Poetryaction for Summer Birds [Poetry Friday]

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.)

I got to meet Margarita Engle at NCTE last fall when we were signing books next to each other. What a lovely person! Have you read her Summer Birds, with glorious illustrations by Julie Paschkis?

prxn_Summer_Birds

I confess I’m not a huge bug person. Leaving behind the palmetto bugs (think big flying cockroaches) was one of the many happy things about moving to Minnesota from Florida. One thing I love about writing books on assignment, like my Colors of Insects, though, is that they show me beauty and awesomeness in things I might not have had much appreciation for!

ba_Summer_Birds

You can check out my poetryactions Pinterest board here and my bookalikes Pinterest board here, if you like, and don’t miss the Poetry Friday Roundup with poet Irene Latham, who has two beautiful new poetry collections out that I need to get hold of and read. Perhaps I can share poems from both in the next month or so. They look stunning!

9 Responses

  1. I don’t know this Margarita book, Laura, so thank you for sharing! I am fascinated by people who are fascinated by bugs… E.O. Wilson is one of my heroes! Happy Poetry Friday. xo

    1. It’s interesting…very different from her other writing that I’ve read. The art is lovely! I enjoy learning about bug behaviors and science and organization, but the actual bugs themselves? Let’s say I’m more in the I’M TRYING TO LOVE SPIDERS camp! Thanks for hosting!

  2. Both of these are new to me, Laura, and look terrific. In our visits to Florida on family vacations we still haven’t seen any of those palmetto bugs. Don’t know how I would feel, but think the grandchildren would love to see them. Have a lovely weekend!

    1. Er…no, they wouldn’t. They are big and icky and fly at you. Or scuttle across the floors when the lights turn on if they’re not flying. Shudder! Count your blessings!

  3. I’m having fun learning about the bugs and spiders of Kauai. Several are metalic colored and beautiful. Thanks for these two books to expand my knowledge.

  4. It was learning about aquatic insects that led me to fly fishing! I am fascinated by all these lives that surround us (and usually go unnoticed until they cause us problems).

  5. Hi, Laura. I am a bug-lover. Caterpillars and cicadas are two of my favorite types of insects. When I read your reaction poem, the last two lines reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. I thought of the scene where Alice is peering through that tiny door into a beautiful garden.

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