More than 1/2 of these poems are from [b:I thought I heard the city|15758892|I thought I heard the city|Lilian Moore|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344554644s/15758892.jpg|21457958]. And I didn't care for the illustrations at all (though, from a kid's perspective, they're probably better than those in the older book).

Still, I'm glad this was published, and there are some gems. Moore is reliably good, often excellent. Insightful & provocative, graceful, and still clear & accessible.

As with all the best short poetry, these are best read aloud, or at least sotto voce. Consider:

I breathe the freshly laundered air of after-rain."

No obvious alliteration or rhythm, but can't you hear the imagery better if you lift the words from the page?

I think my favorite poem is

_*Forsythia Bush*_

There is nothing
quite
like the sudden
light

of
forsythia
that
one morning
without warning

explodes
into yellow
and
startles the street
into spring.

A contender for favorite is

_*City Moon*_ that closes with "a pale moon rises and hopes to be noticed."" ( )

Mural on Second Avenue and Other City Poems includes simple poetic observations of big city life. For the most part poems do not include heavy use of rhyme, but rather at most within an 18 line poem, half of the lines will rhyme. Other poems do not rhyme at all. Poetic themes include urban elements such as buses, pigeons, and trips to the park. The poems progress through the seasons beginning with winter. The illustrations add as much to the feel of the book as the text. They are detailed, rich oil paintings featuring apartment buildings, rooftops, and enormous bridges. If for no other reason, the book should be viewed for its magnificently telling illustrations. Recommended ages: 4-8. ( )

Moore, Lilian. (2005) Mural on Second Avenue and Other City Poems. Illustrated by Roma Karas. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

This poetry book contains many poems based on the experiences of a kid in the city. These poems do not rhyme but are very descriptive and conjure images of the very things that they describe. The language is appropriate to a child living in a city but would also be great to help other kids picture city life. Poems such as "Construction" describe how the "giant mouth" of a tractor eats up rocks as they watch a skyscraper being built. The illustrations in this book make it more appealing to kids, especially because many kids associate poems with rhymes and this book doesn't have any. ( )

Personal Response - Urban, contemporary, and a fresh perspective on life in the inner city.

Curriculum - Teachers could use this book to introduce rich vocabulary and techniques of detailed description to students 8 and up.

From Booklist
Gr. K-2. The joys of city life are extolled in a book whose charm lies in simple observations: "Wake / gently this morning / to a different day. Listen." The book begins on a morning so snowy, the buses have stopped, no sirens howl. A boy looks out his window at buildings with roofs so thick with snow that they seem frosted. The city's signature is structures: apartment buildings, "roofscapes," buildings under construction. But the parks are green, and there are pigeons. And no city can withstand the seasons. During a summer rain storm, "light / dazzles / like a washed windowpane, / and I beat the freshly laundered air of after-rain." There's no real follow through from one poem to another, but children will get the feel of the city and its delights from both the word pictures and the substantial artwork. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved ( )