Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night

Written by Joyce Sidman

Narrated by Myra Lucretia Taylor

Acclaimed author Joyce Sidman has received multiple awards for her books of poetry, including a Caldecott Honor for Red Sings from Treetops. Itself a Newbery Honor Book, Dark Emperor Other Poems of the Night features several spellbinding poems about "the feast of sound and spark" that awakens with the raccoons, snails, owls, and crickets each night after sunset. "In Sidman's delicious poems, darkness is the norm, and there's nothing to fear but the rising sun."-Publishers Weekly

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 13, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490639031

Joyce Sidman

The Newbery Honor winner and Sibert Medalist Joyce Sidman is today's foremost nature poet for children.  Accolades for her books include two Caldecott Honors, a Lee Bennet Hopkins Award, winner of the Claudia Lews Award, and many stars and best of lists.  For her award-winning body of work, she won the Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. She lives in Wayzata, Minnesota. Visit www.joycesidman.com    

Reviews for Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night

[aharey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful pictures and well written nature poetry. I also liked the information on each page that talks about the animals.

[dipodomy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. Allen’s prints are beautiful and well suited to a dark, nighttime ambiance. Sidman’s imagery is wonderful, she sets the stage with Welcome to the Night (The night’s a sea of dappled dark/the night’s a feast of sound and spark). After that each poem is from the perspective of a different creature or aspect of nighttime and has a unique style. Styles include concrete poetry (Dark Emperor is in the shape of an owl and a mouse), a ballad (Ballad of the Wandering Eft), and an Ubi Sunt (Moon’s Lament). Accompanying each poem and print is an informational paragraph about the topic discussed in the poem including information on a number of sciences including, biology, ecology, mycology and astronomy

[childrenslitpdx · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From the very beginning I was drawn to this book because of the wonderful illustration of the large owl on the front cover, lit up in the glow of the moonlight. What I really liked about this book was that each poem spoke of one specific animal or plant that thrives in the night. As a follow up on the subject of the poem, there is a paragraph on the adjacent page that give more information about the subject and under what conditions it thrives. The poems are smart, a good mixture between rhyming and not, a don't always tell you in so many words what animal the poem is speaking of. This is a great interactive tool with children, to have them guess what animal it is talking about. The illustrations in this book are absolutely amazing. They are engaging and are steeped in details. The art also has a darker, kind of grainy, quality about it that really help set the book within the evening hours. All in all, a very fun read, for both children and adults.

[reallifereading · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman (and these gorgeous woodcuts are done by Rick Allen) is just a sight to behold. Wonderful poems and the absolutely wonderful accompanying woodcut prints, which capture the wild shadows and the “dappled dark” just perfectly.

[rosa.mill · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book of poetry is set up so beautifully. Each two page spread has the same format: a poem on the left, a small illustration of a newt in the bottom left of the page that includes or somehow references the creature featured in the poem and the left page includes a large illustration taking up most of the page showing the nocturnal (or diurnal) creature in it's natural habitat and a column of text that offers further background information on the featured creature. I actually learned a lot of interesting facts that I never thought about before. The individual poems all fit the individual creatures themselves. Some are a little funny, a little scary and a little sad, but to me this book was so much more then the text. It really felt like it was all about how the whole book worked together to create an experience.

[kvelin-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Robust vocabulary integrated among intriguing and ghoulish descriptions of forester creatures.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed most of the poems in this collection of children's poems that focuses primarily on creatures of the night. A couple did not resonate with me at all. While I can understand why the illustrations in the book made it a Caldecott honor book, they are not illustrations in a color palette that really appeals to me. The poems are written at a level that early middle schoolers and even advanced elementary readers can enjoy. The text discussing the poem's focus is not always written at an age-appropriate level to accompany the poem. Some vocabulary terms are things with which even upper middle schoolers may not be familiar. One or two are defined in the accompanying text, and a glossary of terms does appear in the back. I think children who are fascinated by nature and by night will enjoy the book.

[mcnicol_08 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A mysterious and enchanting book of poems of species that roam the night. The reader is able to explore the nocturnal creatures the run the woods.The poetry in this book is creative and whimsical. I love how this a book of poems of nocturnal animals. The night time is a mysterious and forbidden time for children, in which the reader is able to feel a mysterious essence as they read about the wood's night life.A great book of poetry to share with students to study nocturnal species. I love the concept of this book connecting English Language Arts and science.

