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Ramblings on the uphill journey of an aspiring children's author.
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Lisa Schroeder is one of my favorite authors. I've read several of her young adult books, many of which are written in verse form. I have known of her middle grade works, but haven't read any of them until I read THE GIRL IN THE TOWER, which released this past March.
This book is very different than the other books by Lisa Schroeder that I have read, not only because of the intended age group, but because of the genre. It's her very first fantasy novel!
You may think, as I did at first, that this story is a retelling of the story of Rapunzel. But it isn't! THE GIRL IN THE TOWER is completely original.
Violet has been trapped in the tower, along with her mother, since she was born. She is kept there by the evil Queen Bogdana, who is also a witch who has the kingdom under a spell. When Violet is given the chance to become a real princess, in exchange for her mother's freedom, she agrees to live in the castle with the evil queen. But her true desire is to see her family reunited and the spell over the kingdom broken.
I enjoyed this book, which has the feel of a classic fairy tale. Though the main character Violet might seem a little too perfect, the story is original and fresh. It's sweet without being too cutesy. Magical without being too hokey. THE GIRL IN THE TOWER is a lovely, engaging read that is sure to please fairy tale fans young and old.
I recommend this book for anyone who likes fairy tale stories, fans of Disney princesses (especially those who save themselves), and anyone who simply wants a light, feel-good read for a lazy afternoon.
To learn more about Lisa Schroeder and her books, check out LisaSchroederBooks.com.
Reading WHAT ABOUT MOOSE? or some other
tree house themed book may inspire your kids to build a tree house of their own. But what if building a tree house is not a possibility for you? No worries! There are plenty of alternatives that are almost as much fun!
Build a fort out of blankets and pillows.The temporary nature of a blanket fort makes it ideal for a rainy summer day, or a day in which the temperature makes it impossible to play outside. Plus, building an indoor fort is not only fun, but it's an exercise in creativity and engineering. Just imagine the creative thinking involved in getting that blanket to stay in just the right spot!
Pitch a tent in the back yard or family room.Blanket forts not your thing? Or maybe you're a little worried that the kids will pull that heavy lamp onto their heads? Pitch a tent instead! A small tent can be a perfect fort for indoors or out.
Grow a sunflower fort.This takes some time and commitment, but if you have the space, the time will be well worth it! Imagine escaping into a hideout made entirely of sunflower stalks! That would be magical.
Construct a mini tree house for a bird or fairy.You may not have the perfect tree house tree, but you can still build one for a bird or a tiny magical creature.
Here is a good place to start for inspiration and instruction.
Make a fort out of a large cardboard box. Empty cardboard boxes are full of potential, and if a box is large enough for a child to crawl into, then it will make a perfect fort for indoors or out. Decorate it to look like a house or a castle--like
this one that I found at Cornerstone Confessions. The only limit is your (or your child's) imagination!
Build a tree house out of Legos.
My kids and I have often stayed up late on summer nights constructing some ambitious structures out of these colorful blocks. Building a tree house out of the best toy ever invented can be a great way to spend a hot summer day!
Design a tree house in Minecraft. A few years ago my son got me into the video game Minecraft. Not only is it a fun video game, but it's a great way to get creative without making a mess. A quick internet search for "minecraft treehouse" will give you an idea of just how creative these houses can be!
WHAT ABOUT MOOSE? is one year old today!
There have been many times in my life when I felt like I'd never
ever be a published author,
EVER! The road to getting published was so long and slow and filled with frustration and disappointment. But I kept at it. Kept writing, kept growing, kept learning. It paid off. Now, suddenly I have been a published author for an entire year!
I have learned a lot over the past year. Much of it I "knew" because of all the reading and networking and all that jazz that I did in the years before my book released. But there is no better teacher than experience, and even the things that I "knew" before were really driven home once my book hit the shelves!
So here are some of the things I've learned about publishing, about myself, and about the work it takes to actually BE an author.
What it means to take an active role in marketing my books.Everything I read about marketing before I was published said a variation of the same thing:
It is your job to market your book. Your publisher is only going to do so much. So, I knew this. But I didn't really know what it would look like or how much time it was going to take. Marketing can suck up every bit of your writing time if you're not purposeful about how you use your time.
The power of word of mouth.If people like a book, they tell people that they know, especially if they know the author! Word of mouth has led to people asking me about my book, asking where they can buy it, and inviting me to come and visit their school or store. Also, when someone asks what I do and I say, "I write picture books," they seem genuinely interested. That's why I always keep a stash of bookmarks in my purse!
