National Poetry Month: Some international student poetry!

On April 24, 2018April 25, 2018 By Matt Forrest EsenwineIn poetry2 Comments

I am back from our local SCBWI chapter’s annual spring conference (my wrap-up will be forthcoming next week), and although I’m currently spending time with two exes – ex-hilarated and ex-hausted – I could not let National Poetry Month go by without including some more student poetry…this time, from across the Pond!

Early this year, I chatted via Skype with a group of fifth-grade students at a middle school in Redditch, England about poetry and writing in general. Before we wrapped up, I suggested to them that they think about something they really love or enjoy and write something about that. After all, the first step in writing a poem is understanding your subject, so this was an easy way to get them into it. They could write list poems, non-rhyming, anything – I just wanted them to get their thoughts on paper.

I had no idea what they were about to do!

Their teacher, Oliver Cooke (aka, Olly) contacted me a couple of months later and told me that – as a way to help encourage some of the students who struggle with literacy – they were asked to write poems about things they love, and that Olly would send me some of them. They jumped into it! I’ll let Olly explain, in his words:

“They were very, very excited at the prospect of a real poet reading their work and even the small possibility that you would post it on your blog. This has inspired them to write poetry and they have engaged really well!”

Well, if posting their work on my blog is going to inspire them to write and become more engaged, I suppose I’d better post their work, shouldn’t I?? (click on any of them to enlarge)

Hmmm…I think what we can deduce here is that most students love a) summer; b) springtime; and c) football (soccer). Odd, no mention of algebra. I think my favorite is the “Gymtime” poem on the bottom left corner; the writer has a nice sense of rhythm and wordplay, and the “time line” / “limp time” rhyme – while not a perfect rhyme – makes the poem sing! And most importantly, it provides a nice way to end the poem.

If you’re a teacher or educator, you should know I never try to get students who are just learning poetry to rhyme. They’ve heard nursery rhymes, read rhyming picture books, listened to songs…they’re already familiar with it! I prefer helping them to understand their subject: thinking about it, studying it, considering connections one can make to it. I’d rather have a thoughtful poem borne of reflection, introspection, or juxtaposition than a poem that simply rhymes. Meter, rhyme, form – all that can come later.

Also remember my mantra: #WriteLikeNoOneIsReading! Don’t worry about what others might say – just write! Yes, in school you have to be proper with your grammar and syntax and conjugation and sentence structure and all that hullabaloo…but writing can be a great deal of fun when you don’t worry about all those rules and just write for yourself. A time and place for everything, as they say.

A huge THANK YOU to Olly, his colleague, teacher Emma Horsley, and their students for sending these to me! Keep up the great work, and I hope to chat with you all again.

Oh, and speaking of “times” and “places”…

Don’t Ask a Dinosaur officially debuted this past Tue. with a GIVEAWAY you can still enter!

Meanwhile, The Dinosaur Tour blog tour rolls on! Several kidlit bloggers are sharing DAAD reviews, interviews, and contests this month and next. Here’s a list of all the bloggers participating:

April 6:       Michelle H. Barnes (Interview w/month-long writing prompt)
April 8:       Kate Narita (Book trailer & activity sheet spotlight)
April 11:     Deborah Kalb (Interview w/Matt & Deb)
April 13:     Yours Truly! (Interview w/illustrator Louie Chin)
April 16:     KidLit Exchange (Blog post re: process of illustration)
April 17:     Momma’s Bacon (DAAD review)
April 17: Yours Truly!
April 18:     Bonnie Ferrante (DAAD review)
April 19: KidLit Exchange (DAAD review)
April 19:     Brenda Davis Harsham (DAAD micro review)
TOMORROW:     Bonnie Ferrante (Interview w/Matt & Deb)
May 2:        Unleashing Readers (DAAD review)
May 30:   Bookseedstudio (DAAD review/interview)

I hope you’ll stop by these blogs and learn something new about our book!

=========================================================

“DON’T ASK A DINOSAUR”
is now available everywhere!

Where will we be? When will we be there? Funny you should ask:

Thur., April 26, 10:30am: Pillsbury Free Library, Warner, NH, Dinosaur Storytime with Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People!
Sat., April 28, 10:30am: Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., April 28, 2pm: Barnes & Noble, Framingham, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur reading/signing (with Sara Levine, Fossil by Fossil: Comparing Dinosaur Bones reading/signing)
Sun., April 29, 2pm: MainStreet BookEnds, Warner, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing and discussion
Sat., May 5, 10am: Barnes & Noble, Burlington, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., May 5, 1pm: Barnes & Noble, Nashua, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and Flashlight Night reading/signing
Sat., May 12, 11am: Gibson’s Bookstore, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Wed., May 15, 12pm: Concord Hospital Gift Shop, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People signing
Sat., May 19, 11:30am-3pm: Barnes & Noble, Salem, NH, National Storytime at 11am, followed by Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., June 2, 1-3pm: Books-A-Million, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing

=========================================================

The 2018 Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem!

A little seed is on an adventure…the 2018 Progressive Poem is underway! Here’s the list of all the writers/bloggers participating, so you can follow along:

April 1 Liz at Elizabeth Steinglass
2 Jane at Raincity Librarian
3 Laura at Writing the World for Kids
4 Michelle at Today’s Little Ditty
5 Jan at bookseedstudio
6 Irene at Live Your Poem
7 Linda at TeacherDance
8 Janet F. at Live Your Poem
9 Ramona at Pleasures from the Page
10 Matt at Radio, Rhythm and Rhyme
11 Brenda at Friendly Fairy Tales
12 Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink
13 Linda at A Word Edgewise
14 Heidi at my juicy little universe
15 Donna at Mainely Write
16 Sarah at Sarah Grace Tuttle
17 Ruth at There is no such thing as a Godforsaken town
18 Christie at Wondering and Wandering
19 Michelle at Michelle Kogan
20 Linda at Write Time
21 Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge
22 Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference
23 Amy at The Poem Farm
24 Mary Lee at A Year of Reading
25 Kiesha at Whispers from the Ridge
26 Renee at No Water River
27 Buffy at Buffy’s Blog
28 Kat at Kat’s Whiskers
29 April at Teaching Authors
30 Doraine at Dori Reads

=========================================================

Thank you so much to all the librarians, bloggers, and parents who are still discovering “Flashlight Night!”

NY Public Library’s “100 Best Book for Kids 2017” AND “Staff Pick!”
KIRKUS Starred review!
Amazon “Best Books of the Month,” Sept. 2017!
“Best Reads of 2017,” Unleashing Readers

=========================================================

Purchasing personalized signed copies ONLINE? Yes, it’s true!

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new way to purchase personalized signed copies of not only Flashlight Night, but ANY of my books or anthologies I’ve been part of!

I’ve teamed up with the good folks MainStreet BookEnds in Warner, NH to present an option for people who would love to have a signed copy of one of my books but don’t live anywhere near me. MainStreet BookEnds has ALL but one of my books available for ordering…and the best part is, you can get them personalized!

Just log onto my website and click the cover of whichever book you want, and they will get it to me to sign and send it off to you. Try doing that with those big online booksellers! (Plus, you’ll be helping to support local book-selling – and wouldn’t that make you feel good?)

=========================================================

Did you like this post? Find something interesting elsewhere in this blog? I really won’t mind at all if you feel compelled to share it with your friends and followers!