[khammersla-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As a whole I truly enjoy the art of poetry. Finding the unique thing about each poem is something that makes reading it more fun. The Dark Emperor was one of the most fascinating books that I have read. When I first heard what the book was about I questioned that it would be able to have a whole book on night animal poems, but I was wrong. There were several things that I really liked about this book. The first thing would be the illustrations. They truly captured my attention and were definitely a reason that I enjoyed the book as much as I did. I really love when the text is off to the side and the image takes up both of the pages. This is exactly what this book did. In poetry the words are setting a mood and making you feel something. Having the images be so large and in so much detail helped reader to form the image in their mind of what the author wanted them to see. I enjoyed that there were facts about the different animal being discussed in the poem. I think that it helped the book to have purpose and meaning. When you read a poem you only have so many lines to learn about the animal, but when you have that extra information you are able to learn something and feel like there was a purpose to reading the poem. The raccoon was one of the ones we read about in class after reading the poem and then reading the facts I felt that I actually learned something about the raccoon and enjoyed doing it. Finally I love when the author forms their poem in the shape of the meaning. It is a fun artistic characteristic to writing and it gives the poem a little something extra. In this book it was the poem about the owl. The words in the poem were already so powerful and then the poem was in the shape of the owl, which made the poem have an even stronger sense of emotion. The overall message of the book was all about the night animals. I think that this was a very unique central idea to take on and I think that the author truly did an amazing job at giving all these animals a unique poem that held true to their characteristics.

[kelliemcfadzen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this poem, “Welcome to The Night” mainly for two reasons. This poem was about different senses around the night. One reason I liked the poem was because of its elements. This poem rhymed, and the illustrations were very detailed. It truly expresses how night looks and how it’s supposed to make you feel. Since the poem highlighted raccoons, there was information about them on the side of the page, which is another reason why I liked this poem. This can be helpful for children readers because if they had a question about raccoons, or just wanted to know more about them, they could just look at the information on the side and find out for themselves. The big idea of this poem was what the night feels like, especially to animals. It was to enlighten its readers of the smell, look, and feel of nighttime.

[carriehardesty · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found this poetry book to be very interesting and engaging. My favorite aspect of the book is that certain poems are formed to be in the shape of what they are about. For example, the poem, Dark Emperor, is about owls. The words of the poem are shaped in such a way that the poem resembles an owl. This sets the book apart from other poetry books and makes it exciting and different. I also like the informational sections that are included in the book. The theme of each poem surrounds an animal or plant. Next to each poem, there is an informational section about the animal or plant that is highlighted. Information about owls is placed next to the Dark Emperor poem. This adds another dimension and element of interest to a simple poetry book. The big idea of this story is to highlight a variety of plants and animals.

[kottenbrookk · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This illustrated book of poetry is an enchanting exploration of the nocturnal world that will appeal to children and adults. A journey from dusk to dawn, the poems feature several night-time animals and other elements of nature, from the slow-moving snail to the swift owl, the blooming mushroom, and the moon. Each poem is of a different type, providing an opportunity to teach children the basics of poetry. The language conveys reverence for nature while maintaining a whimsical tone. The poet masterfully uses sound and rhythm to correspond to each poem’s format and subject. The rhymes and other devices are surprising, but never seem forced. Opposite each poem is a woodblock and watercolor illustration that portrays the subject and continues the narrative progression toward morning. The bold black prints are filled in with the colors of twilight - greens, blues, browns and pinks - that elegantly convey the mystical quiet of nighttime. Movement and perspective make the viewer feel as if they are part of the scene. Prose sidebars containing information about each subject accompany the illustrations. Older readers, maybe with the help of a dictionary, could read this book alone, while younger readers will need help from an adult. Dark Emperor is an inspiring introduction to poetry that will leave children and adults ready to explore the woods in search of a newt or two. Highly Recommended. Grades 2-6.

[nfigue1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night is the perfect collection of nocturnal creatures and plants. The imaginative poetry reveals intriguing information of nature. The author graciously welcomes her readers to the nightlife, introducing what occurs while the audience is fast asleep. I truly appreciated the beauty this book reaches to present. The mysteric form, kept me wanting to read on. The collaboration between illustrations and text brought vibrancy to this work. Along with the informing theme, I received the impression the author is attempting to prove to her younger audience the night should not be feared, but appreciated. The last poem in this series signifies this theme. This book is a must have when it comes to expanding one’s collection! Despite being a critic of poetry, I adored the beauty shared.

