Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Kids Caught Reading


He's reading an Usbourne book called Prehistoric Animals. He's very interested in dire wolves and saber-toothed cats after a recent visit to the La Brea Tar Pits with his grandma. 

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Illustrated Children's Poetry Anthologies I Love

Contemporary volumes. 
Kennedy-Muth are a terrific combination. "Feathers" by Joseph Bruchac from The Tree That Time Built causes me to spontaneously burst into tears. 

Titles, clockwise from top left:




Vintage and out-of-print titles. The two on the right include great background information and biographical details. 

Titles, clockwise from top left:


And here are two very special contemporary poems I first met in the Kennedy-Muth Family book. I think both them might resonate with the readership of this blog.

To P.J. (2 yrs. old. who sed write a poem for me in Portland, Oregon)
by Sonia Sanchez

if i cud ever write a
poem as beautiful as u
little 2/yr/old/brotha,
i wud laugh, jump, leap
up and touch the stars
cuz u be the poem i try for
each time i pick up a pen and paper
u. and Morani and Mungu
be our blue/blk/stars that
will shine on our lives and
makes us finally BE.
if i cud ever write a poem as beautiful
as u, little 2/yr/old/ brotha,
poetry wud go out of bizness.



Scaffolding
by Seamus Heaney

Masons, when they start upon a building,
Are careful to test out the scaffolding;

Make sure that planks won't slip at busy points,
Secure all ladders, tighten bolted joints.

And yet all this comes down when the job's done,
Showing off walls of sure and solid stone.

So if, my dear, there sometimes seems to be
Old bridges breaking between you and me,

Never fear. We may let the scaffolds fall,
Confident that we have built our wall.