LSSL 5360: Module 3 -- Poetry

Feel the Beat

By Marilyn Singer

1)    BIBLIOGRAPHY

Singer, M., & Valiant, K. (2017). Feel the beat: dance poems that zing from salsa to swing. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.  ISBN 9780803740211

2)    PLOT SUMMARY

In Feel the Beat, Swinger writes this collection of poems around the theme of dances.  Her first set of poems are companion poems that mirror one another and explain that dancing is celebrated and shared around the world.  She then writes poems about various different styles of dance that when read aloud follow the rhythm and beat of the dance.  Several of her poems explain the steps of the dance or the tradition behind the dances.  Throughout her compilation she shares the joy of dance experienced from young to old, and the global impact that dance has made.

3)    CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Staying true to form, Swinger writes her collections of poems around a similar theme, and Feel the Beat’s theme is dance.  She begins with mirrored companion poems that share that dance is a passion shared around the globe, and the illustrations have a mirrored effect as well.  Each of her poems is centered on a certain style of dance, and follows the beat and rhythm of the particular dance through the meter of the poem.  This was evident when I read dances I was familiar with aloud such as the square dance, two-step, waltz, and polka.  Swinger does a phenomenal job of sharing the traditions behind a few of the dances with the Hora and Bhangra, and shares various cultures throughout the book.  There is rhyme scheme in many of her poems, and the lines “no fumbling, no bumbling, my pops it tops at tumbling.  He’s elastic, so fantastic.  Papa’s so gymnastic!” showcases rhyme in the style of hip-hop.  Swinger does an amazing job of incorporating sound throughout her poems with the use of onomatopoeia, and especially with all caps in “Conga.”  The vivid illustrations show the joy of dancing experienced in both the young and old, and accurately depict each style of dance.  At the end of the book readers can learn more about each type of dance, as well as listen to Swinger read her poems aloud with the included CD.  When reading this poem aloud you’ll be sure to put a smile on audience’s faces and have them wanting to get up and dance along!

4)    REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Publisher Weekly’s Review:  “Singer (Miss Muffet, or What Came After) taps into the rhythms of the cha-cha, conga, waltz, and other dances in more than a dozen upbeat poems.  It’s a celebration of the variety and global diversity of dance, and of how it can unite communities.”  (Reviewed 3/7/2017)

Kirkus’ Review:  “The energetic illustrations enliven the poems themselves, embracing varied cultures and costumes and employing a variety of perspectives to highlight the distinctive personality of each dance. Brief notes at the end present basic information about each dance style’s origins and traditional use.”  (Reviewed 11/23/2016)

5)    CONNECTIONS

v This would be a great book to read aloud in a P.E. class before they started a unit on dance.

v This would be great to teach students how to determine what the meter is in a poem.

v Other similar stories:

Swinger, Marilyn.  MIRROR MIRROR:  A BOOK OF REVERSO POEMS  ISBN 9780525479017

Swinger, Marilyn.  A STICK IS AN EXCELLENT THING: POEMS CELEBRATING OUTDOOR PLAY  ISBN 9780547124933

Raczka, Bob.  LEMONADE: AND OTHER POEMS SQUEEZED FROM A SINGLE WORD  ISBN 9781596435414