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Robyn Hood Black - children's author, poet, artist

Life on the Deckle Edge

Poetry Friday - Longfellow's Maiden and Weathercock

October 11, 2018
Tags: Poetry Friday, Longfellow, Poetry, art
Wood engraving by Boyd Hanna in The Poems of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Heritage Press, 1943.  

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!

 

I know hearts are heavy this week for those affected by another brutal hurricane.  I found it a little crazy that with family members and like-family friends from Central Florida up through Charlotte, we were all experiencing some effects of this storm within hours of each other.  Beaufort was once again very fortunate.  We did hunker down for a tornado warning near midnight on Wednesday night, and our power went out for a few hours not long thereafter, but other than lots of wind, my corner of town at least was all right. (Schools and government offices were closed Thursday.)

 

I stood in front of the television in disbelief Thursday morning when The Weather Channel showed the first drone images of Mexico Beach, a place my folks have enjoyed visiting in the past.  A few battered structures remained, but mostly - empty slabs where countless houses and businesses used to be.  Nothing.  Left. Prayers and more prayers for all who are dealing with so many kinds of losses.

 

(Some PF regulars might know that our own Jan Godown Annino is from Tallahassee; I hope she won't mind my sharing that I reached her by text Thursday morning, and they are okay.)

 

I wish I had the right words for comfort today, but instead, the diversion of a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, which was published in 1880 in "Youth's Companion."  The view over the sea is a much more pleasant one in this ballad-like poem.  

 

 

MAIDEN AND WEATHERCOCK

 

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

 

               MAIDEN

 

O Weathercock on the village spire,

With your golden feathers all on fire,

Tell me, what can you see from your perch

Above there over the tower of the church?

 

 

             WEATHERCOCK

 

I can see the roofs and the streets below,

And the people moving to and fro,

And beyond, without either roof or street,

The great salt sea, and the fisherman's fleet.

 

I can see a ship come sailing in 

Beyond the headlands and harbor of Lynn,

And a young man standing on the deck

With a silken kerchief round his neck.

 

Now he is pressing it to his lips,

And now he is kissing his finger-tips,

And now he is lifting and waving his hand,

And blowing the kissses toward the land.

 

 

               MAIDEN

 

Ah, that is the ship from over the sea,

That is bringing my lover back to me,

Bringing my lover so fond and true,

Who does not change with the wind like you.

 

 

              WEATHERCOCK

 

If I change with all the winds that blow,

It is only because they made me so,

And people would think it wondrous strange,

If I, a Weathercock, should not change.

 

O pretty Maiden, so fine and fair,

With your dreamy eyes and your golden hair,

When you and your lover meet to-day,

You will thank me for looking some other way.

 

 

I found this poem in The Poems of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, part of THE AMERICAN POETS series edited by Louis Untermeyer for The Heritage Press (1943). I'm smitten with the wood engraving illustrations throughout, by 20th Century artist and illustrator Boyd Hanna. 

 

For so many in our country (including Puerto Rico) and around the world reeling from recent natural disasters, prayers for healing and for the eventual changes of direction that time brings.

 

Our gracious host for the Roundup this week is the ever-amazing Laura Purdie Salas at Writing the World for Kids.  Enjoy all the offerings!

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Poetry Friday... Go See Tabatha!

October 4, 2018
Tags: </br>Poetry Friday

Greetings from beneath piles of jewelry findings and spooky decorations... I'm getting ny studio ready for tonight's First Friday downtown and didn't quite conjure up a post.  See you next week! :0)  

 

Enjoy all the poetic offereings rounded up by Tabatha this week at The Opposite of Indifference - She's got Goethe and Gingkos, and lots of wonderful links. 

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Poetry Friday - The Poetry of US

September 27, 2018
Tags: Poetry Friday, Poetry, J Patrick Lewis, book tracks, The Poetry of US, National Geographic, geography, Robyn Hood Black, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Mural poem

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  Are your bags packed?

