Book In Brief: The Wishing Bone
The Wishing Bone and Other Poems Written by Stephen Mitchell. Illustrated by Tom Pohrt.
Publishing Information:
Published by Candlewick Press, March 1, 2003. Hardback dimensions measure 7.6 x 0.56 x 10.2 inches
Awards Won:
Winner of the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award for 2004. A Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year. New England Book Show Award Winner
Story or Concept Theme:
A collection of long, whimsical poems for children.
Target Audience/Age:
8-11 years.
Narrative Plot
As a book of poetry, there is no narrative plot. The longer poems have individual narratives, in which things that are seen as problems are revealed to be much less shocking than first appeared. In structure, the longer poems are spaced out by shorter poems that have a more ‘nursery rhyme’ feel.
Coherence/relation between text + visual pictures:
Pohrt’s illustrations depict specific moments mentioned in the text of each poem. Illustrations are often on facing pages or between stanzas, with some smaller illustrations in the margins. Pohrt’s facial expressions are extremely nuanced, especially for animals.
Storytelling techniques used:
Aside from the obvious rhyme and rhythm, this book uses tension in a really exciting way, and its candid voice in the first two poems (When I Grow Up and The Wishing Bone) establishes an emotional connection and sense of trust with the reader.
Physical structure/design:
Physical copy has 56 pages. The text is set in a serif font. There are 2 two-page spreads.
Brief assessment of the book's quality:
I’ve been trying to use books that are new to me for this log, but this is an all-time favorite that I never see recognized, so I couldn’t resist. This book is really special. The poems are whimsical without being childish. They fit easily into a child’s understanding of the world, and how they’ll grow to understand it. It has a very classic sensibility, without feeling old-fashioned or outdated.
Brief assessment of potential use of book with young readers, if applicable:
This book suffers because most of the poems are so long. I could see a couple of them (When I Grow Up, The White Rhinoceros, The Perpetual Numbers Song) being used in a storytime. I can also see them being used in a lesson on poetry and rhyme schemes.
Brief assessment of the book's appeal to potential readers:
Unfortunately, this book is written for an age group that is typically not interested in poetry. Children who are big readers might enjoy it (especially older children who like fantasy stories), but as poetry is sorted with nonfiction, they probably wouldn’t find it unless they were looking for poetry specifically. I can imagine a caregiver getting this if they have children in a broad age range.