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Feeling Sheepish?

I’m so tickled that Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom is including If You Want to Knit Some Mittens on their website for educators! Although this picture book is a funny, fictional, friendship story, it’s also the story of how a pair of wool mittens starts with a sheep’s coat, which goes through many transformations to

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Jitters and a Giveaway

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Many folks in the Poetry Friday community have been sharing their poems from What Is a Friend?, edited by Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell. This book benefits IBBY, with the editors and poets all donating their efforts. I’m thrilled to share my poem with you,

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Insomnia — a Dansa

Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Before I share today’s poem, I’m inviting you to check out my Halloween riddle-ku that I shared on Wednesday. I also shared an invitation for people who have a young student or family member who might be willing to be in a book

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Who Wants to Be in a Video? And a Riddle-Ku for Halloween

Hi, educators! I hope you’re well. I’m sick as a dog in Florida, and I’m having to cancel my storytime in Minnesota for tomorrow. I’ve never had to do that in 15 years of author visits & storytimes. Sigh. Meanwhile, two things for you today! I’m Looking for Kids to Answer a Question in a

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2 Brinicle Poems and a Cover Reveal

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Before I share poems, I invite you to check out John Schu’s cover reveal for one of my Spring 2023 picture books. Click here to see Alexandria Neonakis’ gorgeous cover for FINDING FAMILY: THE DUCKLING RAISED BY LOONS. Y’all know I love science poetry, and

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Pictures from Scotland and Thoughts on Being a World Citizen

In September, I visited Scotland with my husband, sister, and brother-in-law—and our daughter Maddie joined us for a couple of days in Edinburgh. I’m so grateful to have had this trip. Whenever I’m lucky enough to travel, I think about what people all over the world have both in common and in difference—and how to

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Plume — Another Definito

Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Last week, I shared a definito poem of the word “folly.” While I was working on that, I decided to do a second one, too. I have several books coming out in the spring, and I thought it might be fun to write

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Activity Sheets for Your K‑2 Plants Unit

Fall is my favorite season, when I get to enjoy cooler weather and gorgeous leaves here in Minnesota. For my book A Leaf Can Be…, I have a gazillion (well, not a gazillion, but 30+) downloadable reading and writing sheets tied into common core ELA standards for grades K‑2. Here’s an example. Just click here 

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Folly — a Definito

Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) [ETA: Our older daughter had unexpected gallbladder removal yesterday, so I’ll be a bit behind in replying to your comments. (She’s doing okay but is in a lot of pain.) Looking forward to getting to them sometime over the weekend, though. Which, come

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Flight #PoetryFriday

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) You guys, Scotland was amazing. It was just magical to be able to travel with my husband and my sister and her husband, and then to have Maddie join us for the last weekend in Edinburgh (the Queen–that’s a whole other story). Here are a

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Thank You, Educators — a Post-Pandemic (well, sort of) Poem

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) We’re home! We spent two fabulous weeks in Scotland, and I’m so grateful for the trip! I will share some photos eventually. Meanwhile, I’m happy to be back to Poetry Friday. Here’s a poem I just shared with teachers in my September e‑letter. (Are you

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Secrets of the Loon Storytimes—and What Flew By Last Night?

[Still off the grid, but I’ll be back next week!] Wow, did I have a loony summer. That’s because Yvonne Pearson (author of Little Loon Finds His Voice) and I teamed up for 14 Minnesota storytimes about loons. FOURTEEN! Whee! Here’s a quick photo gallery, and I want to give big thanks to Yvonne, Cortney

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2 Small Reads Roundups for Right Now!

Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m off the grid, filling the creative well right now (and SO excited about it!). But I did want to point y’all toward 2 Small Reads Roundups that might be useful for you if you’re a teacher. Follow the links to find boatloads

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I Can’t Say for Sure

Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was the bop poem, and I didn’t like it. It’s a longer (to me) form, and I liked a few of the examples I read, but it’s not a form that calls out to me. But,

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Hidden Life #PoetryFriday

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Before I share my little poem this week, here are a few things: Joy Moore shares an example of the purposeful use of mixed meter in We Belong at her blog yesterday! Thanks, Joy! And Kathy Temean shares the behind-the-scenes journey of We Belong here,

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