 

This week the third National Geographic volume of poetry edited by J. Patrick Lewis launched into the world, THE POETRY OF US.  (Earlier collections are THE BOOK OF ANIMAL POETRY and THE BOOK OF NATURE POETRY - both full of natural wonders and animal magnetism!)

 

THE POETRY OF US invites readers to journey from one end of the country to the other to savor the culture, history, and quirks of the many varied places we call home. It is divided into eight sections:  New England, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, Great Plains, Rocky Mountains West, Pacific Coast (including Hawaii and Alaska), and Territories. You'll find thoughtful poems, cheerful poems, challenging poems, heartbreaking poems... I've only just begun to delve in.  

 

I'm beyond thrilled to have a poem included, along with many other Poetry Friday folks.  (I hope there are lots of sneak peeks celebrated in posts!)  My Philadelphia-themed poem shares a page with a powerful one by Charles Waters called "City of Brotherly Love."  And just a couple pages back are a couple of 'our' Lauras on the same page - "Beach Day" by Laura Shovan and "Water, Water Everywhere:  A Delaware Chant" by Laura Purdie Salas.  It's an honor share book space with so many poetry friends and their fine poems in each geographical section.  

 

There are traditional poems such as the Navajo "Twelfth Song of Thunder" and several poems with translations, as well as timeless poems by national literary lights including Langston Hughes, Walt Whitman, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Robert Frost, among others.  More than 200 poems in all!

 

A Frost quote leads us in, in fact: 

 

"All poetry begins with Geography."

 

Our editor extradordinaire offers an enchanting introduction and a final note with poetic invitation. I look forward to sharing this volume and all its breadth and depth with my third-grade-teacher daughter, Morgan, and with family and friends, as well as with young readers and writers in schools. 

 

Here's my contribution, celebrating the Mural Arts Program in Philadelphia, the nation's largest public art project.  (If you're in that vicinity, it happens to be Mural Arts Month with events from Sept. 28 through November 3!  Click here for more info.)

 

 

Mural Compass

 

Tall figures rise from city ground.

They speak to me without a sound

from vibrant faces, facing sun -

these paintings are for everyone.

 

Chartreuse and purple pop the street,

kaleidoscoping at my feet.

Graffiti marks are now long gone.

These paintings are for everyone.

 

On buildings bare and bridges wide

where history and hope collide

shine songs of freedom, fame, and fun-

These paintings are for everyone.

 

©Robyn Hood Black

 

 

This poem is a kyrielle - a centuries-old French form with eight syllables per line and a repeating end line in couplets or quatrains, with a minimum of three stanzas.  (Its origins are liturgical; the name comes from Old French kyriele, literally, kyrie eleison, from Late Latin, according to Miriam Webster.)

 

Deepest thanks to J. Patrick Lewis for this national treasure of a collection.  Lewis has penned more than 110 poetry and picture books for young readers and in 2011 he received the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. He served as US Children's Poet Laureate from 2011 to 2013.  He continues to travel across the country inspiring students and grown-ups.

 

Now point your compass over to Deowriter, where the oh-so-talented Jone is hosting the Roundup from her lovely writer blog, and making it a GREAT MORNING all day long.  Thanks, Jone!

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Poetry Friday - Go Say G'Day to Erin!

September 21, 2018
Tags:

Happy Poetry Friday!  Our little town was untouched by Florence save for a few loose palm fronds.  Prayers for so many up the highway and in North Carolina.  Nonetheless, the unplanned travel rendered me behind all around- I'm taking a 'bye' on posting this week.  Please welcome Erin to the "host" side of Poetry Friday - another Aussie! - and enjoy all the goodness rounded up at The Water's Edge.

(I do love the edges of things, myself.... ;0) )

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Poetry Friday - Blue Worlds by Rebecca Kai Dotlich

September 13, 2018
Tags: Poetry Friday, Poetry, nature, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, poets, anthologies, Lee Bennett Hopkins, ekphrastic poetry

 

Greetings from the Georgia foothills, Poetry Lovers!  As I write this on Thursday, we are 300+ miles from our little coastal home and pondering the best time to head back, watching Florence updates.  Our prayers are with all in the path of this and other storms.

