Insectlopedia
Florian, Douglas. Insectlopedia. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1998. ISBN: 9780152013066
Critical Analysis:
This insect themed collection of poems is crawling with details and factual information about creatures of all kinds. Florian has taken twenty one common insects and created poems and paintings that together teach the reader facts about each interesting and unique species. From the caterpillar who “eats leaves to fill her, and leaves her like a faterpillar”, to the praying mantis that will “sit and pray for something big to wend my way” while the whole time waiting no other way, but “Religiously”. Florian’s careful selection in rhyming vocabulary is not only scientific, but comical at times.
Florian has thoughtfully created a collection that is creepy and crawly, just like its subject matters, from what the words actually say, to the arrangement of the text on each page. It is evident that Florian had his audience of elementary school children in mind, just by looking at the uniqueness of each poem. The phrasing of The Inchworm seems to be inching along the page in an arch that cleverly represents an inchworm itself, while The Whirligig Beetles text has been written in a circle as if it was left behind by a whirligig in motion. The length of the poems may be short and simple, but Florian’s choosy words and phrasing prove to be meaningful and poignant. Florian took extra care in making sure that the paintings were a perfect fit for the poem they were bringing to life. The imagery that the reader sense from within the words is present within the painting that it has been coupled with. Students and teachers will become entomologists in training as they explore Florian’s poems and learn all about insect species of all kinds!
POEM SPOTLIGHT
The Monarch Butterfly
He is a monarch.
He is a king.
He flies great migrations.
Past nations he wings.
He is a monarch.
He is a prince.
When blackbird’s attack him,
From poison they wince.
He is a monarch.
He is a duke.
Swallows that swallow him
Frequently puke.
Douglas Florian
Analysis:
In a collection of poems all about insects, lies one poem that represents the beauty found within nature in a Monarch butterfly. This twelve line poem, although short and simple, shares facts about the life and obstacles of a monarch butterfly in great detail. Florian opens reader’s eyes to a new concept in relation to this extraordinary creature, the fact that he is a monarch possessing royalty. One of the most intriguing lines of this poem is when Florian says, “He flies great migrations. Past nations he wings”, as Florian has introduced students to the concept of migration. The reader is able to use imagery as they contemplate the long distance flight that a monarch butterfly takes part in as it flies “past nations”. The painting that Florian has coupled with this particular poem is bright and vibrant, in hues of orange and black, the perfect color choice when representing the Monarch. The image of the butterfly is symmetrical and realistic, but also appears to resemble a crown as it relates to Florian’s mention of being “a king”. This poem provides a great introduction for students to a unique insect that has so much to offer in the scientific study of living things.
Classroom Connections:
The Monarch butterfly has become an important part of many elementary school science lessons as teachers use it as an example to teach lifecycles, migration patterns, and adaptations. This poem would serve as a great resource in introducing readers to their new science unit.
Before the unit begins the teacher could read the poem to the students and have them think about what animal they think they will be learning and observing.
Although the poem shares some interesting facts about the Monarch butterfly, there are still many facts that students could learn. Students will keep a fact journal as they observe the lifecycle of the Monarch. Students will also learn more about how the Monarch “flies great migrations” as they study the migration of the Monarch through the Journey North resources and program @ http://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/.
As a culminating activity, students will use their observation to add two more facts to the poem.
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