To keep abreast of all my posts, please consider subscribing via the links up there on the right! (I usually only post twice a week – on Tues. and Fri. – so you won’t be inundated with emails every day)

Also feel free to visit my voiceover website HERE, and you can also follow me via Twitter , Facebook, Pinterest, and SoundCloud!

National Poetry Month/Poetry Friday: More “Poetry Cubed!” #5 entries, and a chance to win!

On April 20, 2018April 23, 2018 By Matt Forrest EsenwineIn poetry20 Comments

The rumors are true! The news isn’t fake!
The dinos are loose, and they can’t bake a cake!

Ok, well, that’s not actually part of Don’t Ask a Dinosaur (Pow! Kids Books) – but the couplet just popped into my head as I was putting this post together, so I felt obligated to include it.

But yes, it IS, indeed, true that my second picture book is now in stores everywhere!

If you’d like to win a copy signed by both me and my co-author, Deborah Bruss, be sure to check out this past Tuesday’s post, where you have FOUR chances to win! Today, I have more “Poetry Cubed!” poems to share – and each one of them is also an opportunity for someone to win a signed copy!

If you’ve ever seen “Chopped!” on The Food Network, you know that chefs try to outdo each other by creating dishes using specific and sometimes rather strange ingredients. So for this contest, I’ve taken the premise of the TV show and applied it to poetry! Here’s how it works:

Use the 3 images below as inspiration to write a poem. (1 poem, to the 3rd power – “cubed!”)
.
The poem can be any form, any genre, any number of lines, rhyming or not. Most importantly, remember: #WriteLikeNoOneIsReading! This is about having fun and being creative!
.
Include a reference to all three images in the one poem – either via concrete imagery or something more abstract. (And since this is poetry we’re talking about, we play fast and loose with this rule!)
.
Email your poem to me at Matt (at) MattForrest (dot) com and I’ll share them here throughout the month. Out of all poems submitted, one writer will be chosen at random to receive a personally-signed copy of Don’t Ask a Dinosaur!

Here are the three images (click on any to enlarge):

Today we have two more poems to share:
.

Spring Is What You Make It

It was an awesome birthday party
despite the April storm.
Perhaps because the lights went out,
we made foolish fun,
pretending retro times of pre-electric,
but we still didn’t miss the outhouse
with the creaky door.
Most guests brought out the sleighs
and harnessed the horses,
picked up others who had neither.
The sleighs skimmed over the roads
with daring, hoping this recent storm
had laid enough inches needed
for a holiday sleigh ride.
The lure of sleigh bells
kept us searching for more lanterns,
lighting them for the guests
who put the horses in the barn,
stomped their way across the yard,
up the stairs of the porch.
Cups of cider warmed them,
and from the fact that so many came,
and in a winter wonderland,
we were warmed by their gusto.
I thought I would have a surprise,
like a spectacular dinosaur cake or
an adventure video game that returns
to that dino age (like Jurassic Park).
But this time traveling really happened,
and now that I’m ten,
I’ll ask for snow again for my birthday next year.

(NOTE: Many areas of the country – including Linda’s and mine – have been hit with April snowstorms, which makes one wonder if the definition of “spring” got changed and no one told us)

.
senryu

birth, death, in-between
happiness and pain, you find
a light of millions

– Anonymous

Once again, two vastly different approaches and imagery to three very simple pictures. Gosh, I love this contest! (And in case you’re wondering, we have a friend who prefers not to attach name to text; hence, the lack of identification)

There is less than a week and a half left to the month, so be sure to email your poems soon – I’ll share more poems next Friday, and then announce the winner on May 4!

For today’s complete poetry roundup, head on over to The Opposite of Indifference, where Tabatha Yeatts is hosting Poetry Friday. Oh, and it might take me awhile to reply to any comments, as I’m spending the weekend at the New England SCBWI conference in Springfield, Mass., starting today…but I will definitely be reading them all and reading all your “Poetry Cubed!” entries!

=========================================================

The Dinosaur Tour blog tour is rolling full-steam ahead! As part of our book’s kickoff, several kidlit bloggers are sharing DAAD reviews, interviews, and contests. It’s been a busy week, since the book officially debuted this past Tue., so here’s a list of all the bloggers participating:

April 6:       Michelle H. Barnes (Interview w/month-long writing prompt)
April 8:       Kate Narita (Book trailer & activity sheet spotlight)
April 11:     Deborah Kalb (Interview w/Matt & Deb)
April 13:     Yours Truly! (Interview w/illustrator Louie Chin)
April 16:     KidLit Exchange (Blog post re: process of illustration)
April 17:     Momma’s Bacon (DAAD review)
April 17: Yours Truly!
April 18:     Bonnie Ferrante (DAAD review)
April 19: KidLit Exchange (DAAD review)
April 19:     Brenda Davis Harsham (DAAD micro review)
April 25:     Bonnie Ferrante (Interview w/Matt & Deb)
May 2:        Unleashing Readers (DAAD review)
May 30:   Bookseedstudio (DAAD review/interview)

I hope you’ll stop by these blogs and learn something new about our book!

=========================================================

“DON’T ASK A DINOSAUR”
is now available everywhere!

Where will we be? When will we be there? Funny you should ask:

Thur., April 26, 10:30am: Pillsbury Free Library, Warner, NH, Dinosaur Storytime with Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People!
Sat., April 28, 10:30am: Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., April 28, 2pm: Barnes & Noble, Framingham, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur reading/signing (with Sara Levine, Fossil by Fossil: Comparing Dinosaur Bones reading/signing)
Sun., April 29, 2pm: MainStreet BookEnds, Warner, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing and discussion
Sat., May 5, 10am: Barnes & Noble, Burlington, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., May 5, 1pm: Barnes & Noble, Nashua, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and Flashlight Night reading/signing
Sat., May 12, 11am: Gibson’s Bookstore, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Wed., May 15, 12pm: Concord Hospital Gift Shop, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People signing
Sat., May 19, 11:30am-3pm: Barnes & Noble, Salem, NH, National Storytime at 11am, followed by Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., June 2, 1-3pm: Books-A-Million, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing

=========================================================

The 2018 Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem!

A little seed is on an adventure…the 2018 Progressive Poem is underway! Here’s the list of all the writers/bloggers participating, so you can follow along:

=========================================================

Thank you so much to all the librarians, bloggers, and parents who are still discovering “Flashlight Night!”

NY Public Library’s “100 Best Book for Kids 2017” AND “Staff Pick!”
KIRKUS Starred review!
Amazon “Best Books of the Month,” Sept. 2017!
“Best Reads of 2017,” Unleashing Readers

=========================================================

Purchasing personalized signed copies ONLINE? Yes, it’s true!

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new way to purchase personalized signed copies of not only Flashlight Night, but ANY of my books or anthologies I’ve been part of!

=========================================================

Did you like this post? Find something interesting elsewhere in this blog? I really won’t mind at all if you feel compelled to share it with your friends and followers!

Also feel free to visit my voiceover website HERE, and you can also follow me via Twitter , Facebook, Pinterest, and SoundCloud!

Hooray, Book Birthday, Today! “Don’t Ask a Dinosaur” is officially EVERYWHERE – with a Giveaway!

On April 17, 2018April 23, 2018 By Matt Forrest EsenwineIn Uncategorized18 Comments

The wait is over!

The day has finally come: Don’t Ask a Dinosaur (Pow! Kids Books) is now available online and in bookstores across the land!

My co-author, Deborah Bruss, and I kicked off the The Dinosaur Tour book tour at Toadstool Bookshop, Peterborough, NH and Toadstool Bookshop, Keene, NH this past Saturday. (That’s right: two signings in one day, and the book hadn’t even been officially released yet!)

The folks at Toadstool were celebrating Children’s Author Day, and we were joined by local illustrator Ryan O’Rourke, who was celebrating the release of Alphabet Boats (Charlesbridge) by Samantha Vamos – which is also officially out today. And as you can see in the first pic below, I also shared the new poetry anthology School People (Wordsong), of which I am one of 14 contributors, and Flashlight Night (Boyds Mills Press, 2017).

The Dinosaur Tour blog tour is rolling full-steam ahead! As part of our book’s kickoff, several kidlit bloggers are sharing DAAD reviews, interviews, and contests. I want to thank Momma’s Bacon for reviewing our book today – and for a list of all the bloggers participating, you can check out this list:

April 6:       Michelle H. Barnes (Interview w/month-long writing prompt)
April 8:       Kate Narita (Book trailer & activity sheet spotlight)
April 11:     Deborah Kalb (Interview w/Matt & Deb)
April 13:     Yours Truly! (Interview w/illustrator Louie Chin)
April 16:     KidLit Exchange (Blog post re: process of illustration)
April 17: Jama’s Alphabet Soup (Even though she’s not an “official” part of the blog tour, I wanted to thank her for giving DAAD some Book Birthday love on her blog today!)
April 17:     Momma’s Bacon (DAAD review)
April 17: Yours Truly!
April 18:     Bonnie Ferrante (DAAD review)
April 19: KidLit Exchange (DAAD review)
April 19:     Brenda Davis Harsham (DAAD micro review)
April 25:     Bonnie Ferrante (Interview w/Matt & Deb)
May 2:        Unleashing Readers (DAAD review)
May 30:   Bookseedstudio (DAAD review/interview)

Both images from “Don’t Ask a Dinosaur,” © 2018 Pow! Kids Books, used with permission, all rights reserved (click to enlarge)

Tonight, Deb and I will be celebrating the National Book Launch for DAAD just outside of Boston, at Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA. It’s a Dual National Launch Party, as we’ll be there with author/poet Holly Thompson, who will be reading and discussing her new picture book, One Wave at a Time (Albert Whitman & Co.), a thoughtful, touching story about loss and healing.

If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll join us at 7pm for lots of fun, plenty of books, and…

That’s my homemade vegan chocolate cake – the best chocolate cake you’ve ever tasted – baked in Deb Bruss’ dinosaur pan and hand-decorated by my step-daughter, Jessica. Imagine the overwhelming sense of melancholy that will befall you, knowing what you missed out on, should you decide not to attend.

(HEY MATT, DON’T FORGET TO MENTION THE GIVEAWAY.)

Oh, that’s right – the GIVEAWAY! In addition to my Poetry Cubed contest and Michelle H. Barnes’ month-long “TLD” writing prompt, I have yet another way for you to win a signed copy of Don’t Ask a Dinosaur:

Share the news!

It’s simple, really – you can do any one of the following:

Comment on this post, below
Share this post via Facebook or Twitter
Share my interview with illustrator Louie Chin from last Friday
Share the book trailer and activity sheets featured at Kate Narita’s blog
Do all four!

Each one of these counts as an entry, which means you could have as many as four entries…and if you add in the other 2 contests, that’s SIX different opportunities to win THREE copies! Just be sure to tag me when you share these links, so I can count you. I’ll draw ONE NAME at the end of the month. Good luck, and thank you!

=========================================================

“DON’T ASK A DINOSAUR”
is now available everywhere!

The Dinosaur Tour book tour is underway! Here’s the most up-to-date schedule:

TONIGHT 7pm: Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur Dual National Launch Party!! (with Holly Thompson, One Wave at a Time reading/signing/discussion)
Thur., April 26, 10:30am: Pillsbury Free Library, Warner, NH, Dinosaur Storytime with Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People!
Sat., April 28, 10:30am: Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., April 28, 2pm: Barnes & Noble, Framingham, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur reading/signing (with Sara Levine, Fossil by Fossil: Comparing Dinosaur Bones reading/signing)
Sun., April 29, 2pm: MainStreet BookEnds, Warner, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing and discussion
Sat., May 5, 10am: Barnes & Noble, Burlington, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., May 5, 1pm: Barnes & Noble, Nashua, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and Flashlight Night reading/signing
Sat., May 12, 11am: Gibson’s Bookstore, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Wed., May 16, 12pm: Concord Hospital Gift Shop, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People signing
Sat., May 19, 11:30am-3pm: Barnes & Noble, Salem, NH, National Storytime at 11am, followed by Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., June 2, 1-3pm: Books-A-Million, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing

=========================================================

Thank you so much to all the librarians, bloggers, and parents who are still discovering “Flashlight Night!”

NY Public Library’s “100 Best Book for Kids 2017” AND “Staff Pick!”
KIRKUS Starred review!
Amazon “Best Books of the Month,” Sept. 2017!
“Best Reads of 2017,” Unleashing Readers

=========================================================

Purchasing personalized signed copies ONLINE? Yes, it’s true!

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new way to purchase personalized signed copies of not only Flashlight Night, but ANY of my books or anthologies I’ve been part of!

=========================================================

Did you like this post? Find something interesting elsewhere in this blog? I really won’t mind at all if you feel compelled to share it with your friends and followers!

Also feel free to visit my voiceover website HERE, and you can also follow me via Twitter , Facebook, Pinterest, and SoundCloud!

National Poetry Month/Poetry Friday: More “Poetry Cubed #5” entries, and Interview w/ “Don’t Ask a Dinosaur” illustrator Louie Chin

On April 13, 2018April 12, 2018 By Matt Forrest EsenwineIn poetry19 Comments

Can you believe TWO interviews in one week? Yes, it’s been a busy National Poetry Month at the ol’ Triple-R; in addition to all the poetry posts, my new picture book Don’t Ask a Dinosaur, co-authored with Deborah Bruss, debuts this Tuesday – and the Dinosaur Tour blog tour stops HERE today!

Earlier this week, I posted an interview with Amy Losak about H is for Haiku (Penny Candy Books), a new children’s poetry collection written by her late mom, Sydell Rosenberg. Today, I have an interview with Louie Chin, the illustrator for DAAD – plus more entries in my “Poetry Cubed!” contest.

The first thing I need to do, Louie, is thank you for the fantastic job you did on Don’t Ask a Dinosaur! I know you’ve done some work for Highlights’ High Five magazine, but since this was your first picture book, what did you do to prepare, and how long did it take you?

Thank you for the kind words, Matt.

Yes, this is my first picture book! I’m glad it got to be with you and Deborah. In order to prepare for the book I had to look up all the dinosaurs. I knew some of them but there were so many that I never heard of. Funny enough, I saw the trailer for the new Jurassic World movie and noticed a Carnotaurus. I learned that from working on the book!

I think it took me around 3 months to finish the book. It was slow at first trying to plan and layout the book, but once I got to really start drawing, it was a blast!