 

Poetry is always good medicine in times of stress.  Today I am grateful to Rebecca Kai Dotlich for allowing me to share her beautiful poem from the new anthology by Lee Bennett Hopkins, WORLD MAKE WAY - New Poems Inspired by Art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Poetry Friday regulars have no doubt enjoyed peeks into this gorgeous collection, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers in partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You'll see some familiar Poetry Friday names among contributors, too! (Click here for a wonderful interview with Lee by NPR's Scott Simon, which aired on March 31.) 

 

Rebecca wrote in response to Mary Cassatt's Young Mother Sewing (Oil on canvas, 1900).

 

 

Blue Worlds

 

I grow up in a world the color of water.

Sometimes when breezes blow just right,

when sun puddles in blue folds,

mama talks of blue things, wild things;

sea glass and butterflies,

peacocks and poppies.

 

While clocks keep perfect time

ships sail on seas yet named,

and birds sing odes to skyight.

Cornflowers turn to tufted stars

while mama threads light rain,

stitching my name

into air.

 

©Rebecca Kai Dotlich.  All rights reserved.

 

In my corner of the country, as folks react and respond to the power of water unleashed by a storm, I'm comforted by Rebecca's poem.  Its water imagery opens doors to wonder and connection, and to this exquisite painting of a tender bond between mother and child.

 

And, an aside about 'voice': When I first read, excerpted in Lee Bennett Hopkins's foreword, "cornflowers turn to tufted stars," I did not need to see who had written it - I knew that lyrical line must have come from Rebecca's pen. *Swoon*....

 

To learn more about Rebecca and her work, click here, and click here for the website of Lee Bennett Hopkins.

 

For the Poetry Friday Roundup, find some high ground and inspiration at The Poem Farm this week with Amy, who just happens to be one of the poets whose work graces the pages of WORLD MAKE WAY!

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Poetry Friday - Visit Carol This Week!

September 6, 2018
Tags: </br>Poetry Friday

Thanks to all who participated in last week's Roundup - I always love hosting!  I have glue-covered fingertips this week, trying to get ready for First Friday After Five downtown... Please go enjoy all the offerings at Beyond Literacy Link, where the tireless and inspiring Carol is hosting our Roundup.  See you next week! 

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Poetry Friday - The Roundup is HERE!

August 30, 2018
Tags: Poetry Friday, Roundup, Highlights Hello, Robyn Hood Black poems, Great Morning, Pomelo Books, Sincerely, spiders, spider poem, golden orb weaver

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!

 

Many of you have just started a new school year, or are about to, or have watched your fledglings or grand-fledglings hop off to school or college. Such an exciting time!  (Our youngest fledgling has moved to Atlanta to start grad school/seminary this week.)

 

Seems like just yesterday he was turning the pages of BABYBUG, one of his favorite baby/toddler magazines.  In 2013, The HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN folks launched a magazine for the tiniest tykes:  HELLO – a "... chew-proof, drool-resistant magazine for babies and toddlers" that "packs up a bundle of joyful stories and poems, as well as expert advice for parents." It's a fun, educational adventure in print with thick, slick pages. (Here's a link to subscription information.) 

 

I've had a few poems accepted by HELLO and was thrilled to discover one had been published in the July issue.  I was even MORE thrilled when a Poetry Friday friend shared a picture of her grandson "reading" it! Isn't he adorable?  (Honored to share the picture, but we'll honor his privacy, too.)

 

Here's the poem:

 

    Spider, Spider

 

    by Robyn Hood Black

 

 

   Spider, spider,

   Weave and spin

   Down, around,

   And up again

 

   Spider, spider,

   Time to rest

   in your round

   And webby nest.

 

©2018 Highlights for Children

 

The poem was illustrated by Maria Neradova. (Click here for her website.)

 

[Spiderly aside… some of you might recall my obsession with Golden Silk Orb Weavers.  Two years ago at this time, I was following the daily habits of one which took up conveniently right outside my kitchen window.  I mentioned her in a couple of blog posts here and here.  The poem above came from my observations of her quick and fancy footwork building and rebuilding her web.]

 

This time of year does brim with excitement.  Just in case you've been on a month-long cruise with no cell service or WiFi, I want to make sure everyone knows about GREAT MORNING! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud.  This eye-opening volume features 75 poems by 50 poets and is the latest inspiring offering from Pomelo Books, the poetry-power publishing force led by Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell.  (I'm delighted my poem, "Sincerely,"  is included, as a linked poem to Janet's "#1 and A++" which celebrates school volunteers.)

 

Lots of Poetry Friday blog posts have offered inside peeks – thanks to all who have shared.  Here's Sylvia's wonderful post over at Poetry for Children from July.  Click here for more at the Pomelo Books site.

 

So, GREAT MORNING to you… let's have a Roundup!  All are welcome, including you Thursday night early-birds/night owls. Leave your links in the comments below, and I'll round up old-school style throughout the day on Friday.  (Note – with recent changes in Blog-land privacy, I no longer have access to email addresses associated with comments.  Do remember to leave your link!) :0)

 

THE ROUNDUP:

 

Ruth at There is No Such Thing as a Godforsaken Town starts us off thoughtfully this week, in light of the darkness of the daily news. She shares an original sonnet in response, as well as one of The Bard's.

 

Kimberly Hutmacher raises a poetic toast with a sippy cup!  Read her perfectly wonderful original poem inspired by her granddaughter – and, if you can help out with Poetry Friday hosting on Oct. 19, let her know!

 

At Reflections on the Teche, the always-inspiring Margaret has a couple of wonderful student poems (shared by a fellow teacher) inspired by Margaret's new book, BAYOU SONG – Creative Explorations of the South Louisiana Landscape. Psstt… she'll be at the National Book Festival; will you?

 

At Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme, Matt has taken inspiration from Diane Mayr's cherita posts to pen a lovely back-to-school cherita of his own.  I dare you not to smile. 

 

Ever-clever librarian Linda at A Word Edgewise shares a peek into PLANET LIBRARY (a stroke of student brilliance) with a poem by Alberto Alvaro Ríos, "Don't Go into the Library."

 

Mary Lee at A Year of Reading has the perfect new-school-year poem for fellow teachers, as timely today as when she first shared it six years ago!

 

Michelle Kogan  guides us into this upcoming change of seasons with an original poem, "Running," and also "In Late August" by Peter Campion. AND, she's got info about her beautiful Etsy shop's participation in Etsy's Labor Day Sale this weekend.  (I'm in this weekend, too! :0) )  Michelle's shop-wide sale runs through Sept. 23rd.

 

Chiming in from the road this week, Jone Rush MacCulloch shares some Summer Poem Swap goodness from Linda Mitchell.  Fan of Monarch butterflies?  Carl Sandburg?  Collaged cards?  There's a lot of delight packed into a compact post!

 

Linda at TeacherDance has a special back-to-school poem she wrote for her grandkids (and everyone starting a new year), "School Starting – The Other To-Do List." I love it so much I sent it to my third-grade-teacher-daughter. (She loved it too!)

 

At The Opposite of Indifference, Tabatha offers us a personal look at history with Iris Jamahl Dunkle's haunting and lyrical "Communion of Dust." 

 

Diane has some fresh looks at death and poetry – yep – over at Random Noodling.  Enjoy her original work and you can learn a new phrase, too - "Momento Mori." 

 

Kurious Kitty reminds us what Labor Day is all about, and more – with a moving poem by Philip Levine.

 

When Michelle brings back a DMC Challenge, she brings it back with a bang – over at Today's Little Ditty  you'll find a glorious interview with Naomi Shihab Nye,  and poetry from her newest book,  VOICES IN THE AIR – Poems for Listeners.  (And the challenge.  You'll find that, too.)

