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Children’s illustrator, Vesper Stamper sent in this whimsical mother and daughter illustration to help us celebrate Mother’s Day. Vesper was featured on Illustrator Saturday http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/illustrator-saturday-vesper-stamper/.

Happy Mother’s Day! Eileen Spinelli has shared a poem to help us celebrate Mother’s Day. It reminds us how a mother feels about their child and that our Mom will always be with you. Today is the day to remember her.

RESPONSE TO A CHILD

Always

I will be your mother.

Long into the spill of time
and when time no longer
has anything to do with
dawn or dark.

I will be your mother…

the local newspapers
and the rattling cat-bird songs.
You can grow up
wild and bright.
You can be wind
or fire,
willow or oak.

You can breathe green.
You can wear poppies
in your hair.
You can stand astonished
in the moonlight
or peek from a safe,
moonless space–

I will be your mother.

I may turn into sky
or red clay
or simply bones.
I may become delicate
as milkweed
or hammered hard
as canyon cleft–

but I will be
your mother.

Yes.

Always.

by Eileen Spinelli

Thank you Eileen for sharing your poem with us. Did you see Eileen’s latest book, ANOTHER DAY WITH EMILY?

Spinelli’s free verse presents a summer of self-acceptance for one girl. Suzy is almost 12 when her 4-year-old brother sees their elderly neighbor collapse. He dials 911 and becomes a “little hero” in their town. Suddenly everything revolves around him, and no one seems to care about Suzy’s needs. Worse, she doesn’t get a part in the community play, but her best friend, Alison, does. Suzy is feeling decidedly unloved and decides that her best bet is to emulate a poet she has recently learned about—Emily Dickinson. Suzy insists on being called Emily and makes a list of Emily-appropriate activities (write poems, dust, read, listen to crickets). But Suzy soon finds that being a recluse is a lonely occupation. Lots of white space on the page, short chapters and appealing illustrations make this an unintimidating read for even the most reluctant readers. And besides, it’s a rollicking good story. Spinelli mixes dollops of wit with her dabs of pathos to keep things lively and realistic in a fresh way that nevertheless feels comfortably old-fashioned. The interspersed bits of history (the origin of baseball, some famous people of the 1800s) and wholesome activities (bicycle riding, helping neighbors, going to the library) make this a story to be enjoyed and appreciated by readers weary of the mall-shopping, cellphone-centric, mean-girl genre. A witty and endearing story with a timeless message. (Verse fiction. 9-12) – Kirkus Reviews

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy