Poetry Friday: Flashlights and Dinosaurs and Roundups – oh, my!

Where to begin, where to begin, where to begin…it’s such a crazy, busy week, and there’s so much to talk about!

I have big news about my debut picture book, Flashlight Night (Boyds Mills Press, Sept. 19, 2017) – actually, THREE different news items – plus, news about my second book, due out this spring.

But first, let me welcome you to the Poetry Friday roundup! This is the place where you can find links to all of the poetry-related posts in the blogosphere. So leave your links in the comments below, and I’ll put them together in this post throughout the day.

“Flashlight Night” News #1:  National Book Launch!

Last night, Carol Gordon Ekster, whose new picture book is You Know What? (Clavis, 2017), and I hosted a dual book launch at Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Mass. What a success!

Clockwise from top: our books; Carol starting things off; some guy who vaguely looks like me having a grand time (Photo credit, Josh Funk)

Thank you to everyone who attended!

Loved the size of the crowd!

Oh, and did I mention there was food? Yes, I should have mentioned that…

 

“Flashlight Night” News #2:  One of the Best Picture Books of 2017!

Last Friday, the folks at The Children’s Book Review announced their list of what they feel are the best children’s books of the year…and Flashlight Night made the cut!

I’m so excited about this, not only because I wrote it, but because it was such a beautiful example of teamwork – between me, illustrator Fred Koehler (who came up with the concept of reality being in darkness and fantasy being illuminated by the flashlight), and my editor, Rebecca Davis, who steered the project from start to finish.

And just in case you missed that link, here it is again, so you can read the complete list – which includes books from friends and fellow writers like David Elliott, Josh, Funk, Patricia Toht, and many others.

“Flashlight Night” News #3:  On sale at Amazon!

I always like to books locally, whenever possible, because doing so helps support the businesses closest to us. But if you really want to pick up a copy and are having a  tough time with your finances, I am please to tell you that Amazon has it for almost five dollars less than the standard price: just $12.11!

Second book news: COVER REVEAL!

In the midst of all this Flashlight news, I learned something about Don’t Ask a Dinosaur (Pow! Kids Books, March 2018), the book I co-authored with author & critique partner Deb Bruss…we have a release date and a cover!

(click to enlarge)

 

Wait til you see what’s inside! Illustrator Louis Chin is having fun depicting 14 different dinosaur species and the utter havoc they wreak while getting ready for a birthday party.

With big, bold colors, crazy situations, and a 2-page glossary at the end detailing the unique attributes of each dinosaur, this book is completely unlike Flashlight – so I’m eager to see what people think of it! It’s already for pre-order, so CLICK HERE for details.

Local release party this weekend!

Just a reminder: if you’re in the area, please stop by MainStreet BookEnds in Warner, NH this Sunday for the local release party, starting at 2pm. More info can be found HERE.

So thank you for stopping by today! Leave your Poetry Friday links in the comments, and I’ll round them up…

• My friends Charles Waters and Irene Latham have a release date AND cover reveal for their co-authored book (Charles’ debut!).
• Irene also shares a sneak peek at one of the poems from their book on her blog.
• Carol Varsalona is waxing poetic as kids are going back to school.
• Rebecca Herzog is prepping for Irma, but found time to write a poem – and this may be the only time in history that Jane Yolen, Dr. Seuss, R.L. Stine, and litle ol’ me have been mentioned in the same breath!
• Michelle Kogan offers a villanelle for humanity – and with everything going on these days, it’s just what we need.
• At Gathering Books, Iphegene shares a beautiful poem she wrote for the Summer Poetry Swap.
• Kathryn Apel shares 4 new poems inspired by her sons – on subjects from paper airplanes to toadstools!
• At Today’s Little Ditty, Michelle is spotlighting the new book from Janet Wong & Sylvia Vardell – and celebrating with a giveaway!
• Linda Mitchell finds inspiration in Motown, with an abeccdarian poem that’s also a found poem AND book review.
• Catherine Flynn, meanwhile, was inspired to write a short, colorful poem after reading Susan Goldmsith Wooldridge.
• At The Poem Farm, Amy shares a project she did with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra this summer, and is preparing to launch her new poetry collection!
• Mary Lee Hahn ‘ducks’ inspiration while riding her bike.
• At Whispers from the Ridge, Kiesha is encouraging readers to find balance in their lives and to live in the present.
• Ruth at There is No Such Thing as a God Forsaken Town shares a touching poem by ‘sort-of’ former neighbor, New Hampshire resident, the late Jane Kenyon. (She and Donald Hall lived in the town next door)
• At Reflections on the Teche, Margaret is also sharing a Kenyon poem – one of my favorites!
• Brenda Davis Harsham refuses to let summer go! She’s in today with a rhyming haiku.
• Linda at Teacher Dance takes our minds away from hurricanes and forest fires and world unrest with two poems from the Summer Poetry Swap.
• Likewise, Kay McGriff turns away from the news and is reflecting on dreams by sharing a Langston Hughes poem.
• Jone MacCulloch is also in with a poem from the Poetry Swap…AND shares some student reviews of Flashlight Night! (Thank you, Jone!!)
• After a local park was vandalized, Violet Nesdoly found inspiration!
• At Bildungsroman, Little Willow shares a thought-provoking, almost surreal poem by Joanna Fuhrman.
• Jane, the Rain City Librarian, has autumn on the mind with a Japanese poem about fall.
• At Poetry for Children, Sylvia Vardell has a guest post from author René Saldaña, Jr., who shares insights on teaching, writing, and the lessons he has learned!
• Karen Edmisten offers up a nature poem by Gillian Wegener that is about much more than just nature.
• While searching her files for a hurricane-related poem, Diane Mayr discovered an abecedarian hurricane poem, perfect for Michelle H. Barnes’ monthly writing challenge! Meanwhile, at Kurious Kitty, Diane shares a poem from Jeane Steig’s 1988 collection, Consider the Lemming.
• Catherine at Wondering and Wandering  shares kindergartners’ love of poetry with us…something that’s so nice to see!
• Penny Parker Klostermann is back with another edition of her Great Nephew / Great Aunt series of illustrations and poetry!
• Last but certainly not EVER least…I just learned that Jama Kim Rattigan’s blog, Alphabet Soup, is 10 YEARS OLD! Happy birthday, Jama! Of course, she is celebrating with cake (and tea, I’m sure) – and offers a look back at why she began blogging and how far she has come. Sadly, she is in a difficult predicament, which she elucidates in her post – so please stop by and wish her well!

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“The verse is incantatory…a simple idea that’s engagingly executed” – School Library Journal

“Delicious language…ingenious metamorphoses” – Kirkus Reviews

“[Esenwine and Koehler] don’t just lobby for children to read—they show how readers play” – Publisher’s Weekly

“Readers will be inspired to…create their own journey” – Alyson Beecher, Kidlit Frenzy

“Imaginative…fantastical” – ALA Booklist

“An old fashioned, rip-roaring imaginary adventure” – The Horn Book

“Beautiful words and amazing illustrations” – Michelle Knott, Mrs. Knott’s Book Nook/Goodreads

Flashlight Night (Boyd’s Mills Press) hits bookshelves Sept. 19, 2017! Pre-orders are available now through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or Books-a-Million, or by clicking the image of the cover to the right. Of course, if you prefer, you can always wait til Sept. 19 and purchase it at your favorite local independent bookstore.

Thank you for your support!

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