 

More Monarch Love!  Of COURSE butterflies are adored at The Poem Farm. Amy shares Gloria's story today – Of COURSE butterflies have names at The Poem Farm. Enjoy her amazing photos and poem, as well as an upside-down look at process. (PS - Love right back to your spiders!)

 

Erin Mauger rings in from Australia with "Chicken Pox Rox" – an original poem which will have you recalling your own childhood bout of blisters – and also a compelling Tedx video of 13-year-old Poetry Slam champ Solli Raphael reciting "We Can Be More."

 

At My Juicy Little Universe, Heidi ponders teacherly pre-service duties vs. the actual art of teaching, and offers an oh-so-timely poem from 2012 by Janet Wong, "Declaration of Interdependence."

 

Irene has a bounty of Summer Poem Swap goodies over at Live Your Poem: treasures from Michelle Kogan, Karen Edmisten, Carol Varsalona, Molly Hogan,  and a revised poem she'd written to Tabatha – Swap Organizer Extraordinaire -  about the Swap!

 

I never tire of "Where I'm From" poems, the fruit of George Ella Lyons's poetry and work.  Kay McGriff shares her own today, and it is full of rich imagery that will "take you back" to your own childhood summer, if you were among the lucky to have one such as this.  

 

At Nix the Comfort Zone,  Molly Hogan shares stories and links about poetry and prison – literal and figurative prisons. Thoughtful ideas you'll want to explore.

 

Little Willow at bildungsroman finishes up a series of excerpts of poems by Indian-born Canadian poet Rupi Kaur.  Today's is from "A Light Like Mine."  

 

Join Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link  for a Summer Special Delivery, her last Poem Swap gift sharing.  Her imaginative treasures from Margaret Simon invite us to linger over summer one last time.  

 

Rebecca at Sloth Reads has final Summer Poem Swap offerings, too!  From sweet to spooky romps her post, with Linda Mitchell's delicious and delightful summertime poem and a spot of tea, to Carol Varsalona's fun and howling South Florida wilderness Buncee adventure. (Hint – makes my golden silk spider look like a miniature lamb.) 

 

From Friendly Fairy Tales, Brenda shares a fun short poem celebrating IMPERFECT – Poems About Mistakes.  Mistake-makers, unite! 

 

Ramona bids farewell to summer with a couple of Douglas Florian gems  - "Three Words" and "Pack Up" - at Pleasures from the Page.  Enjoy!

 

**Thanks to everyone for participating!  Calling it a day on my end; early plans Saturday morning and will be away from the computer.  Happy Long Weekending!**   And wait  - one more! End the roundup on a golden note with Catherine at Reading to the Core - https://readingtothecore.wordpress.com/2018/08/31/poetry-friday-a-glory-of-goldfinches/. Beautiful poem!

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Poetry Friday - This Title Is Longer than my Poem...

August 23, 2018
Tags: Poetry Friday, Poetry, haiku, monoku, verdigris

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!

 

There will be lots of words over here next week, when I host Poetry Friday.  

 

So this week I thought I 'd simply share the shortest poem I've ever had published - four words!  (You might recall my spring post about one-line haiku, sometimes called monoku.  Here's the link if you missed it.)

 

Today's poem appears in the summer issue of Modern Haiku.

 

 

 

a penny saved verdigris

 


Modern Haiku, Vol. 49.2, Summer 2018

 

 ©Robyn Hood Black

 

 

I had verdigris on my mind this spring, having recently turned in my batch of writing for the Core Essentials Character Education Curriculum I've been contributing to for many years.  I handle the animals, colors, and quotes corresponding to each monthly value.  Often I suggest/pick these items too, and this year I tossed in "verdigris."  I've always been enchanted by that variegated blue-green sheen over metal.  (And it wasn't hard to find a bit in my studio, either!)

 

Did you know it took the Statue of Liberty 30 years to change from her coppery brown to that beautiful green patina?  One must be patient with verdigris, and with poetry! Even the shortest poems appear when they want to, on their own time.

