Black Stars in a White Night Sky
Awards
- Lion and the Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry
- Best Children's Books 2008 —Kirkus Reviews
- Best Kids Books of the Year —Washington Post
Reviews
"Staid design masks a terrific collection of poetic surprises... Displaying an uncommon ear for sound-play, Lawson also introduces a range of quirky characters... Tjia's monochromatic wash illustrations generally interpret these sparklers literally, but sometimes take imaginative leaps of their own. ...the poet's voice and sensibility are clear and consistent in this above-average gathering."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Lawson has compiled a collection of poetry that spans many topics about life and includes a variety of writing techniques. There is something for everyone from the young to the old in this brilliant work. ... The imagery and language used in many of the poems bring them to life. The illustrations complement Lawson's text beautifully."
—Library Media Connection
"These playful verses pass the true-poetry test: They show the world in a new light As even his titles prove, Lawson likes to turn words and ideas inside out and upside down, roll them around and see what surprises shake out. ... The black-and-white drawing scattered throughout are amusing... For the age group Lawson aims at, that is just as it should be."
—Washington Post (Washington, D.C.)
"Staid design masks a terrific collection of poetic surprises... Displaying an uncommon ear for sound-play, Lawson also introduces a range of quirky characters... Tjia's monochromatic wash illustrations generally interpret these sparklers literally, but sometimes take imaginative leaps of their own. ...the poet's voice and sensibility are clear and consistent in this above-average gathering."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Lawson has compiled a collection of poetry that spans many topics about life and includes a variety of writing techniques. There is something for everyone from the young to the old in this brilliant work. ... The imagery and language used in many of the poems bring them to life. The illustrations complement Lawson's text beautifully."
—Library Media Connection
"These playful verses pass the true-poetry test: They show the world in a new light As even his titles prove, Lawson likes to turn words and ideas inside out and upside down, roll them around and see what surprises shake out. ... The black-and-white drawing scattered throughout are amusing... For the age group Lawson aims at, that is just as it should be."
—Washington Post (Washington, D.C.)
Kirkus Reviews gives JonArno Lawson's newest title, Black Stars in a White Night Sky, a starred review in its January 15, 2008 issue. The review reads:
"Staid design masks a terrific collection of poetic surprises... Displaying an uncommon ear for sound-play, Lawson also introduces a range of quirky characters... Tjia's monochromatic wash illustrations generally interpret these sparklers literally, but sometimes take imaginative leaps of their own. ...the poet's voice and sensibility are clear and consistent in this above-average gathering."Library Media Connection features a review of JonArno Lawson's Black Stars in a White Night Sky in its April/May 2008 issue:
"Lawson has compiled a collection of poetry that spans many topics about life and includes a variety of writing techniques. There is something for everyone from the young to the old in this brilliant work. ... The imagery and language used in many of the poems bring them to life. The illustrations complement Lawson's text beautifully."The February 15, 2008 issue of Booklist reviews JonArno Lawson's Black Stars in a White Night Sky:
"For an older audience than the usual nonsense-verse crowd, this uproarious collection blends slapstick, puns, parodies, and sheer absurdity with lots of wry ideas. At the core is the delicious sound of words and rhymes. ... Grade-schoolers will appreciate the images (“He leaps like spit off a frying pan"), and the irreverence can be thought-provoking (“the path to conformity is different for each person"). Tjia’s surreal art, in black-and-white silhouettes, is as rhythmic and absurd as the verse, which is perfect for reading aloud."