School Library Journal Review
Gr 5 UpWhile both volumes offer a spacious format; a wide variety of poems; and colorful, interpretive illustrations, Sandburg is by far the stronger of the two. Poe suffers from the editor's explanations of what each poem means and from the inclusion of 8 prose passages placed in verse form, along with the 13 legitimate poems. Bagert's commentaries dampen rather than spark the imagination, and the doctored prose creates confusion between Poe's poems and tales. The realistic paintings are of uneven quality; the small vignettes are more effective than the full-page renderings. The 33 poems in Sandburg vary in length and theme, but most are the staples of anthologies, e.g., ``Fog,'' ``Arithmetic,'' and ``We Must Be Polite.'' The surrealistic illustrations, which appear to be rendered in pastels, are appealing; the soft edges and warm tones work well with Sandburg's imagery. Both books include a biographical sketch of the poet, footnotes providing definitions of difficult words, and a title index.Pat Katka, San Diego Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Following its treatment of Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson, Sterling adds two more titles on American masters to the Poetry for Young People series: Carl Sandburg, edited by Frances Schoonmaker Bolin, illustrated by Steven Arcella, and Edgar Allan Poe, edited by Brod Bagert, illustrated by Carolynn Cobleigh. Each poem is accompanied by definitions of difficult words ($14.95 each, 48p, ages 7-up ISBN 0-8069-0818-1; -0820-3 May). (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
An ambitious but not completely successful entry in the Poetry for Young People series (see Bolin, below). The format is admirable: a handsome sampler of poems, with a short introductory essay, unfamiliar words briefly defined in footnotes, and a few prefatory sentences for each poem to establish context and aid interpretation. Fittingly, 13 of Poe's more accessible poems appear here, including ``The Raven,'' ``The Bells,'' ``Eldorado,'' and ``Annabel Lee.'' The volume concludes with passages from short stories, laid out in lines like verse; they highlight Poe's mastery of prose, but, without context, are not otherwise particularly meaningful. A larger concern is the less-than-meticulous presentation of the poems. Readers confronting Poe's unfamiliar diction need all the help they can get; inaccurately reproduced are word choices, order, line layout, punctuation, etc. Bagert does not indicate which standard edition he usedthere may not be onebut even a variorum (ed. by Floyd Stovall, 1965) did not support some questionable usages. In her first book, Cobleigh provides atmospheric art: an arresting picture of ``The Raven,'' a cadaverous ghoul in ``The Bells,'' and a depiction of the narrator of ``The Tell-Tale Heart'' as a deranged Wee Willy Winky. (index) (Poetry. 10+)