 

Thanks to our colorful, thoughtful Margaret for hosting the Roundup this week at Reflections on the Teche, where you can find links to poetry of varied lengths and learn about Zeno Zines! (See you back here next Friday.) :0)

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Poetry Friday - For the Birds this Week!

August 16, 2018
Tags: Poetry Friday, bird poetry, bird poems, Poetry, birds
Roseate spoonbills the color of sunset! (A wood stork is enjoying dusk as well.)

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers - and Bird Lovers!

 

Our wonderful Round-up host today, Christie over at Wondering and Wondering, issued a call for bird poems for anyone so inclined.  Oh, I am ALWAYS inclined for birds.  I'm also a bit jealous about the educators workshop she participated in this summer with the Cornell bird folks in NY... Swoon!!!

 

We usually take our wee doggie Rita for a walk after dinner, sometimes around the neighborhood and sometimes on the Spanish Moss Trail at the end of our street.  I'm always craning my neck (ha - meant to do that?!) to see who's out and about among the tree canopy, power lines, or marshes as the sun sinks toward the horizon.

 

A few nights ago, thinking about the Poetry Friday bird-theme, I had a couple of treats on our walk.  

 

Here's the rather silly wordplay that sprouted from our sunset saunter:

 

 

Walking at Dusk, Tickled Pink

 

 

Woodpecker - pileated.

Spoonbills - roseate(d).

Birdwatcher me - très elated!

 

 

©Robyn Hood Black.  All rights reserved.

 

Those birds really ARE that pink, and they fish by swinging those curious bills horizontally back and forth along the surface of the water. 

 

Find out more here, and then click over for more about those equally magnificent pileated woodpeckers.

 

In case you missed my post last week, there are several birds in it!  I shared animal pictures from our Scotland/Ireland trip.  Over at my art blog, I shared a bunch more trip pictures of animals in art, images, and other related curiosities.  Check it out! :0)

 

Enjoy flocking over the the Roundup, and feathery thanks to Christie for the ornithological advenures in poetry!  And, not sure this will work, but here is a link to a video I posted on Facebook featuring those spoonbills. :0)

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Poetry Friday - Animals! TWO BY TWO, Trip Pictures, and New Books to Crow About...

August 9, 2018
Tags: Poetry Friday, Poetry, Lisa Lowe Stauffer, Two by Two, Scotland, Ireland, travel, book tracks, birds, animal books, bird books, Elizabeth Dulemba, Jane Yolen, Adam Stemple, Angelika Scudamore, Irene Latham, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, poetry retreat
Pigeon (Edinburgh/Royal Mile); Gull (Loch Lomond, Scotland); Scottish Ducks (Loch Lomond)l; Coal Tit at the Bird B&B (Luss, Scotland); Hairy Coo (Highland Cow - Luss); Snail (Dominican Black Abbey, Kilkenny, Ireland); Wild Roving Tourists (Wicklow Mountains, Ireland); Irish Ducks (Glendalough); Baby Irish Duck (Glendalough); Irish sheep on an Irish hillside; Irish sheep being herded by an Irish sheepdog; Sheepdog pup(!); Sheep pup - I mean, Lamb; Carriage Horse (Glendalough, Ireland).

 

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!

 

 

If you might indulge a few more trip pictures (with no promise that these are the last), I thought I'd share a brand new animal-themed book with a romping rhyme, and a general celebration of our non-human friends today. (Keep scrolling down after the post, if viewing on a computer, to see all of the animal pictures and the book cover at the bottom. IDs and locations are in the caption at the very bottom!)

 

 

Upon returning home from our amazing Scotland/Ireland family adventure this summer, I realized I had snapped several pictures of animals along with the castles and misty vistas.  Of course, I thought to myself upon this discovery.  My life has always been animal-centric, benefiting from a free-range childhood in the woods of Florida, and a lifetime of sharing life with the furred, feathered, hoofed, and scaled, and 30-plus years as a vegetarian. 

 

 

On our first full day in Edinburgh, a pigeon came to call at our apartment window overlooking James Court. We exchanged pleasantries.  I never thought conversing with birds was unusual, since I've done so since I was little, but my kids once gently let me know that not everyone goes around acting like Snow White in the forest scene in the original Disney movie. (Why not?)

