Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Celebrate! Poem in Your Pocket Day, National Poetry Month, or Anything at All!


If you look, you can always find something to celebrate. I thought I'd wrap up National Poetry Month by featuring the brand-new Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations, compiled by Sylvia Vardell & Janet Wong, published by Pomelo Books

It contains 156 poems for holidays throughout the year by children's poets you've heard of, such as Kenn Nesbitt, Eric Ode, Jane Yolen, David L. Harrison, J. Patrick Lewis, Nikki Grimes, Joyce Sidman, Laura Purdie Salas, and many others! It also includes poems by some not-so-well known poets, including me! I'm thrilled to be in this amazing company!

And here is my celebration poem for International Friendship Day:



Pomelo published a student edition (shown) with poems in English and Spanish and a teacher/librarian version that includes activities, literature connections, standards alignment, and tips for teaching and using poetry with children.

Continue the year 'round celebrating with the following book of poetry and artwork representing the four seasons.


The poems were selected by Paul B. Janeczko, who was featured in my previous blog post. Poems include old and new, familiar and unfamiliar, by poets such as Carl Sandburg, William Carlos Williams, Ted Kooser, and Alice Schertle. In keeping with the book's subtitle, the poems are indeed very short. Melissa Sweet's mixed media illustrations add to the festivities.

Finally, we close National Poetry Month with Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 30. What poem is in your pocket? What poem would you give others for their pockets? 

Keep a poem in your pocket and celebrate, because every day is precious.





7 comments:

  1. Both wonderful books. I love your friendship poem, think children would love to learn those 'hello' words, and practice them throughout a week! My students are giving a "poem for a pocket" to staff members today-fun to do! Thanks, Jane.

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  2. Thank you for your kind words, Linda. I hope your students--and their poem receipients--are enjoying poetry today!

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  3. Jane, your friendship poem is wonderful! Thanks for saying "Hello" to me!

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    1. Thank you for saying "hello" back and for leaving a comment here, Deb!

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  4. Hi Jane,

    I work for the company that produces Mutual of Omaha’s Aha Moment campaign; check out www.mutualofomaha.com/aha to see what an aha moment is and the incredible stories we’ve filmed over the last several years. As I came across your website, I couldn't help but think you might have an aha moment to share.

    For the 6th year, we’re taking our 34-foot Airstream mobile film studio on the road again for the 2015 Aha Moment Tour, visiting 20 cities across America to capture inspirational, life-changing aha moments from folks all over the country. We are headed to Sioux Falls, SD on July 15th and 16th and would love to invite you to share an aha moment, and how your life has changed since. You would just have to step into the Airstream studio for a few minutes and tell your story on film to our tour producer Jessica Henry. Your video will then be posted to www.mutualofomaha.com/aha, where you will be able to share it with your friends and family via email, Facebook and Twitter!

    On July 15th and 16th from 10am to 6pm, we will be parked at Falls Park, Visitor Information Center, 900 N Phillips Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD 57104. Here is a map link to the location: https://goo.gl/maps/b2zne

    We’d love to have you. Let me know as soon as possible and I can reserve your time slot.

    Many thanks!

    Olivia Lasky
    tour@ahamoment.com

    Follow the Tour:
    twitter.com/myahamoment
    facebook.com/myahamoment
    instagram.com/myahamoment
    youtube.com/myahamoment
    --
    ahamoment.com

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