Sunday, April 26, 2015

It's Monday, with Poetry, too

  For April, Poetry month, still writing haiku and haiku-related poems. With a few exceptions, I've stayed with haiku.  Some of us are supporting each other using the hashtag #digipoetry. Join us.
Created by Leigh Anne Eck25)
this April morning
rumbling, rumbling rain -
clouds touch the roofs
  Linda Baie © All Rights Reserved

Link up with Jen at TeachMentorTexts and Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders. and Sheila at Book Journeys.  Come visit, and tweet at #IMWAYR. Thanks to Jen, Kellee, and Ricki for hosting!


Otto The Owl Who Loved Poetry - written and illustrated by Vern Kousky
           I found this at a recent bookstore visit, sat down and read it on the spot. Poor Otto keeps sharing poetry, and receives nothing but “hoots” at his performance. But one night, there is applause, and Otto finally gets the positive attention he deserves. It’s a lovely story, including some well-known poetry with sweetly soft illustrations, a good one to add to your “poetry love” shelf.

three marvelous books to “see”, poetic words to read, in English and in Spanish


I am participating in the award challenge at the blog, Gathering Books, (see the badge at the right) and haven’t paid much attention to it lately, but the following books have garnered many awards. I thought you’d like to know.

  2014 "Call Me tree" by Maya Gonzalez
  Kirkus Best Picture Books of 2014 that Celebrate Diversity
  2009 "I Know the River Loves Me" by Maya Gonzalez
  Américas Award Honorable Mention
  International Latino Book Award, Best Children's Picture Book, 2nd place
  ForeWord Book of the Year Award, Finalist
  ReadBoston Best Read Aloud Book Award, Finalist
  Notable Books for a Global Society Selection
  2007 "My Colors, My World" by Maya Gonzalez
  Pura Belpré Honor Award
  Américas Award Commended Title
  Texas 2x2 Reading List Selection, Texas Library Association
  Críticas Magazine's Best Children and YA Books of 2007

The following books are all written and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez.  

My Colors, My World - Maya longs to find the colors of the world, but when the wind blows hard, her world in the desert turns into the many colors of brown. Maya goes looking, ad finds her favorite pink in the desert sunset, purple in the irises, green in the cactus. Happy is Maya, wearing pink and finding colors in her every day search. Maya Gonzalez’ illustrations are the bold and wild pictures of Mexican muralists, whimsical and exaggerated and beautiful.

The same style occurs in I Know The River Loves Me, where Maya
shares all the different ways that she knows the river loves her. She says “When I jump on her back she holds me up.” and “The river takes care of me and I take care of the river.”

Finally, there is the book that was published last year, Call Me Tree, where Maya shows human affinity with trees, to be oneself, to be exactly who one is. Each page is filled with children close to a tree, ‘I reach and I rise”, one child says, standing, almost ‘being’ the tree. It too is filled with colorful, dream-like illustrations.

In the back matter, each time Maya writes an important letter to her readers, about her love for colors, the desert, rivers, and trees. Each one calls for at least a small connection to something personal, and connecting with nature. 

I’m still reading All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven and am not quite halfway, am finding it
increasingly hard to pull away from it. Great book so far! I’m leaving next week for a 10 day trip with my students to the DC/Chesapeake Bay area, so will take a break from posting, won’t be doing much reading of books I think, but of many other things in museums and in the out of doors. See you in a few weeks! And Happy Reading!

37 comments:

  1. Oh, my. TEN DAYS to DC with students. We are going next week for just four, and that seems like a long trip. Good luck!

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    1. Thanks, Karen, it will be half in the city, & the other half in the Bay area, outdoor experiences. I'm been on lots of trips with my students, ever an adventure!

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  2. Our April has been filled with that rumbling rain. I will have to find I Know the River Loves Me. I'd love to share it with our group that cleans our river twice each year.

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    1. It is a beautiful book, Kay. Hope you all enjoy it!

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  3. I'll be curious about what you think of All The Bright Places when you finish. Have a wonderful school trip - sounds amazing!

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    1. Thanks Holly, so far I've been loving All The Bright Places, as have some of my students.

