This is the hour of
Kenn Nesbitt! Our former Children's Poet Laureate has worked for more than two years with over 130 poets to produce one of the loveliest anthologies of poetry I've ever held in my hands. (As a contributor, I have already had this pleasure though the book release is not until November 1.) I think one of the big appeals of
One Minute Till Bedtime is that it feels distinctly old-fashioned.
The heft of the book, the feel of the dust jacket and the paper inside (smooth but not slick) contribute to this initial sensation. The hand-chalked title and cover illustration glow forth from a deep purple background.
Christoph Niemann's robust drawings build the feeling--they appear simple and straightforward but they carry (like good
writing for children) layers of imagination and emotion. And the poems inside, not all of which are sleepy or soft by any means, are
cozy nonetheless--they speak to the experiences that children have at home, in their early close relationships with people, objects and the creatures of the natural world. There's no flash, no high-tech, no gloss--just outstanding design and sensitive curation.
In a time of--would you agree with me?--global unrest, when anyone who is paying attention to the Big Picture must carry a sense of unease, this book is somehow comforting and reassuring. It confirms that the fundamental, ritual experience of going to bed with a story, poem or song shared in the voice of a beloved caregiver is alive and well.
So it's fitting that when Kenn was invited to an
interview over at Michelle Heidenrich Barnes's blog, he offered this challenge:
Write a poem for your mother. Write it for your mother and give it to her. It can be any kind of poem you like, as long as it’s especially for her. In my opinion, a poem is the best gift you can ever give someone. It doesn’t cost you anything but a little thought and time, and yet it will be treasured forever.
And fittingly enough, I have just such a gift poem in my archives! I posted it to the Ditty of the Month Club Padlet and now I share it with you here--a poem about precisely that experience I described above, of being rhymed and rhythmed, thrilled and calmed each morning, noon and night by the voice of my mother, Lila (nee Zingerline) Mordhorst.
A History of Your Voice
Mothers’ Day 2011
this little piggy stayed home
for so long we were
together all the time
together all alone
together all among
open the doors and see all the people
four gray geese in a flock
for so long you listened to every word I
began to say
forgot to say
dared to say
wire briar limber lock
we parted disintegrated
re membered recombined
apple seed and apple thorn
for so long now we are
winding threads
dropping threads
picking up threads
sit and sing by a spring
there were two old Indians crossing the Mississippi
ripping a seam here and there
putting right sides together
stitching further rivers
would you like to hear the rest?
© Heidi Mordhorst
The round-up for this Poetry Friday is with Linda at
TeacherDance. May you hear today in your travels the voice of someone who spoke to you with love at bedtime--and may we seek that for every child.
Bigfoot is Missing!
J. Patrick Lewis and Kenn Nesbitt (Children’s Poet Laureates, past and present)
Illustrated by MinaLima (Miraphora Mina & Eduardo Lima)
Chronicle Books 4/1/2015
978-1-4521-1895-6
40 pages Ages 7+
“What beast stalks the dim northern forests?
What horror tunnels under the sands of the desert?
What monster lies in wait beneath murky lake water?
“Bigfoot, the Mongolian Death Worm, the Loch Ness Monster—these and many more creatures lurk within these pages. Are they animals yet discovered? Are they figments of imagination? Only eerie whispers and sinister rumors give us hints at the truth.
“Children’s Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis (2011-2013) and Children’s Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt (2013-2015) team up to offer a tour of the creatures of shadowy myth and fearsome legend—the enticing, the humorous, and the strange.”
Review
“CRYPTOZOOLOGY is the study of hidden animals, or those whose real existence has not yet been proven.”
Have you ever wondered about Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, or any other cryptid? If so, then this interesting picture book is for you, regardless of age. Is this nonfiction or fiction? That will depend on whether you believe any of these extremely unusual creatures are real, or from the imagination.