I can do things that make me (very) uncomfortable.
Before I was published, the thought of "approaching a bookseller" to tell them about my book was terrifying. But not long before WHAT ABOUT MOOSE? was released, I did just that. I went into the local independent book store, introduced myself, and told them about my book. They were enthusiastic and welcoming and kind, and I don't know what I was so afraid of! I've also managed to drive, by myself, into unfamiliar neighborhoods and enter unfamiliar schools and say, "I'm here for the author visit." This is significant, because driving in unfamiliar areas can be a huge source of anxiety for me!
A not-so-favorable review doesn't really matter.At least, not to me. Of course, I want people to like my books. But it isn't realistic to expect everyone to love them as much as I do. And it isn't realistic to expect only raving reviews, as if those were the only opinions that matter.
If only one child shows up for a reading/signing event, it is worth it.I did a story time event at a small, independent book store a few months ago. It was a very small crowd of one family and a teacher. I sat and read to a little girl as she colored a WHAT ABOUT MOOSE? coloring page. I think I signed only one copy of the book that day--for the teacher! But if my presence at a story time event can give a child a positive book-related experience, then my job is done!
This business really is about the stories and the kids more than about making money.I knew that I probably wasn't going to make gobs of money as a picture book author. What I didn't know was just how much that didn't matter. I'm not saying that I don't want to make money as an author, because I do. But the reason I want my books to do well is so I can keep writing them. My writing is how I let my little light shine in the world, and the list of things that are more important than that is pretty short.
Marketing isn't what I thought it was.Designing bookmarks and postcards, putting together a book trailer, and creating graphics for social media take a lot of time. Doing those things myself not only saves me money, but also lets me use some of my other creative skills. I've also spent a lot of time contacting schools and book stores to get the word out about me and my books. But a lot of marketing has less to do with selling my book and more to do with making connections with people.
Other authors care about my success.The support I've seen from other authors has made me realize what a great of people the kid lit community is. They tweet and retweet and read and review, and even buy other authors' books. There are a lot of reasons for that, but ultimately, every children's author's goal is to get a variety of quality books into the hands of children. And that is cool.
Public speaking is easy cheesy when the audience is full of children.I can barely stand and speak in front of a small group of adults at church without feeling like my heart is going to pound out of my chest. But put me in front of a group of kids and ask me to talk about books and I'm quite at ease! It truly is my favorite part of being an author.
I look forward to learning a lot more in the years to come!
Don't forget to enter the
GIVEAWAY for a chance to win a signed copy of WHAT ABOUT MOOSE?
How do you celebrate the one year anniversary of the publication of your very first book? By hosting a giveaway, of course! To celebrate WHAT ABOUT MOOSE?'s big day on Thursday, June 9th, I am giving away one signed copy of the book. Fill out the rafflecopter below for a chance to win! You have until the end of this week to enter. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
SUPERHERO INSTRUCTION MANUAL by
Kristy Dempsey and illustrated by Mark Fearing is one of the most recent additions to my personal picture book library.
This book is a lot of fun. It reads like a "how to" book, while suggesting a story that goes beyond the words. The main character desperately wants to be a hero, and he follows the instructions of the manual, choosing a "super name," picking a side-kick, putting together a disguise, etc. All this time, his sister is in the background, secretly following in his footsteps.
It's a superhero book. It's a sibling book. It's a book about saving the world one small heroic act at a time!
The illustrations are colorful, active, and fun--just as you would imagine super illustrations to be! But they go way beyond illustrating the text of the book. This book is the perfect example of a marriage of text and illustrations, with a subtle message about being "super" by doing ordinary good things.
Read the book. And then, go forth and be super!
The day is finally here. HENSEL AND GRETEL: NINJA CHICKS has hit the shelves!
As you may know, HENSEL AND GRETEL is a companion book to THE THREE NINJA PIGS and NINJA RED RIDING HOOD, both by Corey Rosen Schwartz. I was honored and excited when Corey asked me to to collaborate on a third book in her already popular Ninja series. This book is full of action, humor, and poultry puns, and I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as Corey and I enjoyed writing it!
KIYA!
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I've learned a few things in my years as a parent, librarian, and author about what kids generally want from books, particularly picture books. Though every child is different, and tastes can vary widely, there are a few characteristics of picture books that seem almost guaranteed to please the majority of young readers. Books with these qualities are the books that a child will request over and over at bed time. They always seem to be checked out at the library and get the most damage because they get the most attention.
