Module 14: Castles: Old Stone Poems by Rebecca Kai Dotlich and J. Patrick Lewis

Book Summary: A collection of poems and beautiful artwork about different castles around the world and one imaginary castle.

APA Citation: Dotlich, R. K., Lewis, J. P. & Burr, D. (Illustrator). (2006). Castles: old stone poems. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong.

Impressions: I love castles. I love visiting them, learning about their history, and imagining what life would have been like to live in them when they were needed as places of defense or were homes to royalty. So when I saw this book on our reading list, I had to read it.

I was not disappointed in the artwork. Each castle was portrayed beautifully with large, soft drawings. They are pictures that could be pored over, spending time noticing different details. I also enjoyed the poems, which had different styles of poetry to give pieces of history about the castles. I would liked to have seen more, but I think this book works well for a small collection of poetry for a younger audience.

It is an enjoyable read but not one that I would feel the urge to share with others unless they purposely asked for a recommendation about castles and poetry. It seems like it would be a hard niche to find but maybe not because I was excited to read it.

Some of the poetry might be a little difficult for younger readers to follow. I think they make more sense if the reader has a background knowledge about the castles. I would say the artwork is much more well-done than the poems when it comes to audience level.

Professional Review: Adopting similar tones and voices, two poets exchange generally somber observations in verse about 15 stone castles and palaces, plus a “Castle in the Air” from Viking legend. From “Mysterious Bodiam Castle, / Floating upon a pond” in East Sussex to Hearst Castle, occupied by “Sir Prince of Print,” each castle has a distinctive character, and receives a tribute laced with historical allusions. Included are Anne Boleyn’s sad end in the Tower of London, Leonardo da Vinci’s staircase in France’s elegant Chambord, Dracula’s (“The Count who loved to take blood counts / In very, verylarge amounts”) supposed connection to Romania’s Bran Castle, Richard II’s imprisonment in Austria’s Dürnstein and so on. Though readers who want detailed views of each fortress will have to look elsewhere, Burr sets the poems into spread-sized scenes of realistically depicted knights in armor, richly appointed chambers, dim stone passages and glimpses of looming walls or ruins, all of which strongly enhance the overall Romantic atmosphere. Dreamers will latch on to the poems and pictures; for young historians, the poets close with prose notes, a timeline and a robust reading list. (Poetry. 8-10)

Kirkus Review. (2006). [Review of the book Castles: old stone poems by R.K. Dotlich and J.P. Lewis]. Kirkus Review. Retrieved May 5, 2015 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/j-patrick-lewis/castles/. 

Library Uses: This could be used during Poetry Month as a way to read aloud poetry and discuss different poetry styles. It could be used in a class for ages 10-16 to have them read the poetry and then write their own poetry based on a location that means something to them.