Before we get too far, let’s back up a bit. As someone who studied studio art in college, I know how difficult it can be to try to make a living drawing or painting. (Heck, it’s hard enough trying to make a career out of writing!) What was your career path? Had you always wanted to be an illustrator?

I always wanted to do something in the arts. Growing up I read a lot of comic books and watched cartoons (still do!). I wanted to draw comics as a career. Needless to say, it’s very difficult to do that!

I did a wide range of things but I always drew, whether is was a side gig or hobby. I worked as an after-school teacher/ counselor, manager at a Startup company, designer at a children’s wear company – just to name a few.

Having illustrated for more adult-oriented publications like the New Yorker, did you find it difficult to get into the mindset of drawing for children? How do you approach the tasks?

It was not difficult at all! Working with children in my early 20’s was a great time for me. I wanted to be an art teacher at the time and always wanted to work on a children’s book. I approached working on the book with the mindset of what I thought the students I taught would like.

I’m also a fan of children’s books because they have wonderful artwork! I collect Miroslav Šašek and old Golden Books. They came in handy when I wanted inspiration.

Getting back to the Dinosaur book, I have to tell you how impressed I was that you not only made the species of dinosaurs look the way they’re supposed to look – but you imbue a great deal of emotion into them. Sometimes they’re happy, sometimes they’re annoyed, sometimes they’re surprised! Was it difficult to get those expressions just right?

Drawing the dinosaurs was really fun. There are so many ways they are depicted when you do research on them. It was fun taking characteristics from all the research and making my version of them. I didn’t really think about the dinosaurs themselves when drawing their expressions. It was more about the situation they were in that guided me. Overall, I felt that the dinosaurs wanted to be helpful. If they were successful, that’s another story!

From “Don’t Ask a Dinosaur,” © 2018 Pow! Kids Books, used with permission, all rights reserved (click to enlarge)

By the way, I have to ask you about this kitchen scene! On the refrigerator, the name “Audrey” is spelled out in magnets. Deb & I need to know…who is that??

I’m surprised you noticed! Audrey is the daughter of a good friend who lives in LA. I was there for a period while I was still working on the book. I thought it would be fun to slip a little Easter egg in after visiting them. She’s a bit too young to appreciate it at the moment. I’ll have to wait a couple of years to see what she thinks about it.

Both my 8-year- old son (to whom I dedicated the book) and his 4-year- old sister love dinosaurs and this book; my daughter actually has a small dinosaur identical to the one the little girl has in the book. So I have to thank you for including them, even though you had no idea you did that!

I think when I first sketched out ideas for the book I drew the sister with a dinosaur doll. It was instinctual. The little dino wasn’t included in all the pages but our wonderful editor, Jordan, suggested that it would be fun to have the little fella hiding in the pages.

Early sketches in preparation for “Don’t Ask a Dinosaur” (click to enlarge)

Finally, what’s next for Louie Chin? Any new projects on the horizon?

I’m (thankfully) always working on new projects for other people or myself. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to do more children’s books because it’s been a passion of mine for a long time!

OK, so I lied…one more question: what would be your ultimate project, if you could choose to do one thing?

Hmm! I think any project that would allow me to travel all over would be great. I also want to do something with the MTA (mass transit system in NYC)! I’ve taken the subway all my life and it would be nice to do something and have people see it everyday.

Well, Louie, thanks again for joining me here and for all your hard work on Don’t Ask a Dinosaur – Deb & I really appreciate it!

Many thanks to all the bloggers who are joining “THE DINOSAUR TOUR” to celebrate the launch of Don’t Ask a Dinosaur! Here is the complete list of particpating blogs:

April 6:       Michelle H. Barnes (Interview w/month-long writing prompt)
April 8:       Kate Narita (Book trailer & activity sheet spotlight)
April 11:     Deborah Kalb (Interview w/Matt & Deb)
April 13:     Yours Truly! (Interview w/illustrator Louie Chin)
April 16:     KidLit Exchange (Blog post re: process of illustration)
April 17:     Momma’s Bacon (DAAD review)
April 17: Yours Truly! (I’ll be sharing a couple of spreads of the book here – and gearing up for our National Book Launch that night in Cambridge, MA!)
April 18:     Bonnie Ferrante (DAAD review)
April 19:     Brenda Davis Harsham (DAAD micro review)
April 25:     Bonnie Ferrante (Interview w/Matt & Deb)
May 2:        Unleashing Readers (DAAD review)
TBD: KidLit Exchange (DAAD review)
May 30: Bookseedstudio (DAAD review/interview)

I hope you’ll stop by these various blogs, as you’ll learn something new at each one, plus you’ll have multiple opportunities to win copies of Don’t Ask a Dinosaur!

=========================================================

More “Poetry…Cubed! #5” entries!

Because a book launch does not make one busy enough, I also thought National Poetry Month would be a good time to host another round of “Poetry…Cubed!”

This is based on The Food Network show “Chopped!“, where chefs try to outdo each other by creating dishes using specific and sometimes strange ingredients. For this contest, I’ve taken the premise of the TV show and applied it to poetry! Here’s how it works:

Use the 3 images below as inspiration to write a poem. (1 poem, to the 3rd power – “cubed!”)
.
The poem can be any form, any genre, any number of lines, rhyming or not. (Heck, I’ll accept a monoku, if you think you can do it!) But please remember: #WriteLikeNoOneIsReading! This is about having fun and being creative – unlike the “real” Chopped, which is a life-and-death-of-your-career sort of thing.
.
Be sure to include a reference to all three images in the one poem – either via concrete imagery or something more abstract. (And since this is poetry we’re talking about, we play fast and loose with this rule!)
.
Email your poem to me at Matt (at) MattForrest (dot) com and I’ll share them here throughout the month. Out of all poems submitted, one writer will be chosen at random to receive a personally-signed copy of Don’t Ask a Dinosaur!

Keep in mind, I can only format poems to a small degree – so please try to refrain from lots of unusual breaks and text placement. I’ll do my best to format your poem per your wishes, but WordPress will only allow me to do so much.

Here are the three images (click on any to enlarge):

And yes…I’m playing with some Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and Flashlight Night (Boyds Mills Press, 2017) imagery here!

I’ve had numerous entries come in this past week:
.

Lights Out!

Lightning flashes
Thunder rumbles.
Rain pounds on the roof.
Happy Birthday, my little monster!
Here is your present,
Brightly wrapped
And tightly taped.
Use those claws of yours.
Rip it open!
Don’t worry about the paper!
Oh no!
The lights go out.
The room turns dark.
I can’t see a thing.
A drawer scrapes open.
There is thumping and bumping.
Light shines in my eyes!
My little monster giggles.
I forgot about the flashlight,
But my little monster did not.

– © 2018 Trudy Bosman, all rights reserved
.

.
haiku

Fossils shed light on

dinosaur dance on mud flats…

Hats off! Party rocked!

Once again, it’s amazing to see how three images can conjure such different reactions. Want to enter the contest? Send me your poem, and I’ll enter you in the drawing, too!

And one final thing…SPEAKING OF POETRY…I would be remiss if I did not encourage you to visit Robyn Hood Black’s blog, Life on the Deckle Edge, for today’s complete Poetry Friday roundup! Not only does she have all the links to today’s posts, but she is hosting a very SPECIAL BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION for a very special person…

Happy birthday to Lee Bennett Hopkins – a man to whom so many of us owe so much. Lee has befriended, supported, encouraged, and mentored a veritable Who’s Who list of children’s poets, from Jane Yolen and Charles Ghigna to newer folks like Amy Ludwig VanDerwater and Yours Truly.

