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    Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices
    Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices
    Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices
    Audiobook19 minutes

    Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices

    Written by Paul Fleischman

    Narrated by Barbara Caruso, John McDonough, Christina Moore and Jeff Woodman

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    About this audiobook

    Grasshoppers, waterstriders, and fireflies light up the pages of this rib-tickling book of poetry for two voices. Written as spirited duets, the poems ring with the love songs of book lice, the serenades of moths, and a choir of cicadas. Each one is a treat, filled with busy insect life. In addition to the voices of these frisky critters, there are also fascinating tidbits about their lives and habits. The digger wasp lays eggs underground, musing that it will never see their generation. Joyful Noise is a marvelous concoction of music and imagery, sound and sense, brilliantly narrated by four of Recorded Books, Inc.'s most gifted readers. Paul Fleischman, an award-winning author of children's books, has received critical acclaim for this collection of poems. Joyful Noise is an ALA Notable Children's Book, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and a Newbery Medal Winner. It won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction/Poetry, it was selected for The Horn Book Fanfare Honor List, and was designated a Notable Children's Trade Book in the Language Arts by the NCTE.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMar 30, 2012
    ISBN9781464043543
    Author

    Paul Fleischman

    Paul Fleischman's novels, poetry, picture books, and nonfiction are known for innovation and multiple viewpoints. He received the Newbery Medal for Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices and a Newbery Honor for Graven Images, and he was a National Book Award finalist for Breakout. His books bridging the page and stage include Bull Run, Seek, and Mind's Eye. For the body of his work, he's been the United States nominee for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award. He lives in California. www.paulfleischman.net.

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    Reviews for Joyful Noise

