Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature

Citation

Sidman, Joyce, and Beth Krommes. Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature. Boston : Houghton Miffling Harcourt, 2011.

Poetic Elements

What a unique representation of poetry we have in Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature! It is not a common occurrence that one poem, by itself, can fill a book so well on its own. This one, simple poem is gifted in its technical aspects and rich in both imagery and figurative language. The poet begins each thought, or what would be a stanza, with the phrase “...A spiral...”. This keeps the poem grounded, even as it expands from underground all the way up to space and back again. There is heavy alliteration of the letter 's' throughout with phrases such as “...spiral is a snuggling shape...spinning and sparkling...” and the spiral is heavily personified as it knows how to defend itself, explores the world, gathers buddies and stretches its arms. While there is no set rhyme or rhythm, this poem does better without it. The free verse, and the length of thought the poet gives to each spiral is just right. This is not a poem that is meant to rhyme.

Appeal and Overall Quality

The poem by itself is appealing to adults and children, but the illustrations add to the quality. The words of the poem begin small, as a snuggling shape. They then increase in size, breadth, and depth up to the largest of the stars and outer space, only to return to finish the poem, again, as a snuggling shape. There is closure, having come full circle (or spiral, if you will) in allowing the poem to follow such a journey. The tone is appealing and warm throughout, and the reader never feels like the poem has become too large for them to comprehend. Her style of writing keeps everything accessible and holds the reader in an adventurous mood as they travel and seek out spirals in so many different environments, including underground, the ocean, a flower garden, and outer space.

Layout

Given that the poem is spread out over the course of the entire book, the font of the words is larger and an increased emphasis is put upon the illustrations. Each stanza of the poem is spread over several pages, and on each page the author and illustrator have labeled the various items like flowers, animals, and sea creatures that have spirals. It expertly matches the words the poet is crafting to some of the subjects the poet is writing about. Carried out mostly in a color scheme of browns, greens, and yellows, each page is a visual wonderment as readers are invited to study the illustrations to find examples of spirals acting out the poet's words. The author includes an informational section at the back of the book that explains how several of nature's wonders use their spirals for various purposes. It takes each of the tag-lines from the poem “...is a snuggling shape...is a growing shape...is a strong shape...” and gives real-life examples of how these spirals play out in the world.

Spotlight Poem

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature

A spiral is a snuggling shape.

It fits neatly in small places.

Coiled tight, warm and safe, it waits...

...for a chance to expand.

A spiral is a growing shape.

It starts small

and gets bigger,

swirl by swirl.

It unwraps itself,

one soft curl at a time.

A spiral is a strong shape.

Its outer curves

protect what's inside.

It knows how to defend itself.

A spiral reaches out, too,

exploring the world.

It winds around and around...

...and clings tight, grasping what it needs.

It never has trouble holding on.

A spiral is a clever shape.

It is graceful and strong.

It is bold...

...and beautiful.

A spiral moves.

It swirls through water, gathering bubbles.

It twists through air with clouds on its tail.

It stretches starry arms through space,

spinning and sparkling, forever expanding...

...or, it curls up neat and small,

warm and safe.

A spiral is a snuggling shape.

Follow-Up Activity

Since the entire book is the poem I would use it as an introduction to a unit on habitats and adaptations. I would read the book to the class and invite them to study the illustrations for all of the animals, creatures, pieces of nature hiding in there. Then we would read it as a class, one stanza at a time (thought that may be spread out over several pages), and then, finally, I would have them work in small groups to take one of the stanzas and practice acting it out in front of the class. Then we would put it all together and have the entire class go, in order, to give a performance and reading of the poem.

Reviews

"The open-ended quality of the verse and the visual nature of the subject create plenty of opportunities for the art. The striking scratchboard illustrations use black lines, shapes, and crosshatched shading on white backgrounds to create strong compositions, while watercolor washes add subtle warmth and brilliance. . .There are, of course, many school uses for this, but just reading it aloud at home will make the everyday fascinating."—Booklist, starred review

"The observations, from a few words to a couple sentences, are tucked neatly into Krommes’s gorgeous scratchboard spreads."—School Library Journal, starred review

"Exquisitely simple and memorable."—Kirkus, starred review

"From the endpapers that gather together all the spirals depicted to the spiraling text on the title page verso, this book is elegantly constructed, and as poetry, picture book, or nonfiction, a success in every way."—The Horn Book, starred review

"This is one of those rare children’s books that make you look at the physical world differently. . .spirals are beautiful—whether we see in them hints of infinity, the promise of unfolding potential, or the embodiment of mathematical perfection."—Publishers Weekly, starred review