LSSL 5360 Module 3 Review: This is Just to Say

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sidman, Joyce. 2007. Ill. Pamela Zagarenski. This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness. NewYork: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780618616800

PLOT SUMMARY

This is Just to Say is a collection of poems written by Joyce Sidman, but posed as an anthology by a sixth grade class.  In the two section book, the first contains the apology poems and the second contains pieces in response.  There are a variety of pieces included, ranging from the very silly to the heartbreakingly serious.    

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Sidman’s concept of this book is interesting - creating a fictional story of sorts as a premise for the collection of poems.  The book begins with William Carlos Williams’s poem This is Just to Say posing as a springboard for the fictitious sixth grade class to compose their own poems of apology.  The poems are written with a juvenile tone, so they hit the mark with their target audience.  With the first section containing apology poems and the second section containing response poems, the opportunities for paired pieces abound.  

Pamela Zagarenski’s illustrations are a whimsical variety of mixed media including paper, canvas, and wood, as well as collage and computer graphics.  They add brightness to each poem, fit the content, and add to the overall quirky feel of the book.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

This book is a collection of "sorry poems" and responses, ostensibly (but not always believably) written, illustrated, and collected by a sixth-grade class. Though the poems are not as varied in tone or style as could be desired, they provide intimate, often touching glimpses of relationships by which real classes might be inspired. - The Horn Book, Inc, 2007

CONNECTIONS

Discuss the concept of apology.

Invite children to think or things they might apologize for, no matter how small, and then compose a poem on the topic.