It may be Friday the 13th, but we consider ourselves pretty lucky – or rather, fortunate! – to have Lee in our lives. Lee’s two newest anthologies are World Make Way (Harry N. Abrams) and School People (Wordsong), the latter of which includes one of my poems. If you’d like to learn more about Lee and why the world is a better place with him in it, I’d encourage you to peruse this recent blog post.

=========================================================

The DINOSAURS are COMING…

“DON’T ASK A DINOSAUR” arrives in stores April 17!

New dates continue to be added to the Dinosaur Tour! Here’s the most up-to-date schedule:

Sat., April 14, 11am: Toadstool Bookshop, Peterborough, NH, (Children’s Author Day with illustrator Ryan O’Rourke AND Local Book Launch for Don’t Ask a Dinosaur!)
Sat., April 14, 2pm: Toadstool Bookshop, Keene, NH, (Children’s Author Day with illustrator Ryan O’Rourke AND Local Book Launch for Don’t Ask a Dinosaur!)
Tue., April 17, 7pm: Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur Dual National Launch Party!! (with Holly Thompson, One Wave at a Time reading/signing/discussion)
Thur., April 26, 10:30am: Pillsbury Free Library, Warner, NH, Dinosaur Storytime with Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People!
Sat., April 28, 10:30am: Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., April 28, 2pm: Barnes & Noble, Framingham, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur reading/signing (with Sara Levine, Fossil by Fossil: Comparing Dinosaur Bones reading/signing)
Sun., April 29, 2pm: MainStreet BookEnds, Warner, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing and discussion
Sat., May 5, 10am: Barnes & Noble, Burlington, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., May 5, 1pm: Barnes & Noble, Nashua, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and Flashlight Night reading/signing
Sat., May 12, 11am: Gibson’s Bookstore, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Wed., May 16, 12pm: Concord Hospital Gift Shop, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People signing
Sat., May 19, 11:30am-3pm: Barnes & Noble, Salem, NH, National Storytime at 11am, followed by Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., June 2, 1-3pm: Books-A-Million, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing

=========================================================

Thank you so much to all the librarians, bloggers, and parents who are still discovering “Flashlight Night!”

NY Public Library’s “100 Best Book for Kids 2017” AND “Staff Pick!”
KIRKUS Starred review!
Amazon “Best Books of the Month,” Sept. 2017!
“Best Reads of 2017,” Unleashing Readers

=========================================================

Purchasing personalized signed copies ONLINE? Yes, it’s true!

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new way to purchase personalized signed copies of not only Flashlight Night, but ANY of my books or anthologies I’ve been part of!

=========================================================

Did you like this post? Find something interesting elsewhere in this blog? I really won’t mind at all if you feel compelled to share it with your friends and followers!

Also feel free to visit my voiceover website HERE, and you can also follow me via Twitter , Facebook, Pinterest, and SoundCloud!

National Poetry Month: “H is for Haiku” Interview with Amy Losak AND The 2018 Progressive Poem Day 10!

On April 10, 2018April 11, 2018 By Matt Forrest EsenwineIn poetry29 Comments

National Poetry Month is underway and I’ve got a lot going on: poetry, interviews, student writing, a national book launch for my second picture book! Today, in addition to my contribution to the 2018 Progressive Poem, I have an interview with Amy Losak about H is for Haiku (Penny Candy Books), a brand-new children’s poetry collection written by her late mom, Sydell Rosenberg.

Thanks so much for taking the time to chat, Amy! First of all, congratulations on the book – it’s been a long time coming. Can you please share with my readers what the book is about?

Matt, thanks very much for your kindness and interest! H Is For Haiku: A Treasury of Haiku from A to Z (Penny Candy Books, illustrated by Sawsan Chalabi) is an alphabet collection of short poems – haiku and senryu –written by my mother, Sydell Rosenberg. Syd was a charter member of the Haiku Society of America in 1968 and served as HSA secretary in 1975. Mom was a New Yorker, so she called her short poems “city haiku” (in a classic book released in 1974, The Haiku Anthology, edited by Cor van den Heuvel and published by Doubleday Anchor). Some of her poems in this new picture book have an urban “flavor” or “feel,” yet they also are universal – and timeless.

In addition, mom’s senryu will be featured in a new anthology from National Geographic, The Poetry of US, edited by former U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate, J. Patrick Lewis. It will be released in late September.

That’s terrific! I know a number of folks who will have poems included in that book, myself included, so it’s an honor to be in it with her. I remember when we first met online, you were in the process of finding a publisher for this book. How long did it take you to go from searching to finally nailing down a deal?

In truth, this has been a long and often arduous journey. Mom had completed at least a couple of kids’ poetry manuscripts, including a haiku A-B-C reader. She submitted them to publishers in the 1980s, perhaps even in the 1970s. (I have some of her saved rejection letters somewhere).

At mom’s funeral in 1996, I remember that my brother Nathan, sister-in-law Debbie, and I promised to fulfill her dream of publishing a picture book. But I didn’t start to get “get serious” until around 2011. Then it became an act of almost Herculean mobilization, because her work is disorganized. And emotionally, I wasn’t ready to tackle a project of this magnitude sooner.

But I finally began to wade through a welter of her papers, notebooks, etc., that had been thrown into boxes and bags after she died. I managed to assemble a lovely cache of her work, including poems from those old manuscripts. I contacted arts education and literacy organizations with proposals about partnering on programs to use her haiku as teaching tools. I connected with a terrific nonprofit arts education organization in New York, Arts For All (arts-for-all.org).

For several years, we have had a successful collaboration. Mom’s haiku and senryu are used to teach the basics of painting, drawing and collage; music; and theater in a Bronx school and a Queens school. I’ve also conducted readings of her adult and kids’ poetry at the Queens Botanical Garden and The Poets House in NY, respectively. And a few years ago at the Children’s Museum of the Arts in New York, teaching artists even created a gorgeous, golden structure: a haiku PoeTree!

But my ultimate goal has always been this book. I first began submitting mom’s manuscript directly to publishers in early April of 2015 – I believe on April 1 (no fooling!). I signed the contract with the wonderful Penny Candy Books (the principals are Chad Reynolds and Alexis Orgera, who also are poets) on October 31 in 2016 (yes, Halloween). When you add it all up, it has taken decades to reach this destination.

I have to give thanks to the extraordinary encouragement of many people: family, friends, colleagues, poets and children’s authors. I am deeply grateful for this wellspring of support – it’s been invaluable.

There are a lot of folks writing haiku these days. What do you think your mom’s poetry offers readers they may not have experienced before?

Haiku is global in scope and popularity today. Poets around the world are producing glorious work and supporting each other’s creative spirits. My mom’s style changed somewhat over her thirty-odd years as a “haijin” (haiku poet) – at times, her work got sparer. The poems in HIFH are more like, I think, miniature stories. I refer to them as “word-pictures” that capture nature and human nature “in nuggets.” They are gentle, and gently humorous — observant “slices” of life to make readers smile.

From “H is for Haiku,” © 2018 Amy Losak, Sawsan Chalabi, Penny Candy Press; all rights reserved, used with permission (Click to enlarge)

Back in the ’80’s, you helped create promotional materials for the PBS TV series, “Voices & Visions”…how did your business and broadcast experience help – if it all – during the process of getting this poetry collection off the ground?

