Review: TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS by Kristine O'Connell George

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
George, Kristine O’Connell. 2001. Toasting Marshmallows. Ill. by Kate Kiesler. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 061804597X

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Kristine O’Connell George presents an appealing collection of poems about camping in her book, Toasting Marshmallows. The book begins with a poem about setting up the tent upon arrival at the campsite, follows through many adventures of camping, and ends with a poem about packing the camping shirt away until next time. The brilliant oil paintings of Kate Kiesler add to the outdoor “feel” created by the poems.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
George uses wonderful adjectives to describe the events and scenery that surround the campsite. Each part of the camping experience is elaborated with beautiful imagery such as “a confetti of birds” in “Rain Dance” and “pale fish swimming blind up black passages in this alien underground land” in “Cave.” She captures the essence of the child’s emotions when she tells about the warmth that can only come from leaning “against Mom, my head on her shoulder.” Again, in “Two Voices in a Tent at Night” George taps into the anxious feeling that fills a child (and sometimes an adult) when “something” is scratching on the outside of the tent. Although George chooses to rarely incorporate rhyming words into her poems, just the rhythm of the words help the verses to easily flow off the reader’s tongue.

The beautiful illustrations add to the elucidations of nature presented in the poetry. The starry nights, creatures of the woods, flowers and trees, and flowing waters make the reader feel as though he or she has been invited to go along on the campout. Furthermore, the innocence and wonder expressed in the faces of the children can’t help but add to the beauty of the verses and the experience as a whole.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
HORN BOOK GUIDE review: “The pleasure and surprise of going camping are conveyed in eighteen brief poems. . . .Richly colored paintings enhance the verses.”
KIRKUS review: “The changing layout of each page gives a sense of surprise to the most ordinary of events…”

5. CONNECTIONS
Transform the classroom into a camp ground by creating tents out of blankets, campfires out of paper and flashlights and encouraging children to bring their sleeping bags. Then share the poems in this book with a CD of nature sounds in the background.

Have each child choose his/her favorite poem out of the book. Students will then illustrate their chosen poem without looking at the illustrations in the book.

Share other books about camping adventures such as:
Ruurs, Margriet. When We Go Camping. ISBN 0887766854
James, Helen Foster. S is for S’mores: A Camping Alphabet. ISBN 1585363022