[kradish-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Again, a lovely book full of poems and explanations about creatures, this time nocturnal woodland animals. Too wordy to read aloud as is, but ripe for plucking bits from for appropriate lessons.

[supendleton · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Although I enjoyed this book of nonfiction/poetry, I liked "The Song of the Water Boatman" more. My favorite poem in he book was "Snail at Moonrise." Sidman includes a glossary of terms in this book as well. The illustrations in this book were beautiful. This was the illustrator's, Rick Allen, first book.

[imandayeh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book of poems begins with a beautiful depiction of sunset in the woods. All the poems are about animals of the night and what happens after sunset. Each poem is a two page spread with a beautiful picture and facts about the animal the poem was about. Sidman uses a variety of rhyming schemes. She uses many different styles of writing my favorite one was about the owl, it was a concrete poem with the words in the shape of an owl. The book ends with a two page spread of sunrise.This book is just brilliant. Good use to introduce children to poetry. I would recommend for grades 1-4.

[cbower6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

9.Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night, By Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen, and published in 2010, is an informational poetry chapter book on the different types of creatures that come out at night in the woods. This book has two pages to each chapter of the animal. On one side of the page is the poem; on the other side is a small illustration of the animal and some facts written about it in a normal style. I liked the descriptive wording of the poems, the illustration, and how simple they made the information seem to the appropriate age group. The poems are written in mostly free verse while describing an animal. In The Cricket Speaks the author describes how a cricket sounds during the night. She describes how the cricket rubs his wings together to make the chirping noise. “The raucous scrape of wing against wing.” Then goes on to describe, in the poem how the cricket makes this noise and why its wings are so important. The illustrations are very captive and show how the cricket uses his camouflage to hide from other animals. It actually took me a while to realize that there were four crickets in the picture. There is a big cricket in the middle then there are three others hidden in the grass. The information to the right of the illustration is written in a way that is very easy for young readers to comprehend and learn from. So many times I have come across a children’s book and the wording seems too advanced for the target audience. The author describes how the cricket can have many different sounds that fill the night air. The author goes into how the sound is called stridulation and how it can reach deafening levels during the mating season. Exploration of the woods at night, animals, and environmental awareness are key elements of this book. The author takes the reader on an exploration of the wilderness at night where the reader gets to know about the animals and what he or she can do to help the environment.

[michaela.bushey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Dark Emperor and Other Poems of he Night" is a beautiful book of poetry about the night and the fascinating creatures that thrive in it. Rick Allen's wooden block print engravings beautifully illustrate the images Joyce Sidman evokes. The artwork in the opening pages depicts sunset, and gradually moves through the book to sunrise on the end pages. The result is a satisfying collaboration of text and illustration through a night in the woods. Sidman employs metaphor, personification, repetition, alliteration, rhyme, and form (including concrete in the title poem) throughout the book's various poems in a way that is fun to read and delightful to listen to. In addition, Sidman includes brief informational blurbs about the focal character in each poem, giving the reader better insight and understanding of the text. In a classroom, this book we be a perfect mentor text in a poetry unit. It could be used to teach descriptive language, imagery, metaphor, personification, alliteration, and more. Sidman's poems are masterfully written and could be quite inspiring to students learning poetry. This book could also be used in a science unit. The exploration of the forest and the nocturnal life inhabiting it would pair nicely with a unit on ecosystems or animal life. The informational blurbs for each poem could spark further exploration of the plant and animal life represented. Overall, this book would be a great resource for any classroom.

[kharri34 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book for several reasons. Firstly, I liked the physical layout of the poems because the author used concrete poetry. For example, the Dark Emperor poem was in the physical shape of an owl. This feature enhanced the meaning of the poem because the reader could view the poem and understand the shape of the animal he or she is reading about. In addition, I liked that all of the poems in the book followed the theme of forest creatures that are out during the night. This was interesting because it was educational while still being and entertaining piece of poetry. For example, in the poem “Welcome to the Night,” the author introduces the theme of the book and portrays the setting in an exciting way. The main idea of this book is that there are many different creatures in the night with their own distinguishing characteristics.

[larasimmons2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I find this a fun introduction to poetry for children. The main point of the book was to serve as a poetry collection that also gives details about nocturnal animals. I like the variety of the book.I like the text set of the book. It is a good introduction to poetry. For example, I like how she includes information about the animals. Another reason I like the book is the different types of poems. She had a concrete poem in the shape of an owl that I enjoyedI like the illustrations. For example, instead of having the whole image be extremely dark the skies were lighter. I found this easier to look at the pictures and be able to see detail. I also like owls, so I am always guaranteed to like things that the include the animals.

