Lewis, J. Patrick. A BURST OF FIRSTS: DOERS, SHAKERS, AND RECORD
BREAKERS. Ill. by Brian Ajhar. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2001. ISBN 0803721080
A BURST OF FIRSTS is a
collection of poems for children about record-breakers and first-time
achievers. The picture book compilation
by Patrick Lewis and illustrated by Brian Ajhar celebrates accomplishments big
and small, such as the world’s largest bubble-gum bubble, the original creation
of blue jeans, and the first person to survive plunging over Niagara Falls in a
barrel.
Patrick Lewis has created
a collection of poetry that will delight and entertain young readers, while
also teaching them about many American achievers and history-makers. Lewis uses catchy rhythm to craft poems that
are fun to read and encourages children to visit them over and over again. His creative use of rhyme and repetition will
also appeal to children, such as in the poem “The Biggest Bubble-Gum Bubble
Ever Blown.” This engaging tale about a
record-breaking bubble blower quips, “So she took out some gum/and she started
to chew/And to chew and to chew./(Like a panda bear munching/A stalk of
bamboo.)” The poetry begs to be read
aloud with the same enthusiasm and excitement of the “doers and shakers” it
portrays. Lewis spotlights many icons in
our country, such as Neil Armstrong, Michael Jordan and Elvis Presley, and has helpfully
included a line at the start of each poem that details the name and date of the
achievement. A BURST OF FIRSTS uses
carefully considered language to convey the many moods and tones of the various
poems, such as the silly cheer for pizza in “#1 Lunch Choice of School Kids,”
the dignified account of the “First Recorded 6,000-Year-Old Tree in America,”
and the touching story of Ruby Bridges learning the harsh reality that “nothing
is ever simply BLACK and WHITE.” A BURST
OF FIRSTS showcases a wide mix of historical figures under its theme of “doers,
shakers and record breakers,” and does so in a poetry collection that is clever
enough to captivate children.
Brian Ajhar’s mixed media
illustrations add color and whimsy to this poetry compilation. He uses paint, glaze, pencil and airbrush to
create muted portraits and scenes to accompany each poem. Ajhar’s characters are exaggerated and
cartoon-like, depicting Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin as kangaroos hopping
around the moon and Muhammad Ali as a stoic bumblebee with his four gloved
hands raised in victory. The
illustrations in A BURST OF FIRSTS add dimension to the poems, with layers of
shadowy pterodactyls soaring across “First Time the Sound Barrier Was Broken”
and a crowd of blue spectators marveling at Jackie Robinson’s dashing run to
home plate. Readers with an especially
keen eye will also notice that Ajhar has cleverly hidden the floating bubble of
the book’s first star, Sue Montgomery Wilson, in each picture. While the illustrations can be a little
washed out and gloomy at times, Ajhar balances the many moods of Lewis’ poetry
with his colorful and detailed artwork.
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
notes that “Lewis celebrates remarkable and wacky events and endeavors” and
that the book “works so well because it shows kids how a ‘simple’ poem can
celebrate a great achievement-and that it is part of the poet’s achievement to
make it seem great.” KIRKUS REVIEWS
praises the collection, stating “Readers will sail just as lightly (as Sue
Montgomery Williams) through this gallery of achievers, marveling as they go.” A BURST OF FIRSTS is a fun poetry compilation
that will appeal to young doers and shakers who dream of reaching their own
history-making milestones someday soon.
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Students reading A BURST OF FIRSTS will enjoy coming up with their own "firsts" they can accomplish at school, such as the first class to read 100 books or the first student to stand up all day during school. Children can come up with their own achievements and write poems describing their accomplishments.
Children can also hunt for Brian Ajhar's hidden bubble-gum bubble in each illustration, and then create their own artwork with Sue and her bubble floating secretly inside.
For more poetry by Patrick Lewis, check out:
PLEASE BURY ME IN THE LIBRARY, By Patrick Lewis, Illustrated by Kyle M. Stone, ISBN 0152163875
DOODLE DANDIES: POEMS THAT TAKE SHAPE, By Patrick Lewis, Illustrated by Lisa Desimini, ISBN 0689848896
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