Whether you are writing picture books or choosing books to add to your own child's reading pile, keep these characteristics in mind:
1. Wonder. If a book amazes a child or captures his imagination, he will want to read it again and again. Or maybe sit there and pore over the illustrations for hours. Some picture books that fall into this category are JOURNEY by Aaron Becker and WHAT DO YOU DO WITH AN IDEA? by Kobi Yamada.
2. Humor. Every child loves a good laugh, and a book that gets a child giggling to herself or laughing out loud is sure to make it into the "read it again" pile. One of my favorite humorous picture books is CHLOE AND THE LION by Mac Barnett.
3. Rhythm. Whether in rhyme or prose, the best picture book texts have rhythms that naturally flow like waves that rise and fall. The perfect example of a non-rhyming book with a natural, flowing rhythm is WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE by Maurice Sendak.
4. Clever titles. Sometimes a title alone is enough to endear a book to a child, or at least get him interested in reading it. Consider the books PINKALICIOUS by Victoria Kann and Elizabeth Kann and INTERRUPTING CHICKEN by David Ezra Stein.
5. High concepts. When authors take two cool concepts and mash them together, what you have is a high concept book that is sure to catch a young reader's attention. This would include titles like INTERSTELLAR CINDERELLA by Deborah Underwood or SAMURAI SANTA by Rubin Pingk.
6. Interesting illustrations. When an illustrator goes beyond illustrating the text to make a book her own, adding fun or surprising details in the pictures, kids notice. Two great examples of this are CHICKS AND SALSA by Aaron Reynolds and LENNY & LUCY by Phillip C. Stead.
7. An emotional arc. A picture book that tells a story a child can relate to on an emotional level is one that will not soon be forgotten. And it is often those books that help a child fall in love with reading. A couple examples of picture books with strong emotional arcs are TEENY TINY TOADY by Jill Esbaum and A DANCE LIKE STARLIGHT by Kristy Dempsey.
As writers, we all struggle with confidence now and then. The early days can be brutal as we struggle to transform a passion into a skill. Criticism from outside sources can be painful, but if you learn from it, your writing improves and your confidence grows.
The worst criticism doesn't always come directly from outside sources, but from yourself. When you are feeling vulnerable after a series of rejections or you can't see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, you may entertain the lies that your inner critic likes to whisper.
It's good to know what those lies are, so that you can look your inner critic in the eye and tell them to take their negativity and scram! So here are 13 of those lies, and how you can rebut them!
1. You aren't really any good at this writing thing.
No one is a perfect writer; there is always room for improvement. But even if you need A LOT of improvement, that doesn't mean you're no good. If you're passionate about writing, you must have at least a modicum of ability. So start where you are, and go from there.
2. No one will ever want to read your work.
It may seem like this at times, but that doesn't make it true. You will find your audience one day if you keep it up, even if it's small.
3. Pursuing your dream is a waste of time.
Bogus! It doesn't matter if your dream is to publish a novel or to ride a unicycle around Lake Superior. Pursuing your dream will help you grow in your skill and as a person.
4. It doesn't matter how much you practice.
"Practice makes perfect" isn't technically true, but the more you work on honing your craft, the better you will be.
5. Writing a children's book is a silly idea.
Ha! This could only ever possibly be true if children's books themselves were silly, trivial things. And we all know that is far from true!
6. You can't write about that. You don't have the experience!
Yeah, yeah, I know. One of the "rules" about writing is "write what you know." But if we all took that too seriously, we would seriously limit ourselves as authors. Of course, life experience can do wonders for our writing, but reading and research can go a long way too.
7. You need a writing degree to be taken seriously.
Nope. Not a bit true. Lots of people write (and get published) without having ever stepped foot inside a college classroom, much less having earned a writing degree. I'm one of them!
8. You're too old to write a book.
If you're capable of generating ideas and turing them into stories, you are young enough to write a book.
9. You're too young to write a book.
See number 8. Switch "young enough" to "old enough." The younger you are, the more practice you may need, but that doesn't mean you are ever too young to start!
10. You don't have time to write a book.
Sure you do. You just have to use the time you have wisely.
11. Your voice isn't important enough to matter.
Isn't your voice different from the voice of every other individual on the planet? There you go.
12. You have to be funny to write a children's book.
Nope. Not every children's book is supposed to make kids laugh.
