Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.)
This is Week 2 (Week 1 here) of my sharing a few bits from my three books on the 2020 NCTE Poetry Notables list! So honored about this!
Before I share tidbits, I have to show you this. You might know how my very supportive husband Randy is always sharing my good news and making me cool things based on my books. [Edited to add: Randy has actually been in the hospital since Tuesday with a kidney stone and bad infection. Hoping he gets to come home today. I apologize in advance if I don’t get to reply to comments.] Well, when Randy shared my lovely Poetry Notables news, my nephew Gabriel Justus gave me a shout-out, too. Gabriel is a very smart and wickedly funny attorney in Georgia, and here’s his Facebook post. (He’s also an awesome writer. I expect to be sharing news about his own literary accomplishments someday.)
warmth + light = alarm clock
During the winter, some animals hibernate to survive the cold. As they snooze, their heart rate and breathing s l o w w a y d o w n. Hibernating animals wake up when spring days grow warmer and longer.
stream + snowmelt = stampede!
As mountaintop snows melt in spring, the water flows downhill and joins rivers rolling toward the ocean. A stream can swell into a racing river, just for spring!
[And the final equation in the book:]
you + the world = ?
Spring changes the world, and it might change you, too. What happens when you explore the wonders of spring? That’s an equation only you can solve.
–Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved
Micha Archer’s amazing oil, collage paper, and digital illustrations bring spring to life in this book. That dandelion spread. <3 <3 <3 Visit with Catherine Flynn to find the Poetry Friday Roundup!
12 Responses
Hooray for good news and good nephews to share it with such good humor! I love the equation poems. There are endless possibilities for adding or subtracting…maybe even more complex orders of operation? Now, I have go off to think!
Your nephew is hilarious ‘I visit the jail’ made me laugh out loud! I do hope Randy is home and healing.
I love this clever book, Laura! And congratulations on having three books on the NCTE list! You are an inspiration.
I do love this book, Laura, filled with new ideas of connections we might never notice, and love the words from your nephew Gabriel.
Hi Laura. These equations do make me think and I’m sure they inspire conversations with children. Congratulations on your success this year and I am sure it will continue!
Hooray for good news! I love your nephew’s response.. He got a giggle from me. Hope Randy is feeling much, much better soon.
Laura, I love these equation poems that you shared! Many congratulations for having your wonderful books recognized! And hope Randy feels better soon.
I love everything about this book — the math, the poetry, and the illustrations!
This was one of my favorites from this last year. Such an original concept so very well done. And your nephew is a hoot!
Congratulations, Laura. You know that this book of yours is one of my favorites.
Thanks for sharing these peeks into your book Laura, I’m looking forward to some changes and perhaps some will begin this spring. Hope your husband is on the mend and returns home soon.
Your clever book just keeps going and going. We can write endless equations in our classrooms. And Hurray for nephews!