A Home Like This, When a Butterfly Goes to School, and the Poetry Friday Roundup!

Welcome, and happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m hosting today, and I’m glad you’ve dropped by. Whether you’re a regular participant in the Poetry Friday world, or you ended up here from a search or a link, please know that we’re a welcoming community! Read, comment, think, share, and enjoy!

This week, I’m sharing some goodies from and about my two spring board books. They both come out on March 4 from Creative Editions. Whee! They make such beautiful books! One’s a rhyming nonfiction poem, and the other’s a lyrical story/extended metaphor. I’ll let you figure out which is which :>) Different artists created stunning and very different art for the two books. Let’s see…

A Home Like This

  • just got a STARRED REVIEW from School Library Journal–yay: “A stunning exploration of animal habitats…A first purchase for libraries and schools alike.”
  • is gorgeously, sparely illustrated by Miriam Nerlove
  • celebrates how homes can be very different homes from each other and yet still be exactly what a young creature needs

On the book page for this book, you can find some additional resources, as well as poems about home or about the animals featured in this book–like this one!

Passing by a Winter Cottage

When a Butterfly Goes to School

  • got a lovely Midwest Book Review: “Young readers and observers will delight in watching the day unfold…”
  • features the detailed, realistic (and occasionally surreal), lush art of Chloe Niclas
  • explores the experience of a swallowtail butterfly who stops by a school

 

Also, here are some downloadable coloring pages (2 for kids, 1 best suited for teens or adults):

And here’s a downloadable mini-poster (8–1/2x11) to print and maybe laminate and hang up in your storytime spot!


Finally, on the book page for this book, you’ll also find resources for teachers, how this book began, and a few other poems about butterflies and school, like this one.

Monarch clogyrnach

Thanks so much for celebrating with me–I can’t wait for these two beautiful board books to be out in the world! If you’re willing, I’d be so grateful if you’d put in requests for your local library to buy them (smart Marcie Flinchum Atkins’ post last week reminded me how important this is!). Here’s the info you’ll need. Thank you so very much! <3

A Home Like This

Written by Laura Purdie Salas
Illustrated by Miriam Nerlove
Publisher: Creative Editions, 2025
ISBN: 978–1568463995 22 pages

When a Butterfly Goes to School

Written by Laura Purdie Salas
Illustrated by Chloe Niclas
Publisher: Creative Editions, 2025
ISBN: 978–1568463988 14 pages

Okay, that’s what I’ve got. Now, how are YOU celebrating Poetry Friday this week? Mr. Linky is rounding us up, so please fill out the doohickey below to both leave your link and to check out all the other links you can explore. Thanks for being part of Poetry Friday! I look forward to reading all of your posts today and over the weekend!

 

41 Responses

  1. Laura, many congrats on these two lovely new board books, how exciting!!! Love the book trailers you shared and the art is beautiful, wishing you many readers! Thanks for hosting us too!

  2. Hooray! What beautiful new books. Many congratulations. I’m more than happy to ask my local public library to order them. Perfect timing for Easter Baskets! And, I’m a sucker for a butterfly coloring page. They are so fun. My students love them as well. Thanks for hosting Poetry Friday. It’s a bit of bright and warm in this cold end of February.

  3. CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATULATIONS! Two beautiful new books deserve a double message. These look so wonderful, each with perfect illustrations. What a fantastic way to welcome Spring! (& Thanks for hosting us all this week.) xo

  4. Congratulations, Laura, on the publication of these new books and the insights the traillers provided for both books. A lot happening. Thank you for hosting this week.

    1. Thanks, Matt–and my chimney smoke poem came to mind immediately when I read your winter lighthouse poem. I tend to default to fall’s beauty for poems, but winter is a treasure of gorgeous imagery too.

  5. The books are darling, Laura! Sending many congratulations to you! I will be sure to request them, but my library usually has your books & may already have ordered them! Thanks for hosting, too!

  6. I love that these are both so different. And I love that they are yours! Congratulations, Laura. (And I absolutely ADORE that monarch butterfly poem. It’s simply gorgeous!) Thanks for sharing the joy, and hosting us today.

  7. Laura, I sent off a request to the San Bernardino County library system requesting we acquire your two sweet new board books. Thanks for the idea and information. Thank you for hosting today. The books look wonderful. I’ll look forward to reading them soon.

    1. Yeah, watercolor is my personal jam, and so is spare art. (But I love how these books have such opposite vibes, and how intricate Chloe’s art is for Butterfly!) I wish I could read that article, but the WP won’t let me in. Thanks for trying!

  8. Hi Laura — congratulations on these two new beauties! I think board books are SO SPECIAL…and these look EXTRA-special! Love how different the art is in both. Yay! Thanks for all you give the world. xo

  9. Thanks for hosting us! Your two new books look fantastic — and with such rich resources to accompany them! Thanks for making it so easy to request purchase at the library…DONE.

  10. These books look amazing. Two at once! Wow! You will be a busy bee getting these out into the world. I always love your resources and my granddaughter loves a color page. Thanks!

  11. Congratulations, Laura! Both your books look marvelous. I’ll be asking my library to purchase them.
    And thanks for hosting Poetry Friday today. I’ve shared a link to Esther’s TeachingAuthors post today sharing a special Thanku.

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