Fourteen Ways of Looking at Jellyfish

PreS Up–Weatherford uses her prodigious poetic talents to inspire wonder and to teach readers about jellyfish. The facts she shares are fascinating (no heart, no brain, no blood, and no bones), but her poems also capture how people feel around jellyfish (from calm contemplation to fear). No ­narrative connects the 14 poems. Rather, every one appears as a spread, with the poem on one side of the page and acrylic gouache artwork across both pages. The ­artwork changes to capture the mood and subject of the specific poem: sometimes the art is whimsical, sometimes wholly scientific, and sometimes it pays homage to earlier artist styles or children’s books. For example, when text reveals the unusual common names of jellyfish, detailed, colorful drawings appear on graph paper, but when there are facts about ­Japanese folklore relating to jellyfish, the artwork is reminiscent of Hokusai. In one spread, readers will feel as if they are safely enclosed underwater looking out at the glowing jellyfish gliding by, confirming that writing and art are beautifully in sync. The end papers contain an extensive bibliography and websites for curious readers to explore further.