on the book jacket that she used any items kids might have laying around to make sketches on for the poems, and her approach contributes to the emotional impact of the poems.

A major issue for me is the organization of the poems. One half of the book has poems of apology and the last half has poems of forgiveness. The poems of apology would have more impact if they were immediately followed by the poems of apology. It felt awkward to flip back and forth from the apology poem to the forgiveness poem as I was reading. But despite that small issue, This is Just to Say would be wonderful for children of all ages to read.

4. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book

Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee 2003-2004

Cybils Poetry Award

Claudia Lewis Poetry Award

IRA Teacher's Choice Book

North Carolina Junior Book Nomination

New York Public Library's "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing"

School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

Book Links Lasting Connection Book

Review in Publisher’s Weekly: “The poems successfully navigate the complicated terrain for those who seek forgiveness. But the book's odd organization seems a missed opportunity to tie the well-wrought, corresponding poems together and reinforce the complex relationships between the characters.”

Starred review in School Library Journal: “Zagarenski's delicately outlined collage drawings and paintings are created on mixed backgrounds–notebook paper, paper bags, newspaper, graph paper, school supplies. This is an important book both for its creativity and for its wisdom.”

5. CONNECTIONS
* Use Houghton Mifflin’s Poetry Kit, developed and available for teachers and librarians to use with Joyce Sidman’s poetry books: http://www.joycesidman.com/teachers.html

* Sidman has also developed a reader’s guide for This is Just to Say: http://www.joycesidman.com/thiisjusttosayTG.html

* Using This is Just to Say as an example, have students write their own poems of apology to someone/something and ask for a poem of forgiveness in return.

* Other books on apology and forgiveness:

Levine, Gail Carson. Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems. ISBN 9780061787256