Somnolism and Psycheism Or the Science of the Soul and the Phenomena of Nervation Book

Lee Bennett Hopkins has created an elegant collection of science-related poetry with Spectacular Science: A Book of Poems. Illustrations by Virginia Halstead bring the poems’ content to life in this book for upper elementary readers.

Hopkins chose 15 poems from authors such as Carl Sandburg and David McCord for inclusion in this text. A table of contents guides readers when locating poems, each of which is housed on its own page. The poems appear to be chosen because of their poetic elements and appeal to students. Short in length and with subjects such as dinosaur bones and snowflakes, the content of the poems is interesting to young readers.

Many of the poems use line breaks and spacing in a distinctive manner. ‘Encounter’ by Lillian Moore is an example of a work that has line breaks in every stanza of the poem and uses them to mold the timing of the poem as it is read. Other poetic elements in the book include rhythm, rhyme, and repetition, especially in the poem ‘Dinosaur Bone’ by Alice Schertle and ‘How?’ by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Many of the other poems in Spectacular Science are free verse or complex, which may turn away reluctant readers.

Halstead’s illustrations are the highlight of this text. Using oil paints and colored pencil, the illustrator has created dynamic, slightly abstract artwork that is related to the poem it accompanies. The artwork is the focus of this book; from cover to cover, colorful paintings fill every inch of the pages, with the poems typed in the margins or backgrounds of Halstead’s work. Students will enjoy the colorful, expressive illustrations of this book.

Hopkins’s book is a high quality collection, but it may be too complex for readers who are not interested in poetry to enjoy in one sitting. Many of the poems in the collection are not appropriate for students who have difficulty reading because of the complex poetic elements they include. Students who enjoy poetry will enjoy some of the more complex poems; but all students will enjoy the silly, narrative poems Hopkins included.

Spectacular Science is as much a collection of beautiful paintings as it is a collection of art. Halstead’s colorful illustrations catch reader interest and will be enjoyed by anyone who reads this book. This book is an interesting collection of science poems that teachers can integrate into the science or language arts classroom. Hopkins’ selection of poems may discourage students from reading the book in one sitting, but readers can definitely enjoy the book if used selectively.