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  4. What a wonderful school trip! What an amazing opportunity for the students! I always loved going on trips with my students (and now that I get to take a group to NCTE every year, I still do!). I loved My Colors, My World and will have to get these other titles by Gonzalez. I have All the Bright Places in my huge pile and will get to it eventually. Happy travels!

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    1. Thanks, Elisabeth, so glad to hear that you enjoyed My Colors, My World too. The art is amazing.

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  5. Enjoy your trip. The bilingual books look interesting. I need to look for them. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. You're welcome, Earl. Enjoy! And Thanks for the wishes!

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  6. What a delightful collection of picture books, Linda. I'm saving All the Bright Places for summer - and now that I've read your thoughts, I'm glad that I did - uninterrupted time! Enjoy your trip to DC - what a great experience for the kids. 10 days, though - whew!

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    1. Thanks, Tara, I hope you enjoy All The Bright Places, a real treat. The trips are often that long or longer-no problem. It'll be fun.

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  7. Holy crow Linda, 10 days with students! I used to love to go camping, but we always ended on a Friday and I think I slept the entire weekend afterwards. These books by Maya Christina Gonzalez look lovely - just right for a unit on ecology! I've got All the Bright Places on hold as an audiobook and am looking forward to it!

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    1. The trips are wonderful, and I have lots of help too, no worries, but it's a big lot of planning. Hope you enjoy Gonzalez' work-very nicely done.

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  8. Great books! I posted a review of Call Me Tree last Friday for Poetry Friday. Such a bright, fun, inspirational story!

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    1. I missed your review-will look for it, Katie. It is lovely. Thanks!

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  9. I just got All the Bright Places and can't put it down.

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    1. I know, & I have other work & writing to do. The voices are so strong & enjoyable. Thanks, Margaret.

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  10. I love, love, love Maya Christina Gonzalez's books. I'm so glad you highlighted them. Have a great time with your students!

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    1. Thanks, Crystal, we will have a good time. Perhaps you are the one where I found Gonzalez' books? I can't remember. They are very special.

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  11. We hope you have a wonderful time in DC. Thank you for telling us about Maya Christina Gonzalez - She is a new author for us.

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    1. You're welcome. I hope you'll enjoy Maya's books.

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  12. Otto looks adorable! All the Bright Places looks great too. I have heard good things. Is it YA?

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    1. Otto will be a beautiful intro to poetry, or just another enjoyable book about the love of it. Thanks, Gigi.

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  13. Maya Christina Gonzalez's works look wonderful! I haven't read anything by her--I'm going to have to fix that.
    Enjoy All the Bright Places. It is such an intense book.

    Happy reading this week! :)

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    1. Thanks, Kellee. I hope you find & thoroughly enjoy Maya's books. They are special, words & illustrations!

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  14. "clouds touch the roof" love that line!
    All the Bright Places really was amazing. I'd like to read that one again one day! I don't say that about many books, but that one is one I could probably find even more to love about it.

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    1. I really am finding it hard to pull myself away so I can do other things, Michele. It is written so beautifully. Thank you!

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  15. Linda, I hope you don't get sucked in too much to Bright Places (like I was). I lost a lot of sleep while I read that book. I don't think it would be helpful if you were on the trip with students and without sleep! It is such a phenomenal book. I am looking forward to your final review!

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    1. I need to finish this book! Don't know what I'll have to replace it on the trip, but will try! It is one of the best I've read in a while, Ricki. Yes, need that sleep on the trip! Thanks!

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  16. What a beautiful collection of poetry books to inspire and entertain, Linda. Thank you.

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    1. You're welcome, Melanie. Hope you find a few & enjoy them.

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  17. All the Bright Places is hard to put down. Enjoy your trip!

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  18. Thanks for the AWB round up dear Linda! :) I was taken by Call Me Tree - sadly we don't have a copy yet here in Singapore. We are putting together a tree-themed bibliography that will be published in time for the Asian Festival of Children's Content - this would have been such a great addition to that list. :) Enjoy All the Bright Places - I loved that novel. Pierced my heart.

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    1. Thanks for all, Myra. I hope your Festival is great.

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