This assignment was early in my career as a publicist, thanks to the mentorship and guidance of my two female bosses at the time, Charlotte Klein and Betty Travis. They were senior public relations executives, I helped promote this TV series about American poets – which “distance learners” could take for college credit — on behalf of The Annenberg/CPB Project. I loved the creative challenges and opportunities Charlotte and Betty gave me.

But I had no inkling then that, decades later, I would undertake this “mission” of publishing my mother’s work, not to mention writing (and sometimes publishing) my own short poetry too. And yet, in hindsight, perhaps my career helped lay the groundwork.

I also worked on the press kit and media relations outreach for the 1980’s PBS series, “Anne of Green Gables,” thanks to my mentors. I grew up with L.M. Montgomery’s books (my parents took us on a jaunt to Prince Edward Island when I was a teen), and Anne’s poetic sensibility resonated with me. I thought of her as a “kindred spirit.” I still do! (See my blog here: https://www.pennycandybooks.com/blog-1/losak)

Which poem is your favorite from this collection, and why?

I confess I have several. One that I have come to love is:
.

So pale — it hardly sat

on the outstretched branch

of the winter night.

This award-winning haiku was published twice in the journal, Haiku West (1968 and 1975) and was also published on mom’s tribute page in the December, 1996 issue of Frogpond, the journal of the Haiku Society of America. I am captivated by the mystery of this poem, because “it” isn’t specified. “It” can be anything the reader imagines – the friendly moon, certainly (Sawsan’s lovely interpretation in the book), but other things too. This haiku is serene, simple… yet striking.

Indeed, it is, Amy…and I agree, the ambiguity is key. There are wonderful, unique visuals in several other poems, as well, like children with umbrellas compared to rows of mushrooms and flamingos’ legs “melting” in the lake water. My favorite poem happens to be on the very first page:

One last question: if you could tell someone unfamiliar with haiku why they should purchase this book, what would you say?

Syd’s haiku (and haiku in general) will open children’s eyes – awaken their senses –to the expansive possibilities in the “small moments” of their everyday lives. Haiku is about happiness, discovery, fun, play…and awareness.

Well, thank you again, Amy, and best wishes for success with this book!

Thank you, Matt! I hope readers – kids and adults alike – find joy in H Is For Haiku, and use the collection as a springboard for reading more great haiku and writing their own, too!

Again, H Is For Haiku is now in stores everywhere – so Happy Book Birthday, Amy! One week from today, I’ll be interviewing illustrator Louie Chin, for our book birthday of Don’t Ask a Dinosaur (Pow! Kids Books), so please keep an eye out for that!

=========================================================

The 2018 Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem is HERE!

A little seed is on an adventure! The 2018 Progressive Poem is underway, and our little heroine has just invented a game. What type of game? We’re not sure at this point, because she’s feasting on stardrops with Owl and has invited Moon to join her – but he has other ideas.

I’ve had to think quite a bit about what I should add for my line; the seed has invented a game, but she’s not playing it – which is a conundrum as far as a narrative goes. Interestingly, this is probably the tightest narrative we’ve had in all the years of the Progressive Poem – we usually go on these vast, epic, poetic journeys of discovery!

When the poem began on April 1, I saw the imagery of the seed…of the morning… of stretching…as symbolic of new beginnings and adventure. I was hoping this year’s poem would take us into uncharted territory – and that’s what it appears to be doing! My main concern, to be honest, was that I didn’t want the plot to become too similar to Frank Asch’s Moongame. So without being too specific, I tried to move the poem forward and leave the next writer something creative to work with.

Here is the poem so far, with my line at the end…
.

Nestled in her cozy bed, a seed stretched.
Oh, what wonderful dreams she had had!
Blooming in midnight moonlight, dancing with
the pulse of a thousand stars, sweet Jasmine
invented a game.
“Moon?” she called across warm, honeyed air.
“I’m sad you’re alone; come join Owl and me.
We’re feasting on stardrops, we’ll share them with you.”
“Come find me,” Moon called, hiding behind a cloud.

Secure in gentle talons’ embrace, Jasmine rose

Being the only guy taking part in this year’s Progressive Poem, I was inclined to include something about motorcycles, power tools, or bikinis…but I restrained myself.

Take it away, Brenda! Here’s a list of all the folks participating, so you can follow along!

April
1 Liz at Elizabeth Steinglass
2 Jane at Raincity Librarian
3 Laura at Writing the World for Kids
4 Michelle at Today’s Little Ditty
5 Jan at bookseedstudio
6 Irene at Live Your Poem
7 Linda at TeacherDance
8 Janet F. at Live Your Poem
9 Ramona at Pleasures from the Page
10 Matt at Radio, Rhythm and Rhyme
11 Brenda at Friendly Fairy Tales
12 Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink
13 Linda at A Word Edgewise
14 Heidi at my juicy little universe
15 Donna at Mainely Write
16 Sarah at Sarah Grace Tuttle
17 Ruth at There is no such thing as a Godforsaken town
18 Christie at Wondering and Wandering
19 Michelle at Michelle Kogan
20 Linda at Write Time
21 Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge
22 Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference
23 Amy at The Poem Farm
24 Mary Lee at A Year of Reading
25 Kiesha at Whispers from the Ridge
26 Renee at No Water River
27 Buffy at Buffy’s Blog
28 Kat at Kat’s Whiskers
29 April at Teaching Authors
30 Doraine at Dori Reads

=========================================================

“THE DINOSAUR TOUR” blog tour continues TOMORROW, April 11, at Deb Kalb’s place! My thanks to all the bloggers who are joining in the celebration of the launch of my new book, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur, co-authored with Deborah Bruss.

The complete list of blogs taking part in the DINOSAUR TOUR:

April 6:       Michelle H. Barnes (Interview w/month-long writing prompt)
April 8:       Kate Narita (Book trailer & activity sheet spotlight)
April 11:     Deborah Kalb (Interview w/Matt & Deb)
April 13:     Yours Truly! (Interview w/illustrator Louie Chin)
April 16:     KidLit Exchange (Blog post re: process of illustration)
April 17:     Momma’s Bacon (DAAD review)
April 17: Yours Truly! (I’ll be sharing a couple of spreads of the book here – and gearing up for our National Book Launch that night in Cambridge, MA!)
April 18:     Bonnie Ferrante (DAAD review)
April 19:     Brenda Davis Harsham (DAAD micro review)
April 25:     Bonnie Ferrante (Interview w/Matt & Deb)
May 2:        Unleashing Readers (DAAD review)
TBD: KidLit Exchange (DAAD review)
May 30: Bookseedstudio (DAAD review/interview)

I hope you’ll stop by these various blogs, as you’ll learn something new at each one, plus you’ll have multiple opportunities to win copies of Don’t Ask a Dinosaur!

=========================================================

The DINOSAURS are COMING…

“DON’T ASK A DINOSAUR” arrives in stores April 17!

