Happy St. Patrick’s Day, and Happy Poetry Friday! (You probably know what St. Paddy’s Day is, but if you’re wondering what Poetry Friday is, click here.)
I’m wrapping up a week of Moon pictures, celebrating my If You Were the Moon launch party, which is happening at the very moment this is going live!
My husband Randy always has wonderful shirts made from the lovely art of my picture books. Here’s the wonderful creation from Jaime Kim’s art:
If You Were the Moon is essentially a Things to Do if You Are… poem. I started with just the poem and then added the science sidebars. And then, at my editor Carol Hinz’s suggestion, I added the introduction, setting up the scene of the girl character talking to the moon (basically calling the moon a lazy old thing!). But at its heart, the book is a poem. Here is the original poem. I’m hoping this will tempt you to check out the book:>)
Things to Do if You Are the Moon
Stay close to Mother Earth.
Hold hands with her to keep her steady.
Play tug-of-war with the ocean.
Spin like a silver ballerina, twirling in time with Earth so you’re always face to face.
Bounce sunlight toward Earth.
Hide from the sun.
Wear a dusty coat over your scrapes and bruises.
Sometimes be shy, showing only a sliver of yourself.
Other times, be a bold silver ball in the sky.
Gently wake lemurs and lions, owls and wolves.
Light a pathway for sea turtle hatchlings.
Pose for poets and painters.
Whisper to farmers, “Plant…harvest…”
Wait patiently for friends to visit again.
Sing a silent sky lullaby.
And for lots more wonderful poetry, don’t miss the Poetry Friday Roundup with Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge!
I love the book, but it’s also great to see the text as a poem. The beauty must begin with the words.
Thanks, Margaret! It was fun for me to look back and see what the actual starting point was that I sent to Carol. The text undergoes such a transformation on its way to becoming a book. But the poem, the Things to Do poem, is at the heart of it for me.
Margaret Simon,I love your comment. I wish there was a like button so I could say , Me Too. Poetry does begin with the words, but there is the nonverbal too.
Hope your launch party was a great success. Wish I could have been there! Thanks for sharing the original poem. Love it.
Thanks, Judy!
Moonstruck!
And Your hub could open a children’s book cover, art T-shirt shop 🙂
Aren’t they cool? We can’t sell them, because the artists own the art. But we have permission to use the images for promotional materials:>)
Have a wonderful time tonight! I’m excited to get my copy. Love your shirt.
Thanks, Donna!
Thanks for sharing your original poem–cool to see how it changed into the book! Sending you many congrats on your book launch, and an apology for not yet blogging after you sent me an F & G. I’m hoping to get it together and use your book as part of an April poetry project.
Beautiful poem, and I can see how it was reshaped into book form – congratulations, Laura!
Love, love, love–the shirt, the poem, and the launch. I haven’t gotten hold of it yet, but I’ve already heard such good things about it. I can’t wait to read it for myself.
Great to see the poem all together, and the shirts from Randy. He is another creative soul in your household! Congratulations again, and hope the party is marvelous!
Beautiful, beautiful. Congratulations on the launch of you book. That shirt is too fantabulous! When you say he has them made… How??? Very curious – and super-impressed!! Looking forward to your moon shining in/on Australia, too.
Thanks! He makes them through the jakprints.com website, which does all-over printing. Nifty, right?
I love that the heart of your book is that lovely poem. I can’t wait to see your book. Congrats!
Beautiful, Laura – and Congratulations! Children and grown-up children are going to delight in this book.
And, that hubby of yours… thoughtful and clever!