13. You don't have anything unique to offer.
See number 11. If you, as an individual, are unique, then you have something that no one else has. Your "you-ness." Take some time to discover what that is, and make it work for your writing.
What has your inner critic been whispering in your ear lately?
It is the final day of Poetry Month and the final challenge for Poetry Week by Week! I hope you have enjoyed following along as we celebrated poetry for the past month.
And now it is time for the haiku challenge!
It has been raining a lot around here. Hailing too. I love a good rainstorm, especially when it brings with it a decent amount of thunder and a little bit of pea sized hail. When I love something, I often want to write about it, so that explains the inspiration for the haiku I am sharing with you today.
Click clack tip tap ping!
On the windows, walls, and doors.
Hail says, "Let me in!"
I hope this exploration of poetry has inspired you in some way. National Poetry Month may be coming to a close, but poetry can be enjoyed any time by anyone!
I believe that haiku is a very accessible form of poetry for kids, both to read and to write. Haiku is short, and the "rules" are simple (and can be bent a little). In all the haiku books I've read in preparation for and during this Poetry Week by Week celebration, a few gems stand out. I hope you will take the time to read them and enjoy them as much as I did!
GUYKU: A Year of Haiku for Boys by Bob Racza, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Don't be fooled. This book is not only for boys, but according to the author it was inspired by boys and the things they do. This book celebrates all the things that outdoor loving kiddos enjoy doing throughout the year. It is a delight to read!
I Haiku You by Betsy Snyder
This is a collection of haiku about love. Love between friends, for family, for pets, or things that people (especially kids) enjoy. Quite a charming little book!
DOGKU by Andrew Clements, illustrated by Tim Bowers
A picture book, told completely in haiku form, about a stray dog finding a home. Dogs and haiku--what a perfect combination!
If Not for the Cat by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Ted Rand
A gorgeous collection of haiku about various animals, from one of the most beloved children's poets.
WON TON: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku and WON TON and CHOPSTICK: A Cat and Dog Tale Told in Haiku, by Lee Wardlaw, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin
If you've been following along, you will have seen my
review of WON TON and CHOPSTICK that I posted yesterday. Both of these books are adorable, sweet stories about new pets and are told completely in haiku form. Don't miss them!
Do you have any favorite haiku books? I'd love to hear about them.
Last year during National Poetry Month I
reviewed the adorable book WON TON: A CAT TALE TOLD IN HAIKU by Lee Wardlaw. This year, I'm moving on to its companion,
WON TON AND CHOPSTICK: A CAT AND DOG TALE TOLD IN HAIKU.This book is as charming and adorable as the first one. Won Ton, now happily content in his home with his boy, finds his life disrupted when the family brings home a puppy! Told completely in a series of haiku verses, this story is clever and sweet and funny. Best of all, Won Ton's voice is every bit as catlike as it is in the original.
If you haven't read these books, you should. They are perfect for anyone who loves stories told in poetic forms, especially if they are fond of pets!
I am excited to have my friend and fellow picture book author Kristy Dempsey join us to celebrate haiku for the last week of Poetry Month (and the last week of my Poetry Week by Week Celebration and Challenge)! I am honored that she took a little time out of her busy life as a mom, wife, author and librarian to share a few haiku with us.
Welcome Kristy!
I tend to think of haiku as nature poems, and I also tend to have a sense of wonder and curiosity about nature, so I am always asking questions of nature as I observe. These poems definitely reflect that. Also, I like ending haiku with a question because I think it invites the reader to reflect.
Solitary guard
Single sentinel on watch
Will they ever hatch?
Twinkle, twinkle star
Behind the clouds, you’re out there
Make your wish for me?
An army of ants
marched past this rock, little one
Did you lose your way?
About the poet:
Kristy Dempsey grew up in South Carolina and now works as a teacher-librarian in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, a bustling city of 5 million people. She is the author of Me with You (Philomel), Mini Racer (Bloomsbury), Surfer Chick (Abrams) and A Dance Like Starlight (Philomel), a JLG selection, ALA Notable Book, Bank Street Best of 2015, CCBC 2015 Choice, and the winner of the 2015 Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text. Four more picture books will publish in 2016, including Superhero Instruction Manual (Knopf, May 2016), a guidebook for the youngest aspiring heroes.
Be sure to check out Kristy's website and blog, kristydempsey.com and follow her on twitter @kristydempsey. And be sure to check out her picture books too!