New dates continue to be added to the Dinosaur Tour! Here’s the most up-to-date schedule:

Sat., April 14, 11am: Toadstool Bookshop, Peterborough, NH, (Children’s Author Day with illustrator Ryan O’Rourke AND Local Book Launch for Don’t Ask a Dinosaur!)
Sat., April 14, 2pm: Toadstool Bookshop, Keene, NH, (Children’s Author Day with illustrator Ryan O’Rourke AND Local Book Launch for Don’t Ask a Dinosaur!)
Tue., April 17, 7pm: Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur Dual National Launch Party!! (with Holly Thompson, One Wave at a Time reading/signing/discussion)
Thur., April 26, 10:30am: Pillsbury Free Library, Warner, NH, Dinosaur Storytime with Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People!
Sat., April 28, 10:30am: Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., April 28, 2pm: Barnes & Noble, Framingham, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur reading/signing (with Sara Levine, Fossil by Fossil: Comparing Dinosaur Bones reading/signing)
Sun., April 29, 2pm: MainStreet BookEnds, Warner, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing and discussion
Sat., May 5, 10am: Barnes & Noble, Burlington, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., May 5, 1pm: Barnes & Noble, Nashua, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., May 12, 11am: Gibson’s Bookstore, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Wed., May 16, 12pm: Concord Hospital Gift Shop, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People signing
Sat., May 19, 11:30am-3pm: Barnes & Noble, Salem, NH, National Storytime at 11am, followed by Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., June 2, 1-3pm: Books-A-Million, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing

=========================================================

Thank you so much to all the librarians, bloggers, and parents who are still discovering “Flashlight Night!”

NY Public Library’s “100 Best Book for Kids 2017” AND “Staff Pick!”
KIRKUS Starred review!
Amazon “Best Books of the Month,” Sept. 2017!
“Best Reads of 2017,” Unleashing Readers

=========================================================

Purchasing personalized signed copies ONLINE? Yes, it’s true!

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new way to purchase personalized signed copies of not only Flashlight Night, but ANY of my books or anthologies I’ve been part of!

=========================================================

Did you like this post? Find something interesting elsewhere in this blog? I really won’t mind at all if you feel compelled to share it with your friends and followers!

Also feel free to visit my voiceover website HERE, and you can also follow me via Twitter , Facebook, Pinterest, and SoundCloud!

100 Book Trailers spotlights “Don’t Ask a Dinosaur” trailer & activity sheets!

On April 8, 2018April 8, 2018 By Matt Forrest EsenwineIn Uncategorized1 Comment

The DINOSAUR TOUR Blog Tour rolls on today, courtesy of children’s author Kate Narita!

You know me…I rarely post anything on days other than Tuesday and Friday. And I NEVER post on a Sunday. But I needed to make an exception for this!

For the past several months, Kate has been featuring a different children’s book trailer each day, along with a short review and links to downloadable activity sheets that accompany the books. And today, coming in at #98, it’s Don’t Ask a Dinosaur (Pow! Kids), which officially arrives in stores next Tuesday, April 17! My co-author, Deb Bruss, and I are so happy that Kate liked our book enough to share it with her followers. So please be sure to check out her post HERE, and download the free activity sheets for your kids!

Want to follow along on the tour? Here’s the complete list of blogs taking part in the DINOSAUR TOUR:

April 6:       Michelle H. Barnes (Interview w/month-long writing prompt)
April 8:       Kate Narita (Book trailer & activity sheet spotlight)
April 11:     Deborah Kalb (Interview w/Matt & Deb)
April 13:     Yours Truly! (Interview w/illustrator Louie Chin)
April 16:     KidLit Exchange (Blog post re: process of illustration)
April 17:     Momma’s Bacon (DAAD review)
April 17: Yours Truly! (I’ll be sharing a couple of spreads of the book right here – and gearing up for our National Book Launch that night in Cambridge, MA!)
April 18:     Bonnie Ferrante (DAAD review)
April 19:     Brenda Davis Harsham (DAAD micro review)
April 25:     Bonnie Ferrante (Interview w/Matt & Deb)
May 2:        Unleashing Readers (DAAD review)
TBD: KidLit Exchange (DAAD review)
May 30: Bookseedstudio (DAAD review/interview)

I hope you’ll stop by these various blogs, as you’ll learn something new at each one, plus you’ll have multiple opportunities to win copies of Don’t Ask a Dinosaur!

=========================================================

The DINOSAURS are COMING!

“DON’T ASK A DINOSAUR” arrives in stores April 17!

New dates continue to be added to the Dinosaur Tour! Here’s the most up-to-date schedule:

Sat., April 14, 11am: Toadstool Bookshop, Peterborough, NH, (Children’s Author Day with illustrator Ryan O’Rourke AND Local Book Launch for Don’t Ask a Dinosaur!)
Sat., April 14, 2pm: Toadstool Bookshop, Keene, NH, (Children’s Author Day with illustrator Ryan O’Rourke AND Local Book Launch for Don’t Ask a Dinosaur!)
Tue., April 17, 7pm: Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur Dual National Launch Party!! (with Holly Thompson, One Wave at a Time reading/signing/discussion)
Thur., April 26, 10:30am: Pillsbury Free Library, Warner, NH, Dinosaur Storytime with Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People!
Sat., April 28, 10:30am: Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., April 28, 2pm: Barnes & Noble, Framingham, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur reading/signing (with Sara Levine, Fossil by Fossil: Comparing Dinosaur Bones reading/signing)
Sun., April 29, 2pm: MainStreet BookEnds, Warner, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing and discussion
Sat., May 5, 10am: Barnes & Noble, Burlington, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., May 5, 1pm: Barnes & Noble, Nashua, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., May 12, 11am: Gibson’s Bookstore, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Wed., May 16, 12pm: Concord Hospital Gift Shop, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People signing
Sat., May 19, 11:30am-3pm: Barnes & Noble, Salem, NH, National Storytime at 11am, followed by Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., June 2, 1-3pm: Books-A-Million, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing

=========================================================

Thank you so much to all the librarians, bloggers, and parents who are still discovering “Flashlight Night!”

NY Public Library’s “100 Best Book for Kids 2017” AND “Staff Pick!”
KIRKUS Starred review!
Amazon “Best Books of the Month,” Sept. 2017!
“Best Reads of 2017,” Unleashing Readers

=========================================================

Purchasing personalized signed copies ONLINE? Yes, it’s true!

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new way to purchase personalized signed copies of not only Flashlight Night, but ANY of my books or anthologies I’ve been part of!

=========================================================

Did you like this post? Find something interesting elsewhere in this blog? I really won’t mind at all if you feel compelled to share it with your friends and followers!

Also feel free to visit my voiceover website HERE, and you can also follow me via Twitter , Facebook, Pinterest, and SoundCloud!

Poetry Friday/National Poetry Month: A Dinosaur-sized interview/poetry prompt and “Poetry…Cubed!” First Entries

On April 6, 2018April 6, 2018 By Matt Forrest EsenwineIn poetry30 Comments

National Poetry Month is underway and there’s a lot going on here at the Triple-R Ranch: poetry, interviews, student writing, and a national book launch for my second picture book, among other things. First up, though: an interview with Michelle H. Barnes at Today’s Little Ditty!

At her blog today, Michelle is sharing the news about Don’t Ask a Dinosaur (Pow! Kids), the picture book I’ve written with author Deborah Bruss. Deb and I had a lot of fun with her interview, and I encourage you to check it out HERE! (We also have a fun Ditty of the Month Challenge for you!)