    4/5

    239 ratings29 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Fireflies is a poem written with the intent of having two voices read the poem aloud. The poem is divided into two columns in which, at times, readers read separately and together. The poem utilizes alliteration, imagery, personification, and simile. I found the poem to be very carefully written so that when read aloud, the audience experiences a certain harmony of words. I believe this is a wonderful text to introduce read-aloud poetry and to identify figurative language.
    • 5/5
      This was absolutely wonderful. I loved it, but I also didn't read it alone. These poems are meant to be read aloud with others. They're musical and delightful and I highly recommend it.
    • 4/5
      A new way to look at insects and poetry. Poetry written for 2 to read aloud. Even with shared lines, there might be a different point of view. Lovely choice of words (fireflies flickering flitting flashing).
    • 3/5
      This is a Newbery winner, a collection of poems for two voices about bugs. I wish there had been more rhyme and meter in these poems, but it is a fun book to read aloud with others. I'm not sure how many kids would actually like reading this.
    • 3/5
      2 students or 2 groups of students can read the poems at the same time (different lines for each that come together beautifully). Nice for building fluency and to just enjoy poems instead of analyzing them to death (which I'm wont to do anyway).
    • 4/5
      Joyful Noise is a poetry book that can creatively be used in the classroom. The text of the poems are simple, yet impactful. The poems are meant to be read by two voices or two groups. There are sounds that are emphasized throughout each poem that give off the imitation of the insect the poem is resembling. The pictures are not elaborate. This book would be great in a classroom of middle-aged children.
    • 3/5
      Summary:Joyful Noise contains a collection of poems which describe the characteristics of a variety of insects. The collection is written to be read aloud by two readers at the same time. Review:Joyful Noise won the Newbery Medal in 1989. The book shows the relation of two points of view through the genre of poetry. The "two voices" aspect is easily construed as the poems specify that they should be read aloud by two separate readers.
    • 3/5
      The poem Book Lice, is about two different lice, that are two different genders, jumping from one book to another. Although they liked different books, opposites do attract. What they had in common was books, and they could connect that way.
    • 4/5
      Such an interesting and delightful collection of verse. I love how commonplace creatures like fireflies, butterflies, and other insects are celebrated and glorified by beautiful words. I really appreciate the "two voices" aspect - could definitely use this for choral reading activities during my poetry unit.
    • 4/5
      If ever a book screamed "Integrate me into your biology class!", this is it. Meant to be read aloud by at least two, but quite feasible for choral reading. Pick a poem, read aloud, analyze for the usual elements of poetry. Also glean the science info from the text and hook into background knowledge. I would toy with using a poem both prior to and after studying an insect. Drama and musical extensions possible.Age level - upper elementary and above
    • 4/5
      I liked Paul Fleischman's " Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices" illustrated by Eric Beddows. I really enjoed the Beddows pencil drawn illustrations which are cartoonish but still anatomically correct. The drawings accompanying "Honeybees" with the Queen relaxing on couch while the worker bees lug pails of honey on the next page emphasize the contrasting viewpoints of these two voices of the poem, as the workers describe their plight and the queen describes her pampered life. I enjoyed the poem The Book Lice as two lice describe the books the they've read, how they honeymooned in a book guide of Greece, and how the female louse enjoys mysteries while the male prefers poetry. The poetry's theme is the idea of insects having voice and experiences having two readers recreate these emotions through companion poetry.
    • 4/5
      This book was written for two people to read different poems. The point of this book, according to the author, was to re-create the many different insects make. Paul Fleischman did a good job with the paintings and drawings of the insects that were in this book. I'm not that big on poetry, but this was a n interesting book to read. My first grade nephew even enjoyed it. I would use this book in my classroom as a science lesson over the different kids of insects there are. Kids at a young age enjoy learning about bugs, so this book was perfect. The poems were also really good, and I enjoyed them! I would have my students get in groups of two and think of a but they like, and have them try and come up with a poem to write about their insect they picked out.
    • 4/5
      Read this for Children's Mat and really enjoyed it. Lots of fun with poetry and a great book for classrooms and read alouds
    • 5/5
      Children's Book Review #1Fleischman, Paul. Title: Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices. New York: Harper Trophy, 1988Characters: Grasshoppers, water striders, mayflies, honeybeesSetting: Gardens, trees, sky, pondTheme: Nature, time, Spring, life, familyGenre: PoetryGolden Quote: "We're mayflies by the millions, fevered, frenzied, rushed. No Redwood's centuries to squander as we please." Summary: Readers can spend a moment of time being a bee, a grasshopper, fireflies, or booklice! Experience the plight of mayflies as they explain that they live only for one day. Fireflies compare themselves to artists in flight, while moths serenade porch lights, and digger wasps lament about how a mother will prepare for her offspring, taking great care, knowing that they will never get to see her alive. Audience: Children aged 8-12, middle school, and early high schoolCurriculum: Figurative language: personification, onomatopoeia, similes, metaphorsAwards: 1989 Newbery MedalPersonal Response: I found this book to be very unusual in style, but very fun, and interesting at the same time. It is intended to be read by two readers at a time, each reader taking on a "character." Readers speak independently and together at various times in the poems, which helps to create a sort of acting out atmosphere. I loved that the characters and topics were insects, and thing that lots of children and young middle schoolers would truly enjoy practicing getting the timing just right on these poems. I would bet that it would be fun and challenging for students to develop their own two voice poems as well.
