Mr. Ferlinghetti's Poem - Hardcover

David Frampton has been writing and illustrating books for young readers for thirty years. Some of his honored works include The Whole Night Through (HarperCollins), My Son John written by Jim Aylesworth (Henry Holt), Rhyolite written by Diane Siebert (Clarion), and At Jerusalem’s Gate written by Nikki Grimes (Eerdmans). David Frampton lives in Apex, North Carolina.

PreSchool-Grade 3–Frampton's exuberant pictures match well with an equally vivacious poem. A few introductory pages set the scene, showing a bit of what life was like in New York City long ago, including such novelties as doctors making house calls and children lying on the floor listening to the radio. Then, a short poem by the beat icon Lawrence Ferlinghetti appears, an account of that summer in Brooklyn/when they closed off the street/one hot day/and the/FIREMEN/turned on their hoses.... A joyous gathering then takes place, with kids running out and practically flying into the air on the cold streams of water. Or is the narrator's memory helped along by a healthy imagination? How many youngsters were really there? Did it just seem like a big party, or was it really just the one boy and his friend Molly sailing paper boats in the water that's spilled into the gutter? Frampton's signature woodcuts are wonderful, balancing cool and warm colors, and also managing to look both blocky and fluid at the same time. An artistic tribute by an obvious fan of the poet.–Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
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