Michelle’s blog post is also special in another way: she is officially kicking off the “DINOSAUR TOUR” – a blog tour running throughout April and early May to celebrate this brand-new book! The complete list of blogs taking part in the DINOSAUR TOUR:

April 6:       Michelle H. Barnes (Interview w/month-long writing prompt)
April 8:       Kate Narita (Book trailer & activity sheet spotlight)
April 11:     Deborah Kalb (Interview w/Matt & Deb)
April 13:     Yours Truly! (Interview w/illustrator Louie Chin)
April 16:     KidLit Exchange (Blog post re: process of illustration)
April 17:     Momma’s Bacon (DAAD review)
April 17: Yours Truly! (I’ll be sharing a couple of spreads of the book right here – and gearing up for our National Book Launch that night in Cambridge, MA!)
April 18:     Bonnie Ferrante (DAAD review)
April 19:     Brenda Davis Harsham (DAAD micro review)
April 25:     Bonnie Ferrante (Interview w/Matt & Deb)
May 2:        Unleashing Readers (DAAD review)
TBD: KidLit Exchange (DAAD review)
May 30: Bookseedstudio (DAAD review/interview)

I hope you’ll stop by these various blogs, as you’ll learn something new at each one, plus you’ll have multiple opportunities to win copies of Don’t Ask a Dinosaur!

=========================================================

“Poetry…Cubed! #5” entries are already pouring in!

Because a book launch does not make a person crazy-busy enough, I also thought National Poetry Month would be a good time to host another round of “Poetry…Cubed!” This time…with a little thematic element.

Use the 3 images below as inspiration to write a poem. (1 poem, to the 3rd power – “cubed!”)
.
The poem can be any form, any genre, any number of lines, rhyming or not. (Heck, I’ll accept a monoku, if you think you can do it!) But please remember: #WriteLikeNoOneIsReading! This is about having fun and being creative – unlike the “real” Chopped, which is all about skill, artistry, and a potential career-ending slip of the knife.
.
Be sure to include a reference to all three images in the one poem – either via concrete imagery or something more abstract. (And since this is poetry we’re talking about, we play fast and loose with this rule!)
.
Email your poem to me at Matt (at) MattForrest (dot) com and I’ll share them here throughout the month. Out of all poems submitted, one writer will be chosen at random to receive a personally-signed copy of Don’t Ask a Dinosaur!

Here are the three images (click on any to enlarge):

And yes…I’m indulging in a little shameless self-promotion with these – and the more you learn about Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and Flashlight Night (Boyds Mills Press, 2017), the more you’ll understand!

I’ve already had numerous entries come in since the contest began last Friday! Here are some of them:
.

Poetry

An entry to the world of numbers and words
Praises that describe, adorn, paint the brain so faint with vivid imagination.
Songs and praises that take my mind to the edge of ecstacy
Like a drug

It is so easy to play with words like dies,
Cubic shapes with dots or numbers that determine a win or lose
In words of breath I relate
I sing
I recite
I rotate

In my right mind I write
My mind is poetry
The power of poetry is to free the mind to think as you like
The power of poetry is “Power- to the third Power”

Poetry is imagination
Poetry…

Best Cake Ever

It’s party day! So much to do.
Shopping, baking, cleaning, too.

Make “Best Cake Ever!”
(Take a nap?)
No! Don’t you have some gifts to wrap?

Almost ready.
Yikes! They’re here!
Socks away! Hallways clear!

Presents? Thank you!
Games and laughter.
Best Cake Ever?
Only after…

Candles… Wish…
A song for you.
Blow them out! Let’s feed this crew.

CRASH! STOMP! ROAR!
Flail about!
SCREAM! HIDE!
“Wait… and don’t come out.”

Grope in darkness. Find a light.
Friends afraid, “but we’re all right.”

Look for clues. The wall… the floor…
the hall… a TAIL beneath a door?!?!

Trembling fingers, breathless pause:

Caught!
In the act!
With frosting claws!!

Faint.

No, RUN AWAY!
No more party here today!!

…

Peace and quiet.
Kitchen free.

Must be time for cake and tea.

(NOTE: Savannah tells me her Mom was the culprit, wearing a realistic dino suit!)

.
haiku

Frigid days clutch, claw
Snow clouds persist, block sun’s beams
Happy Midwest Spring!

Amazing how three simple images can conjure such different reactions, isn’t it?? That’s why I love this little contest I devised. Send me your response to this challenge, and I’ll enter you in the drawing, too!

For today’s complete poetry roundup, please visit my friend Amy Ludwig VanDerwater at The Poem Farm, where she is hosting Poetry Friday with another sample of her Poetry Month Project: 1 Subject, 30 Ways!

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And in case you missed it…

I shared some 2nd-grader poetry earlier this week, written by students I visited at a local elementary school, and I also shared an interview an Australian ezine did with me, which they just published this week!

If you missed these posts, please check them out!

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The 2018 Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem!

A little seed is about to go on an adventure! The 2018 Progressive Poem is underway, and here’s a list of all the writers/bloggers participating – so you can follow along:

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SCHOOL PEOPLE are here…and the DINOSAURS are on their way!

DON’T ASK A DINOSAUR hits bookshelves April 17!

New dates continue to be added to the Dinosaur Tour! Here’s the most up-to-date schedule:

Sat., April 14, 11am: Toadstool Bookshop, Peterborough, NH, (Children’s Author Day with illustrator Ryan O’Rourke AND Local Book Launch for Don’t Ask a Dinosaur!)
Sat., April 14, 2pm: Toadstool Bookshop, Keene, NH, (Children’s Author Day with illustrator Ryan O’Rourke AND Local Book Launch for Don’t Ask a Dinosaur!)
Tue., April 17, 7pm: Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur Dual National Launch Party!! (with Holly Thompson, One Wave at a Time reading/signing/discussion)
Thur., April 26, 10:30am: Pillsbury Free Library, Warner, NH, Dinosaur Storytime with Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People!
Sat., April 28, 10:30am: Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., April 28, 2pm: Barnes & Noble, Framingham, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur reading/signing (with Sara Levine, Fossil by Fossil: Comparing Dinosaur Bones reading/signing)
Sun., April 29, 2pm: MainStreet BookEnds, Warner, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing and discussion
Sat., May 5, 10am: Barnes & Noble, Burlington, MA, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., May 5, 1pm: Barnes & Noble, Nashua, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., May 12, 11am: Gibson’s Bookstore, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Wed., May 16, 12pm: Concord Hospital Gift Shop, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People signing
Sat., May 19, 11:30am-3pm: Barnes & Noble, Salem, NH, National Storytime at 11am, followed by Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing
Sat., June 2, 1-3pm: Books-A-Million, Concord, NH, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur and School People reading/signing

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Thank you so much to all the librarians, bloggers, and parents who are still discovering “Flashlight Night!”

NY Public Library’s “100 Best Book for Kids 2017” AND “Staff Pick!”
KIRKUS Starred review!
Amazon “Best Books of the Month,” Sept. 2017!
“Best Reads of 2017,” Unleashing Readers

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Purchasing personalized signed copies ONLINE? Yes, it’s true!

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new way to purchase personalized signed copies of not only Flashlight Night, but ANY of my books or anthologies I’ve been part of!

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Did you like this post? Find something interesting elsewhere in this blog? I really won’t mind at all if you feel compelled to share it with your friends and followers!

Also feel free to visit my voiceover website HERE, and you can also follow me via Twitter , Facebook, Pinterest, and SoundCloud!

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