Welcome to Poetry Month 2018 at No Water River!
Please take a moment to peruse the how-to below, and then dive in! Happy writing — and thank you for helping to build our collection(s)!
Remember: The Community Collections are open indefinitely, so you can visit each post at your leisure to add your poem!
Today’s Guest…
is an up-and-coming picture book writer whose beautiful debut tale IMANI’S MOON inspires us all to reach high for our dreams. Please welcome the exuberant storyteller and educator …
JANAY BROWN-WOOD
THE POEM
THE PROMPT
Is there a person or an animal you love? Or maybe an object that does not get the credit it deserves? Try writing an ode, a poem praising something like an animal, object, or person. OR, try writing a poem in a shape related to the subject of the poem. And here’s an even bigger challenge: can you write your ode in a shape poem?
COMMUNITY COLLECTION 4: ODES
WANT TO ADD YOUR POEM?
1. Paste it into the comment section below. I will gather the poems and add them to this post. OR
2. Email it to me at renee@reneelatulippe.com and I will add it to this post (graphics welcome)!
*****
Ode to My Blanket
from wake-up ‘til sleep
.
and buddy for keeps.
but strong as a shield.
and picnics out in the field
or forget where you are
I look everywhere, EVERYWHERE
near and far
and dries you
I even wait by the
laundry room door!
.
and very favorite present–
my own sweet blanket.
.
(c) Linda Mitchell
Afternoon Apology
Ode to Journal
©Kirstine Call 2018
Ode to a Stir-Fry Spatula
Ode to the G2
.
© 2018 Colleen Murphy
Ode to Earthworms
Worms tunnel through soil,
help the plants grow,
feed the red robins.
Thanks, worms!
Worms lure fish in the pond
to my hook, line, and pole—
soon, my bobber is bobbing!
Yay, worms!
© Linda Jean Thomas
I’ll let you in. I’ll let you out.
© 2018 Gabi Snyder
Ode to Sound
.
© 2018 Gabi Snyder
Ode to a Pimple
a seething volcano
(c) Ann Magee 2018
My Baby Grew Up
filled with laughter and play,
there were firsts every day,
fun was never outdone.
.
Squeeze me so tight,
cottony feel,
exquisite zeal,
such sweet delight.
.
Now you’ve got a son
who sends you that light
dazzling and bright
Son, you are his one.
.
Singing a song,
two warm loving guys,
both breathe happy sighs,
two hearts who belong.
.
Wish you’d recall
past days long ago,
didn’t think you’d outgrow,
loving Mom most of all.
© 2018 Robyn Campbell
Tribute to My Friend
THE POET
JaNay Brown-Wood has been a performer, preschool teacher, camp counselor, poet, silly-song singer, youth specialist, designer of curriculum, Harry Potter lover, college professor, reader, jellybean eater, and someone who truly cares about our future generations.
Not only does JaNay have a passion for writing and performing, but she has a strong calling for educating as well. Her interests led her to UCLA where she graduated with her BA in Psychology and Applied Developmental Psychology, and then on to CSU Sacramento where she earned her MA in Child Development.
Currently, she works as an Early Childhood Education professor at American River College and is married to her fantastic husband Catrayel, who was also her high school sweetheart (they were the first black couple to be crowned Sunnyside’s Homecoming King and Queen back in high school).
Her first picture book, Imani’s Moon, won the NAESP Children’s Book of the Year Award, is a Northern CA ACL 2014 Distinguished Book, and was a Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) Multicultural Book pick for 2015. JaNay’s poetry has been featured in Highlights for Kids and Highlights High Five. Her second book, Grandma’s Tiny House: A Counting Story, has received starred reviews and praise from Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, and others.
Janay lives in Sacramento, CA. Discover more about the author and her books at www.JanayBrownWood.com.
(from the author’s website)
THE BOOKS
GRANDMA’S TINY HOUSE: A COUNTING STORY
This sweet, rhyming counting book introduces young readers to numbers one through fifteen as Grandma’s family and friends fill her tiny house on Brown Street. Neighbors, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and grandkids crowd into the house and pile it high with treats for a family fe
But when the walls begin to bulge and no-body has space enough to eat, one clever grandchild knows exactly what to do.
Where there’s a will there’s a way when families grow and come together. (from Amazon.com)
IMANI’S MOON
“A challenge is only impossible until someone accomplishes it.”
Little Imani is the smallest one in her village. The other children make fun of her and tell her she’s too tiny, that she’s an ant, that a meerkat might stomp her, and that she’ll never amount to anything. Imani begins to believe them.
At bedtime, Imani’s mama tells her stories of the Maasai mythologies: about Olapa, the moon goddess and about Anansi the spider. They accomplished what would seem impossible. Imani’s mama tells her that she is the one who needs to believe if she wants to achieve great things. So, Imani sets out to touch the moon.
This beautiful story of a little girl who believed will inspire young readers to reach for their own moons. (from the Charlesbridge website)
Don’t miss a prompt! Save this calendar to your desktop.
CALENDAR OF POETS ~ APRIL 2018
Copyright on poems held by authors indicated. All rights reserved.
Other post content © 2018 Renée M. LaTulippe or as indicated. All rights reserved.
Author photo by Tatsu.
Fish photo by Chevanon Photography via Pexels (no attribution required).
Good Morning Renee and Janay! I seldom write in the voice of a preschooler. It’s hard for me. So, my poem draft today is an attempt. Thank you both so much for the chance to meet Janay, see some of her books and the prompt. I’m having so much fun….and it’s only day 3!
You must be in poetry fog, Linda — it’s day 4! 😀 😀 And you can write in any voice you want — your ode does not have to be for preschoolers. You do what you do! 🙂
Thanks for bringing us JaNay René, and thanks for the terrific prompt JaNay!
Janay, I’ve added in a late poem, but also wanted to tell you how much I love Imani’s Moon. It is just wonderful!
Thanks for the post. Always a delight to see Janay.
I posted a work in progress poem because i was inspired and happy to read more about Janay. Loving your adventuresome NaPoMo prompts and posts, Renee. You are busy busy busy times a million. I mean you have little kids!! Even if the two older are in school. Inspiring, you.
Janet Clare F.
There is a YouTube video of someone reading Grandma’s Tiny House, a book I did not know and since my grandgirl is starting to be interested in counting I wanted to see how it might appeal to her. A delight. The wisdom of the tiny child, the happiness of a large and busy, sharing family, all those gifts. A wonderful book so very glad I got to find it thanks to your post Renee!
What a fun poem and prompt! Thank you JaNay!
Thank you so much for this wonderful resource. I’m inspired, excited, and so much less intimidated to work through poetry with my students because of it.
I hope to share some of their work with you in gratitude. In the meantime, know that you have provided something wonderful for a teacher and students who need it!
Sincerely,
Kristin
Kristin, how wonderful! I’m so glad you are finding this series useful for your teaching — that’s what it’s all about!
You mention that you have been intimidated by poetry in the past … have you tried THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY series? They are great resources for quick daily poem activities, with lots of instructions to make it easy.
And of course I would love to see your students’ work! Thank you for sharing poetry with them. 🙂