Birds on a Wire
One of the things I always try to do with my anthologies and with my writing is try something different with each project. After Pat and I put our silliness on display in Wing Nuts, we decided to try a renga, a traditional form of Japanese poetry that is not well known in the West. Because the renga is a linked poem that is written by a number of poets, it was a perfect form for Pat and me. We loved the back-and-forth experience of writing this book. If you have checked out the sample pages of Birds on a Wire, you can imagine how thrilled we were with the illustrations by Gary Lippincott. They are breathtaking. If you’d like to see more of Gary’s work, drop in for a visit at his website: http://www.garylippincott.com.
The Buzz . . .
"Lewis and Janeczko, both accomplished youth poets, prove just how compelling this form can be, switching voices gracefully and leaping from concrete imagery that works in concert with the artwork to verses that carry more abstract ideas that will fire imaginations . . . This lovely picture book is an impeccable synthesis of text and image . . . that demands and rewards multiple readings, viewings, and contemplations."
— Booklist (starred review)
"Birds on a Wire is a lovely meditative portrait of the ordinary people, pets and places in a small American town, written as a series of spare lyrical poems. [Lewis and Janeczko] do a beautiful job with the call-and-response nature of this form, bringing to life their fictional community with a true eye for details."
— 2008 Parents' Choice Award Winner
