Spring has returned to Goose Lake. The roses are in bloom. The cardinals are back. The pool is open. And the toads have regathered for extra helpings of love. I thought the mating season was over after we observed thousands of tadpoles swimming in the water that covered the pool. But the guys are out there every night now, singing at a fever pitch, each trying to outdo his competitors to entice music-loving females to their embrace. The pool is at once an enticement and a danger to the singing tenors that gather around it at night. What saves some of them from drowning when they can’t climb out of the pool and grow weary is a little gadget that our grandson TYLER WILLIAMS gave us two or three years ago. The pictures show how it works to save lives. This is the season that throbs with life around the lake and in our back yard. I love it all.
I just learned that my book with LYNNE KULICH and TIM RASINSKI is coming out sooner than I thought. The Fluency Development Lesson: Closing the Reading Gap, a Professional Development Book published by Benchmark Education, is set for a July 15 pub date. The cover is posted on Amazon.
More about it soon. With one more potential 2024 release yet to go, I’m going to have a pleasant and busy fall.
I recently started work on a new collection of poems, even though I have no reason to think it will find a home in today’s publishing world. Why? Because the poems are funny. Traditionally, poems for children tended to be rather serious and didactic. Along came Silverstein and Prelutsky and changed all that. They gave poets permission to be funny, even silly, because children want, need, and delight in be tickled. I owe both of those poets my gratitude. I began my career with a number of collections of humorous poems. The first one, Somebody Catch My Homework, sold the first printing in weeks and was into its third printing in months.
I followed Somebody Catch My Homework with The Boy Who Counted Stars, A Thousand Cousins, and The Alligator in the Closet, all filled with funny poems. During the years since then, I’ve seen a swing back toward poems that teach. These days we tend to write to fit into classroom lessons, to advance a child’s education. The poetry can be well done and much of it is, but I’d guess that the number of books written mostly to amuse and encourage a desire to read more books is a smaller percentage of the whole than it was for a while.
LIFE’S NOT FAIR! (from Alligator in the Closet)
I changed the roll An hour ago So there’d be plenty there.
I’m telling you The roll was new, We even had a spare.
So now I go, And don’t you know, The roll’s completely bare.
I have to yelp And cry for help! Life just isn’t fair!
THE TROUBLE WITH MY HOUSE (from The Boy Who Counted Stars)
I haven’t any windows And I haven’t any doors, I haven’t any ceilings And I haven’t any floors, I haven’t got an attic And I haven’t any halls, I haven’t got a basement And I haven’t any walls, I haven’t got a roof And that’s the reason, I suppose, Why rain keeps falling on my head And dripping off my nose.
WHAT MAKES IT ALL WORTHWHILE (from A Thousand Cousins)
I do my homework every night, I climb in bed by nine, I say, “Yes, ma’am” and “No, sir,” And I never beg or whine. I make my bed And clean my room And hang my clothes away. I shine my shoes And wash my hair And shower every day. Mama says that I’m as good As any son could be, And Daddy tells my brother To try to be more like me. Which makes my brother crazy, Which makes me sweetly smile, Which makes him scream, “I’ll get you for this!” Which makes being good worthwhile.
I miss those days and want to be funny again, if I remember how, even though it may be harder to find an editor who can find a place for it. Even if I can’t, I will still love writing funny poems for an audience of children who may or may not ever hear them.
Our thanks to ROBIN and TIM for having us over for Mother’s Day dinner last night. Wonderful food and loving company. Before and after the meal, we sat on their porch around their fire pit. Grandson KRIS was there and grandson TYLER with JOSIE came by for a visit. A delightful evening. And next weekend we get to do it again when JEFF will be here to join us.
I’m pleased to provide the link to this week’s featured guest on Poetry from Daily Life, ELLEN HOPKINS. My thanks to Ellen for provided so much thoughtful and helpful advice on our theme subject. As each week passes, I am enjoying the conversation more and more.
We need to add more newspapers so please keep thinking about possibilities and let me know. Thanks to all for your continued support of Poetry from Daily Life and the dozens of immensely talented guests who are appearing in it.
Children's Author David L. Harrison's Blog 