Hi everyone,

My thanks to NILE STANLEY, poet and Chair, Department of Childhood Education at University of North Florida, for reviewing, RUM PUM PUM in the latest issue of The Florida Literacy Journal. JANE YOLEN and I co-wrote the story, richly illustrated by ANJAN SARKAR, and published by Holiday House in 2020. Nile is a former editor of the Florida Reading Quarterly and founder and chair of the annual Poetry Olio of the Conference of the International Literacy Association.
In his review, he states, “This is a book that children will want to experience again and again. The book lends itself naturally to storytelling because the plot is engaging, simple, and fast-paced…I found the experiences of teaching the book to children equally satisfying through the techniques of visual storytelling, read aloud, and literary storytelling. I eagerly introduced the book to a large group of aged 3 to 5 preschoolers with a picture walk through the book.”
Thank you, Nile. I hope our paths will cross again one of these days, at a conference or elsewhere.
I was hoping the Clinton-Essex-Franklin library system had this book so I could borrow it and learn how you made the story “engaging, simple, and fast-paced” – but alas, it’s not in our tri-county library system.
I’m sorry Yvona. I hope they get a copy soon.
Great review!!
(“Hello” to Nile from “Casey!”)
Ha. He’ll get a kick out of that!
For the rest of you, Su played the mighty Casey in performances of The Ballad of Casey at the Bat, put on by Nile and other poets at Poetry Olios for IRA conferences. And a fine Casey you made, Slugger Su! Hugs.
LOL! It was always fun to play “Casey” as Nile read the famous poem! Ahhh – the good ol’ days!