Thursday, October 21, 2021

Poetry Friday - A Special Book with Life's Only Answer

   

         Thanks to Jama Rattigan who hosts this Poetry Friday, at her blog, Jama's Alphabet Soup HERE. She's found a new poet whose poem about October will bring a lot of cheers and uh - huhs! Plus, she has cookies! Happy October back to you, Jama, and thank you for hosting!








         In our months-long, mixed-up world, here are a few quote reminders of what tops the needs list - love. Charles Ghigna has it quite beautifully correct in his new book, cover above, that publishes this very next Tuesday: Love is Everything. Personally, I also adore books where bears tell the tale, so I doubly like this one!

         In this sweetest of calming rhymes, this older bear speaks to the younger one sharing through the seasons all the love found in every place they visit. In the morning, birds sing, and in the evening stars shine as the bears' moon shadows glow. The older bear offers a promise with "I believe in me. I believe in you./I believe in everything that is good and true." Illustrations by Jacqueline East bring this love of life in each romp out of doors. The bears lie on the grass among the flowers, reveling in spring. She shows them planting trees as Charles writes of doing what is right. Birds' murmurations fill a sunset page. Music and art add to the beliefs that every part of life can be embraced, WITH LOVE!

        It's a loving book for evening reading, a time to celebrate the day, to snuggle in and talk over the day, then look forward to what may be tomorrow's love. Here's one peek!



         Thanks, Charles, for the digital copy. Congratulations to you and Jacqueline for this special book!



        
One more thing!

            I have Charles' Halloween Night, Twenty-One Spooktacular Poems which the granddaughters and I read together every year, so just wanted to remind what a terrific Halloween book it is.








53 comments:

  1. Linda, what a lovely book. I like the description you give: "sweetest of calming rhymes." I'm sure it would be a child's favorite. Thanks for the Halloween poetry book suggestion too.

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    1. Thank you, Denise, for your "lovely book" comment!

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  2. Linda, thank you for sharing Charles' sweet book for little ones. I love the premise and the poem pages that you chose as samples. I also thank you for the Halloween book reminder. Happy Halloween week to you and your grandgirls.

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    1. Thanks, Carol! I appreciate your "sweet book for little ones" comment. Happy to hear you like the premise as well.

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  3. Linda, this looks like a wonderful book. Thank you for highlighting it. I'm putting it on my list!

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  4. Chuck is especially genius with the wee ones, isn't he? I believe in silence and song, too. Thank you for sharing, Linda! xo

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  5. Thanks for featuring Charles's new book. Of course I love the BEARS in it!! It does sound very sweet and uplifting.

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  6. Thank you, Linda! Love your "sweetest of calming rhymes" review! You just made an old goose happy to know you like his new book!

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    1. You are so welcome, Charles. It was a pleasure to read and then celebrate it through sharing. Thank you, too, for writing a book that calms as well as delights!

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  7. Beautiful! And I'll have to run out to get the Halloween one, too.

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  8. I want to say thanks, too, to everyone visiting today, discovering another book to embrace with a smile. We all need those smiles! And thanks, Charles, for your visit, too!

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    1. Thanks again, Linda! I like your "we need all those smiles." You certainly have me smiling!

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  9. I found the book and ordered it. I have a funny story. Our breakfast routine when we visit is that I get up by 6 am and make a nice breakfast of one of these: German Pancakes (really good!), cheesy eggs, breakfast parfait, eggs over med on toast all served with some fruit BUT at Pa-ah's seat they put one of 2 versions of a Halloween "book" which is actually a sweet little coloring book I stumbled on at some point.... in couplets for him to read. (I can't do it.) Also I am ordering Love is Everything because well, you know I will love it. Thank you, Linda and Charles. I am such a huge fan of his writing! And of course a big fan of your blog and shares!! Have a lovely weekend. Janet Clare F.

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    1. Super fun to read, Janet! I like German pancakes, too! Yes, Charles' books are terrific! Thanks for coming by!

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    2. Thank you so much for ordering the book, Skanny17! I hope you enjoy it!

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  10. Thanks for the peek into Charles' new book, which looks wonderful--I love the art, too. Charles always imbues his work with heart and depth, even when the text is really brief...