    • 5/5
      What is most fascinating about the poems within this book is that they are all meant to be read with other people. I think that this makes these poems awesome for the classroom setting. You could use one of these poems to not only teach an unconventional approach to poetry but also use it as an opportunity to create a series of group activities where students will have to collaborate and practice with one another, in order to read the poem out loud. This poem offers a lot of great possibilities that I would not have thought of if I didn't read it . I totally want to use this for a lesson!
    • 4/5
      A lovely collection of poems and the Newbery Award winner of 1989, this book is made to be read aloud by two people as in a musical duet to "verbally recreate the booming/boisterous/joyful noise of insects". This one was recommended by Linda (Whisper1), who said it was just as fun to read alone, and I have to agree with her. The book is illustrated with beautiful pencil illustrations by Eric Beddows throughout and is a companion to [I Am Phoenix] by the same team, also for two voices, which "celebrates the sound, the sense, the essence of birds."
    • 4/5
      The poems in this collection are whimsical and evocative of the insects described. Perhaps the most important thing to note about these poems is that they should be read aloud by two people - the full effect of the sound and combination really requires it. These poems would offer a perfect choice for short performances.
    • 5/5
      Great book to use in a classroom setting.
    • 5/5
      Having got it out of the library originally, I actually went and bought a copy of this book. I love it! The concept of poems written to be read by two people simultaneously is really cool, the poems are so much fun to read aloud, and the illustrations are beautiful – anthropomorphized insects that manage to be still buggy and not too cute. Some of the poems are quite a challenge to read aloud – you need good rhythm, some practice, and a sense of humor. He did two other books of poems for two voices, and I want them, too. (pannarrens)
    • 4/5
      Joyful Noise is a group of poems designed for two voices. The book describes various bugs daily activity. For example, "Grasshoppers are hatching out Autumn-laid eggs." is one of the many analogies the author uses. These poems about bugs is a great way to introduce poetry to children. Also, children will love the catchy phrases.A great activity to do with this book since its designed for two voices, would be to have half of the class read one part and the other half read the other half. Also, you can give a lesson on metaphors and have class locate them throughout book.
    • 5/5
      Poetry for two voices mimicking sounds and characteristics of bugs.
    • 5/5
      A compilation of two-voiced poems about nature. Excellent book for performance of poetry. Great to use in the classroom for teaching about call and response poetry.
    • 4/5
      This slim volume of poetry is dedicated entirely to insects. Sounds like it could be gross, but it’s not. Various insects take on different roles, but nearly all are sympathetically portrayed. In fact, some even seem to take the role of the tragic hero. All are accompanied with black-and-white illustrations, which are realistic but also somehow make the insects look inviting. The poems are all written “for two voices” with each page having a right column for the first reader and a left column for the second reader. These columns sometimes contain contrasting lines, complementing lines, or even on occasion the same line. This method of poetry serves better for some poems than others. For instance, the book lice poem is the story of a couple, while the honeybees poem contrasts a worker bee’s life with a queen bee’s life, so the choral reading style works well for both of these. On the other hand, the digger wasp poem is clearly narrated by one being, so having two voices does not make sense here. Of course, another downside with the poems for two voices is that they do not make for the best reading material when waiting in a doctor’s office by yourself (which is when I read this book), so this book works better if you have a partner and are able to read aloud. Overall though, I would recommend this as a short and sweet volume extolling the virtues of nature that can be enjoyed at any age.
    • 4/5
      I listened to this on audiotape, then I read the poems, and then I listened to the audiotape again. It’s amazing to hear the poems read aloud, in two voices, converging, diverging, making a strong statement by reading a line in unison. The poems are all about insects. The illustrations are lovely pen-and-ink drawings. I want to get the audiobook for my library and find a way to use it with the students.
    • 4/5
      These poems are meant to be read aloud by two readers at once, and they recount stories from insects' points of view. We hear the moth’s serenade of “porchlight, hear my plight.” The whirligig beetles round robbin reading that makes your head spin. There are book lice who pass through Agatha Christie novels. Kids will love voicing the ideas of an insect. This could connect to a science lesson on insects or serve as a writing prompt where students could write poems from an animal or insect point of view. Fun!!!
    • 5/5
      Paul Fleischman knows how to create beautiful, informative poetry that entertains both the reader(s) and the audience. This is one of my favorites to read aloud with a friend. Fleischman makes each poem a fun and doable choral performance for any level and any voice.
    • 5/5
      There are fourteen poems about bugs and insects. love how the illustrations and the poems themselves make the bugs and insects look so elegant. These poems are written for two voices or readers. Each poem is written in two columns, one for each reader and the lines alternate. This makes is quite easy for each person reading to know when they should be reading.
    • 4/5
      poems: Grasshoppers / Water Striders / Mayflies / Fireflies / Book Lice / The Moth's Serenade / Water Boatmen / The Digger Wasp / Cicadas / Honeybees / Whirligig Beetles / Requiem / House Crickets / Chrysalid DiaryThough I read this alone (and, for the most part, silently), I could well imagine the effect of two people reciting the lines alternately by turn and in unison, as Fleischman intended. This Newbery Medal winner is a very brief collection of verse both humorous (e.g., "Book Lice") and thoughtful (e.g., "Chrysalid Diary"). And I have to admit, I almost got teary over "The Digger Wasp." (Who'd've thought it?)
    • 5/5
      This book has some very good poems about insects and bugs. It's a quick read.