It is the last week of Poetry Week by Week, and we are celebrating haiku! Haiku is a traditional form a Japanese poetry that is written in three lines, with those lines being 5, 7, and 5 syllables. According to
poets.org, haiku are often about nature and focus on a brief moment in time.
Some poets are comfortable with breaking the syllable rule when writing haiku, but I find the restriction a fun sort of challenge. Here is a haiku I wrote several years ago, in which I followed all the "rules."
colorful leaves drift
streaming bits of confetti
fall's celebration
Do you enjoy reading or writing haiku? Are you a traditionalist or a rule breaker?
April is flying by. Here we are at the end of the third week of Poetry Week by Week. And that means it is challenge time! Today's poem was inspired by the Mines of Moria scene in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. I wrote it (and revised it a bit) while watching the movie Friday night. Whether you've seen the movie or not, I hope this poem leaves an impression.
The Mine
Stretching
for miles
in deepest
darkest
paths under the mountain
a mine
a city carved into stone
thrived
its darkest corners
bustling
with dwarves at work
or feasting
or drinking,
malt beer dribbling down beards
until the mine
became
a death trap,
swarming with the foulest beasts
relentless
merciless
unstoppable in their numbers
unyielding in their attack
until
the last dwarf
scribbled a record
with his last
trembling
breath.
© Rebecca J. Gomez
If you are inspired to try this challenge with me, feel free to share or link to your poem in the comments.
Today's guest poet has been a guest on my blog before. Ellie Terry is a talented poet and author who shared with us last year a little helpful advice about writing in rhyme. Since then, Ellie has sold her very first book, a middle grade verse novel titled FORGET ME NOT, which will hit the shelves in March 2017. That's less than a year from now. Not sooo long to wait, right?
Ellie has decided to share a deleted poem from one of the drafts of FORGET ME NOT.
RESPECTABLE
Throughout the next three days,
I manage to be
respectable
to Beatriz.
Respectable
when she snores all night.
Respectable
when she accidentally
drops my toothbrush in the toilet.
Respectable
when Reno takes us bowling
and she cheats.
Respectable
that's me.
© Ellie Terry
I love this poem because, even though it's unclear who the narrator is, or who Beatriz is, or what the relationship between the two is, it IS clear that the narrator is unhappy about her current situation. She comes across as a little sassy, don't you think?
Thank you for sharing this poem with us, Ellie!
About Ellie:
Ellie Terry writes heartfelt contemporary fiction for middle-grade readers, and funny poetry for all ages. Her middle-grade debut, FORGET ME NOT, a free verse novel about a girl with Tourette syndrome, will be published Spring 2017 by Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan. She lives in southern Utah with her husband, three kids, two zebra finches, and a Russian desert tortoise.
Poetry Week by Week would not be complete without at least one review of a verse novel. I've read a few new ones recently, and my favorite is
RHYME SCHEMER by K.A. Holt.
I discovered RHYME SCHEMER by accident. I was browsing the "new books" shelf in the children's area of my local library when this bright yellow cover caught my eye. When I saw the title, I immediately snatched it up, thinking
with a title like that this must be a verse novel (I am always up for a verse novel read). I was right!
RHYME SCHEMER is the story of a bully. The kind of kid who will trip you in the hallway and just generally act like a real jerk. He's even mean through poems that he posts secretly throughout the school! Eventually, though, he is the one being bullied.
This book is everything I love about verse novels. The poems draw you in and make you feel for the main character, Kevin, even though at first he is someone you would love to despise (I mean, who likes a bully, right?). I love the way the author uses poetry not just to tell this character's story, but as an influence in his life. You witness his transformation as a person and as a poet, which the following excerpt illustrates perfectly:
By the way,
this isn't even poetry.
It's just thoughts
on paper
rapid fire
with not as many words
as usual thoughts
and none of those dumb
likes or as-es
or talking about trees
that old ladies like.
These are real thoughts
like a TV scroll
with a flow that's like a stream
that just flies out of my brain
like barf
but less gross.
Most of the time.
Wait.
Three
likes just then.
Oh man.
Maybe this
is poetry.
But cooler than regular poetry.
Yeah.
© K. A. Holt
In some ways, this books reminds me of LOVE THAT DOG by Sharon Creech because of the way Jack and Kevin each have their own journey of discovery and growth through poetry.