 

 

This week I had a tête-à-tête with a broad-winged hawk (from a safe distance, yard to pine tree), letting it know that, No, I would not be putting my tiny Chihuahua back on the ground any time soon, thank you.

 

 

Anyway, as is my practice with close encounters of the animal variety, while in Scotland I looked up pigeon "spirit medicine" and found that it held perfect messages for the beginning of a trip that originated in vials sent off to Ancestry.com. 

 

 

"As a totem, the pigeon teaches us to return to our roots and explore our heritage. …  Pigeon also serves as a reminder that we come from a clan and are not alone."

https://www.thoughtco.com/bird-totems-4062050

 

 

Yay, pigeons!

 

 

And yay, books (especially ones with poetry!) which celebrate our fellow animals.

 

 

In 2011, it was my privilege to coordinate a children's poetry retreat with Rebecca Kai Dotlich for the SCBWI Southern Breeze region.  Among our wonderful attendees was long-time member Lisa Lowe Stauffer  Lisa's first book for children, TWO BY TWO, a board book by Zonderkids, has just been released! 

 

 

On her website, Lisa mentioned our SCBWI poetry retreat and an assignment Rebecca gave everyone.

 

 

"TWO BY TWO started as a simple, steady poem about Noah's Ark," she writes, noting that the first lines haven't changed.

 

 

On the first colorful page we find animals entering the ark:

 

 

Two by two,

 

Board the boat.

 

Shut the door.

 

Time to float.

 

 

The monkeys become bored, however, and soon they want to do much more than float.  In fact, they "free the zoo" so that all the animals can party like it's, well, a long long time ago, BC.

 

 

Illustrator Angelika Scudamore's bright and lively characters are appealing and full of expression.  Young readers/listeners will have fun pointing out all the different animals on each spread.  The trim size is a generous 8 X 8, perfect for sharing with a wee one in your lap.  Here is another taste of the fun verse:

 

 

Anaconda limbo,

 

Tigers race in pairs.

 

Ring toss on

 

the caribou,

 

Pin the tail on bears!

 

 

Did I mention this was a FUN book?  Congratulations, Lisa and Angelika!

 

 

Interestingly, another rhyming board book was born not too long after that poetry retreat.  Prolific children's author Gail Langer Karwoski penned THANK YOU, TREES (Kar-Ben Publishing, a division of Lerner) – a terrific book to share with any inhabitant of the planet. (Here's my blog post about it.) 

 

 

Other Poetry Friday regulars in attendance that weekend included Doraine Bennett and Irene Latham.  (Did I miss any other PF folks?)  Irene has written about LOTS of animals in her novels and picture books.  Keep an eye out for LOVE, AGNES: POSTCARDS FROM AN OCTOPUS (Millbrook) coming soon to a bookshelf near you!

 

 

One last shout-out. While in Edinburgh, I got to catch up with my buddy Elizabeth Dulemba, and Jane Yolen joined us for lunch.  (She and Elizabeth had a literary event together in Edinburgh that week.) Elizabeth blogged about our meet-up here.   She also blogged about TWO BY TWO with an interview with Lisa and Angelika here. 

 

 

Elizabeth has lent her rich artistic talents to a book written by Jane with her son, Adam Stemple.  This wonderful new book from Cornell Lab Publishing Group, CROW, NOT CROW, debuts  August 28. (Here is Jane's blog post about it, with peeks inside the pictures from Elizabeth here.)   

 

 

I can't wait to add it to my bookshelf, right next to our Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's EVERYDAY BIRDS.  Young and not-so-young readers who love birds will soon be crowing about CROW, NOT CROW! 

 

Now, flap on over to Nix the Comfort Zone, where the Magnificent Molly has our Roundup.  [What?  MORE trip pix, you ask?  Well, click on over to my new post at artsyletters for a bunch of "animals in images" (& other related curiosities) from our trip!]

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