The accompanying illustrations for the poems have been created in simple pen and ink, but they add a lovely touch to each of the poems. The poems are arranged in 10 sections, one for each author. Each section is introduced by a watercolor wash black and white portrait of the author and is accompanied by a quote from the author. Incidentally, there is a brief biography on each author at the end of the book.
Aileen Fisher brings poems such as My Puppy and My Cat And I to the collection. Children have chosen these poems perhaps due to the fact that they speak of animals that very often are beloved pets of theirs. Karla Kuskin offers poems which children can relate to such as I Woke Up This Morning, in which a child has a bad day and decides not to get up the following day. Eve Merriam�s collection includes my personal favorite which is meant to be used as a skip rope rhyme. It is titled, �Skip Rope Rhyme For Our Time� and talks about junk mail. The poem is very lyrical and just reading it, inevitably makes it sound like a song. The last stanza, �Junk Mail, Junk Mail, what�s my name? My name is Dear Occupant and yours is the same,� is truly comical and an instant favorite. Each of the ten authors featured in this wonderful collection truly make this book a must-have for everyone!
Cullinan, Bernice E. (Editor). 1996. A Jar of Tiny Stars. United States: Wordsong Boyds
Mills Press, Inc. ISBN 1-56397-087-2.