RHYME SCHEMER is a fantastic middle grade read. I think it will appeal especially to boys who, in my experience, have been more reluctant to read books in this style. Pick this book up at the library, or purchase a copy for your home or classroom shelves. You won't be sorry!
Poetry Week by Week continues with a guest post by my other daughter, Samantha (my daughter Julia was a guest during week one). Samantha loves to express herself through poetry, and she's quite good at it. Sometimes I think that's funny because she got started at this poetry thing rather reluctantly. I've no doubt she'll go far if she keeps it up!
And now, here is Samantha!
A couple Fridays ago, my university’s jazz choir and I had the privilege of seeing the Real Group, a world-renowned (semi-Swedish) vocal jazz group, live in concert. It was truly one of the most awe-inspiring musical experiences of my life.
The piece that struck me most was their modern rendition of a Latvian folk song. They sang the tune in its original language, but one didn’t have to be fluent in Latvian for the performance to be incredibly impactful.
Afterward I wrote the following poem in an attempt to capture my impression of the piece’s story.
Dziesma (song)
The pale morning stirs sleepily
hushed
under a swath of iridescent clouds,
grass still clinging
to pre-dawn memory.
The sun filters through
a crack
in the sky’s tree-crowned mould,
while below,
a man releases his one, spirited horse
to let it run
free, unspoiled,
among the wildflowers,
to see its coat catch distant light
like the unencumbered sea.
On the hilltop,
against the sky,
mist, hanging low,
betrays vision, muffles untamed hoofbeats—
but the man knows his spirited horse,
who returns home
at the sound of its master’s lonely voice.
About the poet:
Samantha Gomez is an almost-sophomore in college. Her ideal life would be to nerd out about things she loves and get paid for it, so she decided to pursue that dream and become a teacher of history. She hails from somewhere in the picturesque Midwest and answers to the following titles: Mezzo-Soprano, Teller of Tales, Shield-Maiden of Rohan, and Mantis.
If you would like to read more of Samantha's poetry and other ramblings, visit her blog.
Week three of Poetry Week by Week is here! This week we are celebrating free verse poetry.
Free verse is unlike other forms of poetry in that it is free of restrictions. The dictionary on my computer defines free verse as "poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter." Those who aren't as familiar with poetry may mistake free verse for prose with line breaks. They see that it does not rhyme, that it does not have any form or structure, and they scoff. But that is a mistake!
I think of free verse poetry as
ultra concentrated. Every word is intentional. Every line break is there for a purpose. Every use (or omission) of punctuation is by design. In free verse poetry, how the poem is written is as important as the words.
Free verse poetry has a purpose beyond telling a story or sharing an experience. It is meant to pack a punch, to hit you in the gut, tug at your heart, or water your eyes. It is meant to
move you. The best of free verse poems reel you in and make you feel like you're right there in the words.
A skilled author can do this with prose, but it takes a special type of gift to accomplish this with a poem. This is why I hesitated to share one of my own free verse poems with you today. I wondered if I had any that are good enough. And then I thought of a poem I wrote at a difficult time in my life--a poem that, at the time I wrote it, I thought I would never share with anyone.
But...my word for 2016 is
open, and though that doesn't mean I have to share everything, it does mean that I shouldn't be afraid to show a little brokenness now and then. After all, to me, poetry is a gift from God that has always helped me get through hard times. It's one of the tools he uses to piece me back together again. And doesn't that make it worth sharing?
So, here you go.
Precarioussometimes
I feel like I could drown any moment
like that solid life-line that I hold in my grip could
suddenly
become jelly
and squish through my fingers
and my arms
so used to clinging to that rope
won't know what to do
and I'll flail
and gasp
and choke
and slip beneath the surface of the deep
and when that happens,
then what?
will I become calm
like Sam Gamgee in the movie
and let myself sink
deeper and deeper
wondering if a hand will reach down
to rescue me?
will I suddenly remember
my instruction
and use my arms and legs
to pull
and kick my way
back
to the air?
will I breathe
again?
or will I drown?
© Rebecca J. Gomez
I'd love to hear your thoughts on how poetry has helped or influenced you in some way. Do you write or read free verse poetry? Do you have any favorite free verse poems or poets?
It's the end of week two of Poetry Week by Week. Saturday is nearly over. It turned out to be a very busy Saturday in which I barely had time to scribble a poem down as I cooked dinner. But there is nothing like a looming deadline and a piece of scrap paper to give me a little creative boost. So, it may be late, but I made it!