[bstove1-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In my opinion, this is a good poetry book for children. One reason I like this book is the author’s writing style. The author uses several rhyming schemes in the poems, which adds interest and is fun for children to follow along with. In the poem, Welcome to the Night, the first two lines rhyme, then the next three, the next four, then the next five. I also like that the author includes a fact page about the animals that the poems are about. For example, on one page there is a fact sheet about snails because the previous poem talks about snails. I think this is good because it is informational, as well as entertaining. The main message of these poems is to appreciate nature.

[samanthathompson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book of poetry for many reasons. The first reason was that each poem had an informational paragraph that was on the right side of the picture. The informational paragraph contained facts about the topic that the poem was about. I liked this feature because it offered a helpful reference for readers who may want to know more about the topic they are reading. It provides a learning opportunity in addition to the chance to read poetry.I also liked the format of the poem "Dark Emperor." This poem was about an owl and was written in the shape of an owl. I really enjoyed reading it because of the format. It helped to clarify what the poem was about and provided a fun and different way to read the poem. The main message of this book is that there are many different types of creatures in the night that are not scary or harmful. These creatures are just trying to live just like humans are.

[abreck2-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

 I think that this is a great book! I like how information is included on each page relative to the topic of the poem. I think that this does a great job of connecting the reader with real-life experiences that relate to the poem. I also like how the phrase, "Welcome to the Night" is repeated throughout the book. I think that this repetition supports the central idea of the book, which is that the night is a mysterious time, especially relative to nature. I also like the author's use of space between words to emphasize the meaning of words. For example, the line, "disregard the tiny hiccup of my heart as I flee," in the poem, "Dark Emperor" is at the right end of the poem and is in a smaller font. I think that by having this line look different than the rest of the poem emphasizes that the "Dark Emperor" is not necessarily a dark person/thing, and that its heart hurts that that is what it is characterized as.

[bphill5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book of poems by Joyce Sidman. One reason I liked it is because of the way she utilized her text to create meaning. For example, in her poem about an owl, the text is in the shape of an owl, which reiterates the main idea of that particular poem. I also liked this book of poetry because Sidman uses such colorful and descriptive language in her poems. This helps readers to create images in their heads and relate the text to what they already know about night or about the animals that she is describing. Also, it helps add to the illustrations. The main idea of this book of poetry is to create poems about the night time.

[ngwiaz1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked the mood and theme of the "Dark Emperors and Other Poems of The Night" book. I thought it was enjoyable to read about creatures, sounds, and actions in the woods at night, and even more-so how they were made into poems. The pattern of the dark blue, green, brown, gray and black colors fit the theme and word choice well. The selected animals such as the owl, deer, and raccoon also signify the night scene and I liked how the illustrator added them to the pages in which they were recognized in because the reader can look at the animal while reading. The poem, "Welcome to the Night" was my favorite because of the adjective and verb selections. The words dappled, flutter, and buzz really add texture and detail to the writing. I like that this book can serve as an informational book as well because the writing is realistic and accurate, also, because there is a short paragraph about each subject of the poem. This helps reinforce the meaning of each poem.The major theme of this particular book of poetry is what happens at night in the woods. I appreciated that the author didn't focus solely on animals but on the environment as well. For example, the sky, moon, and plants. As mentioned, the informational aspect adds to the theme of the woods. As a reader, I immediately thought of camping and I think other readers can make a connection to the realistic sounds and setting if they have been camping as well.

[rnelson12-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great book that takes a look at nature and the animals that live within the region.

[claireforhan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a book full of beautifully written poems about animals that come out at night. In addition to each poem, there is a sidebar that provides a brief factual description of the animal (or object) the poem is about. Teaching Extension:Use in a poetry unit, this is a great example of taking one's interest (the author loves the night) and developing poems about them, with a nonfiction aspect as well.

[kimjd_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful on every level: each poem is a delectable treat to be savored; the richly colored relief prints of Rick Allen complement the poems wonderfully; and the informational blocks on each page give fascinating tidbits about nocturnal life. This is a true celebration of a book.

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A stunningly illustrated, excellent collection of poems about creatures of the night

[scote23 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful illustrations and I learned some fun facts about nighttime creatures. Sometimes I wonder who the audience of the book is, with the beautiful illustrations, poetry and facts, some of which are a tad complex. I'm sure it will find that audience though.