Family Reunion

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Singer, Marilyn. 1994. FAMILY REUNION. Ill. by R. W. Alley. New York: Macmillan. ISBN 0027828832

PLOT SUMMARY:
On a summer afternoon in a small park, a family reunion takes place. The story is a collection of 14 poems that describe in humorous detail the goings on at the party. The poems create a wonderful story of a family that loves to spend time together. The poems cover the many silly antics and games. The narrator describes all the silly games the children play. Including searching for Beavers in the pond, and this year they found Uncle Bill’s hairpiece. In closing the narrator reflects on the fun the family had together and the special memories that he has, and on the anticipated arrival of a family photo.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
The book is full of poems which allow the reader to feel as though they are part of reunion themselves. In the poem Aunt Alicia, “I wish that someday she’d startle us in sneakers” the narrator talks about how different their Aunt is from everyone else, and how they love her just the way she is. The poems are full of life and fun including Slow-Motion Sprint, in which “it’s hard so hard inching along like worms in a wheat field…that in the end we no longer care who the winner is.” The family comes together and enjoys each other, including their differences.

The illustrations with their cartoon like feel, add to the whimsical feeling of this book. The watercolor and ink drawings allow children to feel connected to the different poems. Each page is illustrated in a way that allows a child’s imagination to think about how fun it would be if they were at the family reunion.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:
School Library Journal: “Family love and humor make this book a winner to share with children.”
Booklist: “Anyone who has been to a summertime family reunion will recognize the people, events, tastes, and smells captured in this lively collection of 14 poems.”
Horn Book: “Alley's whimsical pen and wash illustrations capture the humorous idiosyncrasies of the various characters.”

CONNECTIONS:
*Invite children to write a poem about their own family.
*Other engaging books of poetry for children:
Aber, Linda Williams. THE BIG GOLDEN BOOK OF LAUGHS: A TREASURY OF POEMS, JOKES, RIDDLES, AND RHYMES. ISBN 0-307-14902-1 Agard, John, Nichols, Grace & Jabar, Cynthia. NO HICKORY, NO DICKORY, NO DOCK: CARIBBEAN NURSERY RHYMES. ISBN 1567021564