I've had foxes on my brain recently, possibly because the villain in the soon-to-be released HENSEL AND GRETEL: NINJA CHICKS is a fox. Maybe it's because my daughter wrote about a fox for her
concrete poem. In any case, I like foxes. They are fascinating creatures that rarely allow themselves to be seen, at least around here. I've seen one in nature twice. Once I caught a glimpse of a little red face peering out from tall grasses near a state park. Another time I saw one darting across an open field at the edge of a subdivision. I drive past that open field a lot, and am always on the lookout for that flash of red fur! But no fox has shown its face in that area since. So I'll just have to imagine it instead. Which is what I did with the animal rhyme challenge today!
Here is my poem, which may turn out to be just the beginning of a longer poem. We'll see.
Red FoxRed fox
sly and slick.
A zip, a dash, a blur.
I barely catch,
as you dart past,
a glimpse of russet fur.
© Rebecca J. Gomez
What about you? Would you like to join me in this challenge and write a little animal rhyme of your own? If you are inspired, share your poem or link to it in the comments.
Happy rhyming!
The Poetry Week by Week celebration continues with more animal rhyme fun! As I mentioned before, I love rhyming poems about animals because they can be anything from nonsensical silliness about make-believe creatures to rhythmic instruction about the natural world. Today I thought I would share a poem from each extreme!
This first poem is from a book by Jack Prelutsky called THE SWAMPS OF SLEETHE (rhymes with breathe): POEMS FROM BEYOND THE SOLAR SYSTEM. It is a collection of spooky-ish poems about dangerous otherworldly places you probably would not ever want to visit!
Jack Prelutsky has a gift for the silly and the delightfully creepy. If you haven't read THE SWAMPS OF SLEETHE, you should look for it. You won't be disappointed!
The Bugs of Gub
The bugs of Gub, no two alike,
Are all designed to swiftly strike.
They'll swarm upon your tender skin,
And gnaw your nose, and chip your chin.
They're merciless, relentless things,
With dreadful venom in their stings.
They'll land on you with jaws agape,
And soon you'll find there's no escape.
The bugs of Gub will bite and chew
Until there's nothing left of you,
Not even the remotest trace
on Gub, your final resting place.
Like I said, delightfully creepy. Right?
The second poem I would like to share with you is from the book WINTER BEES & OTHER POEMS OF THE COLD by Joyce Sidman. This book is full of gorgeous poems about nature in winter, and equally gorgeous illustrations by Rick Allen. Along with each poem is a short paragraph about the poem's animal subject.
I chose Big Brown Moose to share with you because of its language and rhythm. It has a stompy-trompy feel about it that really feels moose-ish.
I'm a big brown moose,
I'm a rascally moose,
I'm a moose with a tough, shaggy hide;
and I kick and I prance
in a long-legged dance
with my moose-mama close by my side.
I shrug off the cold
and I sneeze at the wind
and I swivel my ears in the snow;
and I tramp and I tromp
over forest and swamp,
'cause there's nowhere a moose cannot go.
Read the rest of the poem
here.
Both of these poems (actually, both of these books!) inspire me to write some critter poems of my own. How about you?
SLICKETY QUICK: POEMS ABOUT SHARKS by Skila Brown is fun collection of poems about sharks large and small, slow and quick! Some of these sharks I've never heard of before (cookie-cutter shark?). The poems are as varied as the sharks; the author does a good job of matching the poem to the nature of the shark it's describing.
The illustrations are eye-catching. The colors remind me of my frequent visits to the aquarium at my local zoo. This is a great book for any fan of sharks or poetry!
Poetry Week by Week continues today with a guest post by children's book author and poet Laura Sassi. This past December I won a copy of Laura Sassi's adorable rhyming picture book, GOODNIGHT, MANGER, which promptly earned a spot on my list of favorite Christmas books. If you haven't read it, you should. And you don't have to wait for Christmas!
Today I am very excited to welcome Laura to the blog to share one of her very own animal rhymes.
Thank you for joining in on the fun, Laura!
Spelling Bee
by Laura Sassi
I wish I had a spelling bee
That spelled words in my ear
Like “marzipan” and “marvelous”
And “cocoa” and "adhere”.
I’d train my bee to buzz me when
I needed silent e’s.
He’d help me sound out syllables
And add apostrophes.
I’d never get an answer wrong
On any spelling quiz.
I’d never have to look up words.
I’d be a spelling whiz!