I do love the layout of the book. Reading feels like a world tour of the odd. You must look everywhere to find the poems: missing posters, park signs, classified ads, and on plastic bottles stuck in the mud of a swamp. Immediately, you will realize an ingenious poet—uh, two ingenious poets—wrote Bigfoot is Missing .
Kids will enjoy this book, especially if they like the weird and unusual. The illustrations are colorful renderings of the cryptid’s home, be it park, ocean, or roaming the United States. Despite the subject matter, not a single scary page or poem exists in this kid-friendly picture book. Bigfoot is Missing is a great choice for April Poetry Month. For those unsure what to believe, the authors included a short descriptive history of each creature. Chronicle Books offers a teacher’s guide, in line with several common core areas.*
BIGFOOT IS MISSING. Text copyright © 2015 by J. Patrick Lewis and Kenn Nesbitt. Illustrations copyright (2015) by MinaLima. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, CA.
Purchase Bigfoot is Missing at Amazon—B&N—Book Depository—Chronicle Books.
Learn more about Bigfoot is Missing HERE. (check it out!)
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Meet the former Children’s Poet Laureate, J. Patrick Lewis, at his website: http://www.jpatricklewis.com/
Meet the current Children’s Poet Laureate, Kenn Nesbitt, at his website: http://www.poetry4kids.com/
Meet the illustrators, MinaLima, at their website: http://www.minalima.com/
Find more picture books that are wonderful at the Chronicle Books website: http://www.chroniclebooks.com/
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*“Correlates to Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards: Comprehension and Collaboration, 2-5.2; Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas, 2-5.4, 2-5.5; Reading Standards for Literature: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas, 2-5.7” (from Chronicle Books Poetry Picture Books teacher’s guide)
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Copyright © 2015 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews
Filed under:
6 Stars TOP BOOK,
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Library Donated Books,
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Top 10 of 2015 Tagged:
Chronicle Books,
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forlklore,
J. Patrick Lewis,
Kenn Nesbitt,
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Inspired by Kenn Nesbitt’s, “My Brother’s not a Werewolf”. Hope you enjoy. Tale of the WeirdoWolfBy Donna Earnhardt He transformed in the daytimeavoiding moonlit nightsHe cringed at his own shadow,fear brought him no delight He was a vegetarian.He loved to draw and paint.And when he howled,No one was cowed*,Except for him… He’d faint. …
I don't know about you, but the beginning of summer has been pretty busy at our house, especially getting our two daughters into their new summer camp routines and dealing with the heat. Work has been busy for me, too, so I'm thankful that the end of the week is finally here. I'm definitely ready for a break--a poetry break!
Here's a fun children's poem by Kenn Nesbitt, who graciously shares so many of his poems on his interactive website
Poetry4kids.com. I'm sharing it as part of Poetry Friday, which is being hosted today by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater from
The Poem Farm. Enjoy...
When Daniel Went Dancing
When Daniel went dancing that night at the fair
he leapt on the stage with his arms in the air.
He ran back and forth at a neck-breaking pace,
then back-flipped and cartwheeled all over the place.
He jumped like a jumping bean, bounced like a ball,
careened off the ceiling, and ran down the wall.
He flew through the room with an ear-splitting scream
til, shaking and sobbing, he ran out of steam.
The witnesses watching could see at a glance
that Dan had invented some new kind of dance.
They cheered and applauded. They gave him First Prize.
The cried, "You're a genius in all of our eyes!"
So now, just like Daniel, from Finland to France,
they sit on a cactus to start every dance.
Copyright © 2012 Kenn Nesbitt
All Rights Reserved
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CUTE!
Donna,
Just the kind I’d like to meet and invite to our annual family hayride.
I hope we learn about his friends.
This is so cute!
Thanks, y’all! It was fun. I’m working on another one, now, about one of his friends. :)
Fun!
That was adorable and funny! I loved the last line!
A fun way to sharpen your writing skills, huh?