Handsprings by Douglas Florian

Handsprings is a delightfully breezy look at the season of Spring. This brightly illustrated anthology of 29 poems easily evokes the feelings and activities associated with Spring. The title of the book itself is a play on words, as are the author's other anthologies devoted to the seasons: "Winterize", "Summersaults", and "Autumnblings". As with his other anthologies, Douglas Florian has illustrated the book, which gives him the opportunity to connect the pictures and poems more completely.

This poetry anthology is comprised of many different types of poetry. There are many instances of end rhyme and alliteration, which makes theses poems a perfect choice for out-loud reading. The meter of the poems differ, and meter is used expertly to reinforce the meaning of the poem. There are only a few free verse poems in the anthology, which makes for more appropriate reading to a younger audience, and several visual poems that are appealing to the eye. The illustrations extend the poem's meaning, and should not be missed!

I like the easiness of these poems. This was my first Douglas Florian book to read, and I am anxious to read the other volumes in his seasons anthologies. His poems have breezy rhythm, and roll off the tongue when read aloud. I devoured this book in a matter of minutes, and would like to have seen him double the amount of poems in this book. The book went by too fast! This book is appropriate for Kindergartner's through adults.

Key Words:
frigid, plentiful, centigrade, larches, musty, daydreaming, chartreuse