Sold a book

Hi everyone,

I’ve accepted an offer on a new book! This one is an activity poem that will be illustrated as a picture book for K-2 kids. I can’t announce details yet but that doesn’t keep me from celebrating.

I thought I had this book placed sometime ago when an editor loved it and wanted to publish it. After waiting for months for a decision, she had to pass because she couldn’t get unanimous approval from her publication committee. The poem was part of a longer manuscript and in both cases, the editors passed on the manuscript but pulled my poem from it to publish as a stand-alone book. I’m delighted!

I wrote the poem five years ago for my friend, TERRELL YOUNG, a professor of children’s literature at Brigham Young University. Terrell was working with kindergarten teacher AMY WHITE and wanted to know if I had a certain kind of poem in my files. I did not, so I wrote one for him. Not long afterward, I posted this picture and others of Amy’s students acting out the poem I’d sent. I’m very glad that one of these days when the poem is published as a book, kids everywhere can hear the story and, perhaps, act out its parts. It’s a good thought.

Lovely things can grow from seeds

Hi everyone,

A few weeks ago Terrell Young, who is a professor of children’s literature at Brigham Young University, asked if I had a pumpkin poem in my files suitable for kindergarten children. I did not but told him I would write one. I sent the result to Terrell who then shared it with Amy White, who teaches kindergarten at the BYU Lab School, and Amy shared it with her children.

I love the pictures Amy sent of the kids acting out actions described in the poem.

With Amy’s help, the students made a poster-card to send me, which of course I found to be utterly charming. The poster arrived yesterday so here I am beaming like I just swallowed a mouse. Thank you, kids!