Poetry: DANITRA BROWN LEAVES TOWN

Bibliography




Grimes, Nikki. 2002. Danitra Brown Leaves Town. Ill. by Floyd Cooper. New York, NY: Harper Collins. ISBN 0-688-13155-7









Plot Summary

Zuri and her best friend Danitra plan to thoroughly enjoy summer, but when Danitra goes on vacation, Zuri doubts summer will be at all worthwhile. Letters, written in free verse, between the two girls reveal that each girl manages quite well. Zuri makes a new friend and takes advantage of all the fun the neighborhood has to offer. Danitra delights in the new experiences of her country life and the connections she makes with extended family. Ultimately, they realize that their friendship and summer can survive separation.

Critical Analysis

The rhythm of Danitra Brown Leaves Town allows for successful reading aloud and replicates the flow of natural language. Grimes successfully uses rhyme, often internally, to enhance the rhythm without creating a "sing-song" effect. Her imagery is vivid; she portrays the night sky as "a thick overcoat all buttoned up with stars". Children will relate to the subjects of friendship and missing someone close.

Floyd Cooper paints soft illustrations in rich warm hues to evoke memories of summer time. The beauty of his work lies in the individuality of the people portrayed. The family grouping pictured for the poem, "Danira's Family Reunion" provides an excellent example. Faces, skin tones, and hair styles are varied, and the expressions offer a glimpse into each personality.

Review Excerpt

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: "An uplifting contemporary spin on the town mouse and the country mouse, this is a natural for an end-of-semester readaloud or independent summer reading."

Kirkus Reviews: "Grimes's poems read and flow well, and Cooper's paintings simply burst with energy and expressiveness."





Connections



Discuss the qualities of friendship. Discussion prompts, activities, and writing extensions for older students can be found at: http://www.goodcharacter.com/BCBC/Friendship.html.

Before summer vacations begin, re-read the first poem, "Big Plans" discuss children's favorite things about summer and have them write and illustrate a poem of their own.