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind comments, Laura! "...imbues his work with heart and depth." I feel the same about your books as well!

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  11. Linda, thank you for sharing Charles' sweet book. I have many of his books on my shelf and plan to add the one! The illustrations are perfect!

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    1. Thank you, Linda! I agree. "The illustrations ARE perfect!" Here's a little secret. Jackie East (the British illustrator of LOVE IS EVERYTHING) and I just signed a contract for a new picture book about a woodland nature walk! You're not going to believe what they find!

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  12. Thanks, Laura & Linda. Jacqueline's art is wonderful, I agree. As I wrote, love those bears and the words they share.

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  13. Yes, Jackie's "art IS wonderful!" And there are bears (along with a few other cuddly characters) in the new book we're working on right now!

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    1. That is bear-y good news! Thanks for the heads up!

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  14. I love that I can buy books from virtual friends to give to my grandchildren. This one from Charles is a just right book for Mamère to give to baby Stella who will be one year next month. I'm with you on the bears!

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    1. Yes! It is a perfect gift for her first birthday! Thanks, Margaret

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    2. Thank you! I hope baby Stella enjoys the Love. I love her name!

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  15. I'm going to admit...at first I thought such a book might be too twee for my tastes. But then the spread you shared reminded me that cuteness can be done with restraint--and I believe in silence and song too! I'll look forward to reading the whole thing!

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    1. Thank you so much, Heidi! "...cuteness with restraint." I like that. I hope you like the book.

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  16. This looks so sweet! I'm a volunteer reader for second graders, and sometimes we like a calm, affirming book like this to think about and discuss.

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    1. Thank you, Susan. I hope you and your second graders will enjoy the Love!

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  17. Thanks, Heidi and Susan, it is a calm book but so full of different places & ideas that discussion about what one might receive, and give, from such a time will be a good thing for students to ponder. I enjoyed the thoughts, too.

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    1. Yes! May "love" never be out of season. Never out of mind!

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  18. Thanks, Linda for this post. The new book about love is just right for all times and I'd love to read his spooktacular poem. I enjoy Charles' writing.

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    1. I really agree. It's so nice to have a book that celebrates all good things. Thanks, Janice!

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    2. Thank you, Janice! I'm grateful for your kind words ... and for Linda's beautiful review!

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  19. These are the bear necessities Linda. The sharing of wisdom from one to another.Simple life lessons essential to living our very best lives.I will be ordering this book with a view to sharing it with my grand-daughter. Thank you for the timely alert.

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    1. Thank you, Alan! I hope you and your granddaughter enjoy the book.

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  20. Thanks Linda, for sharing these two delightful books of Charle's! I love the premise of "Love is Everything" we sure could use more of it–it looks, feels, and sounds delightful in words and art! His "Spooktacular" poem book looks marvelous!

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  21. Thanks for highlighting these books for us today! Whenever people talk about books that are too quiet to succeed in the publishing marketplace, I always say "But but but ... Bedtime!" Charles's new book looks lovely - so glad to see such a book making its way into the world and onto the bookshelves of young readers.

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    1. Thank you, Elizabeth, for taking the time to comment here. Let's hope this book opens the way for more "quiet" ones!

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  22. This book sounds like a meditation that people of all ages need right now. Thank you!

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    1. Oh, I hope you are right Mary Lee. "A meditation that people of all ages need right now." Thank you so much for that.

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  23. Thanks this time to Alan, Michelle, Elisabeth, and Mary Lee. I was so happy to share this "loving" book and glad to read that you enjoyed knowing about it! Enjoy when you can get it!

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  24. Love is Everything looks LOVEly. :) The illustrations look delightful. Thanks for sharing it, Linda.

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    1. You're welcome, Karen, it was a pleasure! Thanks!

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    2. Thanks, Karen! I love your LOVEly comment!

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  25. ooooh! I don't know the spooky poem book. I think I need that one. And, "Love is Everything" what a beautiful idea and cover and I can't wait to share this with a special little one. Thank you for highlighting this book.

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  26. As I move from blog to blog in this week's Poetry Friday Round-up, my book stack is growing. Thank you for two more to add to my list!

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  27. Thank you, Linda and Cathy! I'm thrilled to add to your lists!

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