And once I trained my spelling bee
I see no reason why
To help with math, I might not train
A calculator fly!
“The Spelling Bee” copyright © Laura Sassi. First published in Boys’ Quest Apr/May2012, Vol. 17 Issue 6.
The inspiration behind the poem:
Our school’s annual spelling bee got me wondering -what if there actually was a bee that could spell? Creativity took over and several hours later out popped my poem, “The Spelling Bee.” After multiple revisions, critiques, and my mandatory “let it sit for a couple of weeks” rule, I was ready to submit it. The children’s magazine, BOYS’ QUEST, accepted it and it appeared in their April/May 2102 issue of Boys’ Quest.
Thanks, Becky, for letting me share this poem and the inspiration behind it.
About Laura:
Laura Sassi, author of GOODNIGHT, ARK (Zonderkidz, 2014) and GOODNIGHT, MANGER (Zonderkidz, 2015), has a passion for telling humorous stories. Most, but not all, of her picture books-in-progress are told in rhyme. Either way, she finds writing poems to be fun way to hone her wordplay skills. Laura writes daily from her century-old home in New Jersey where she lives with her husband, two children, and a black Cockapoo named Sophie. In addition to her picture books, which are available wherever books are sold, you can find her poems and stories in numerous children’s publications including Spider, Highlights for Children and Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse Jr. You can connect with Laura on Facebook, Twitter, or by visiting her blog.
In week one of Poetry Week by Week, I celebrated concrete (shape) poems by sharing some favorites, inviting a
guest poet, and challenging myself (and my readers) to try writing a concrete poem or two.
And now, week two of my Poetry Week by Week celebration and challenge is here! The next week will be spent celebrating animal rhymes in their many forms.
You may be wondering what's so special about animal rhymes that I should dedicate an entire week to them on my blog. After all, animal rhyme isn't a poetic form, like haiku or limerick. There's no special technique or unique format used in writing an animal rhyme. Animal rhymes can be anything!
What I love about rhyming critter poems is that they can be anything from a rollicking nonsense rhyme to a lyrical, rhythmic poem that celebrates the natural world. Rhyme is the perfect delivery system for sharing interesting information about fascinating creatures because it encourages listeners to perk up and pay attention!
As a poet, nature has been one of my biggest inspirations. And so, to start off this week of celebrating animal rhymes, here is a poem I wrote about a hummingbird:
Darting left, zipping right,
tiny bird in rapid flight.
Flitting here, fluttering there,
almost lighter than the air.
Humming buzz, whirring zoom,
sipping nectar from a bloom.
Tiny bird in rapid flight,
darting left, zipping right.
I hope you will join me throughout the week as I celebrate animal rhymes. Don't miss tomorrow, when author
Laura Sassi will be stopping by to share an animal rhyme with us!
It is the end of week one, and that means it's CHALLENGE TIME! As promised, I have worked throughout the week to write a few new concrete poems of my own. I ended up with two finished poems and one very rough work-in-progress. The poem I have decided to share here is Hot Air Balloon.
Hot air balloons are a common sight from my back deck. We often spot them on clear, warmish days near the northern horizon, drifting steadily nearer above the rooftops. A few days ago I saw the first balloon of the season, and that is what inspired this concrete poem.
This poem was fun to write and format. The formatting of a poem like this can easily be done in a word processing program, but I took it a step further and made a fun background for it using Picmonkey. What do you think?
Did you participate in this week's concrete poetry challenge? I'd love to see any poems you came up with. Share them (or link to them) in the comments! If you didn't write your own, feel free to link to a favorite or two.
Concrete Poetry Week continues with a guest post by my daughter, Julia Gomez. When I told her that I needed (well...wanted) a guest poet to share a concrete poem on my blog for this week, she enthusiastically volunteered for the challenge. She didn't have a concrete poem on hand to share, so she wrote one especially for this event! I had no idea what she would write, but I was not surprised at all when she revealed this little Fox. Well, done, Julia. I could not be more delighted in your little poem.
Isn't it darling? If this doesn't inspire you to try your own concrete poem, I'm not sure what will!
If you would like to share this poem, please link to this page rather than saving the image. Please do not print this poem without permission from the author. You can contact her through her
blog.
About the poet:
Julia is a college student majoring in disorganization and procrastination. While singing is her primary occupation, Julia also likes to write poetry for trees and other things that don’t understand English. She currently resides beneath an endless blue sky, beside a very fine patch of green grass.
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