Welcome to the Poetry Friday roundup! I’m so happy to be hosting the festivities today because I not only get to see the complete, vast, and unadulterated range of poetry blog posts, but I get to celebrate this week’s publication of my eighth children’s book – which is also a poem.
The Thing to Remember about Stargazing (Tilbury House), illustrated by award-winning Italian artist Sonia Maria Luce Possentini, was officially introduced to the world this past Tue., Oct. 3:
Stargazing has been picking up some wonderful reviews, too! In her preview of upcoming titles, Betsy Bird at School Library Journal told readers how much she loved the title: “Ten outta ten. Would recommend. Beautiful.” (Wow!)
BlackRaven at Cannonball Read loved the book, as well, saying, “the poetic, wonder-filled story is contemporary with feeling and emotional.”
I’m also grateful to Instagrammers like Booksource, Just Takes One, and Maria C. Marshall, who called the book “stunning and playful!”
And I can’t thank these four highly-esteemed folks enough for their kind words:
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Would you believe I can be in two places at once? Well, I can!
In addition to my Poetry Friday roundup hosting duties, I’m very honored to also be guest-blogging at WritersRumpus today with an in-depth look at why it’s so important to rewrite/revise/recycle and be open to change – because Stargazing wouldn’t exist had I not been willing to alter my plans.
(But wait, there’s more!) I hope you’ll check out some of the following posts as part of Stargazing‘s blog tour:
- KidLit.TV hosted the premiere of the official book trailer for The Thing to Remember about Stargazing.
- Linda Baie featured the book at TeacherDance.
- Maria Marshall shared an interview and review at The Picture Book Buzz.
- Jama Rattigan included a sneak peek at Stargazing on her weekly “9 Cool Things” list at Alphabet Soup.
- Michele Knott shared her thoughts on the book at Reading Through the Ages.
- The very first commercial radio station I ever worked, NH Talk Radio WKXL AM/FM in Concord, NH, was kind enough to invite me to chat about the new book, my writing, and a statewide StoryWalk® event! (details below…)
As with any launch, I’m looking forward to signing books! I’ll be at our local indie bookstore, MainStreetBookEnds.com, this Saturday during our town’s annual Fall Foliage Festival, and next month I’ll be co-signing with my friend and fellow author Deb Bruss at GibsonsBookstore.com in Concord, NH.
The super-big news, however, is a statewide StoryWalk® event coordinated with the Children’s Librarians of New Hampshire. Nearly TWENTY libraries throughout the state are featuring Stargazing on their StoryWalks® this autumn! (some of the local papers have been sharing the news, so please check out my Facebook post for more details on this unusual project!)
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All right, time for today’s poem!
As I mentioned earlier in this post, Stargazing began as a poem nearly 10 years ago. I wrote “A Beginner’s Guide to Stargazing” for Paul Janeczko’s anthology, The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-to Poems (Candlewick, 2019). Unfortunately, he passed away before I had a chance to learn why the poem never made it into the book.
Thankfully, our mutual friend Rebecca Kai Dotlich loved the poem and suggested I consider fleshing out the poem a bit and turning it into a picture book manuscript. Good thing I did, too, because even though the poem was never published, I got not one, but TWO picture books out of it! (How is this possible? Check out my WritersRumpus guest blog today and find out how four books and a poem can be all interconnected!)
Here is the first part of the poem that started it all:
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A Beginner’s Guide to Stargazing
It’s important the conditions be just right.
Wait for a cloudless, moonless night
or one with just a silver sliver
or even a full moon,
……….round and glowing.
Come to think of it,
even a few clouds aren’t a problem.
So let’s say any evening that features at least a few stars
is perfect.
Go outside with someone special
……….or a pet
………………..or no one at all
and find a patch of grass
to lie upon
……….or bring a blanket
………………..or chair
or you can even stand there with your head
craning toward the sky,
and begin counting the stars…
…..
– © 2014 Matt Forrest Esenwine
…..
I hope you like the poem enough to consider checking out the book – it’s been a long time coming, and the fact that the book is a poem unto itself is very comforting and reassuring to me; after all, I got into children’s writing through poetry, so it’s gratifying to know my poetry is being published and enjoyed by readers of all ages.
The book is available everywhere, but if you want a PERSONALLY-SIGNED copy be sure to order through Main Street Book Ends, our local indie store.
(details below)
And since it’s Poetry Friday, drop your links in the comments and I’ll round them up, old-school style! Thanks for visiting, and enjoy the poetry…
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- Irene at Live Your Poem has constellations on her mind, too – but not exactly the same kind!
- Jone Rush MacCulloch is “playing with pantoums” and helped her 4th grade class to write one.
- Meanwhile, Catherine at Reading to the Core is playing with the “laws of motion” with the Inklings and shares a touching original draft.
- Linda Mitchell also tackles the Inklings’ challenge by putting her “gears” in motion to create a sonnet at A Word Edgwise.
- At Nix the Comfort Zone, Molly Hogan came up with two poems for the challenge and chose the road “more” travelled!
- Mary Lee, who gave the Inklings their challenge, comes up with three poems – a haiku, a type of found poetry, and free verse – that you can read at A(nother) Year of Reading.
- And at Reflections on the Teche Margaret Simon responds to the Inklings challenge by showing how she has been “juggling” life.
- There is beauty even in the images we may at first think are dull or bland, and Alan J. Wright shares an ekphrastic landscape poem that is anything but dull or bland!
- At Alphabet Soup, Jama shows us what happens when you write a tale about an English garden with language that is very decidely British English!
- Have you ever heard of “poison books?” Tabatha Yeatts will fill you in at The Opposite of Indifference.
- At Teaching Authors, Carmela starts off by talking about endings (brilliant!) and wraps up with a beautiful draft of a hummingbird poem.
- As Denise Krebs awaits the arrival of her copy of Fly: An Anthology of Poetry, she decided to write a poem inspired by the book’s art.
- It’s Bird-tober over at There is No Such Thing as a God-forsaken Town, where Ruth is writing poems about a different species each day of the month!
- Linda Kulp Trout has a new book out (I did NOT mean to rhyme that, ha!), and today she shares one of its poems.
- I might have been inspired by the stars, but Michelle Kogan was inspired by the October moon and offers an original poem at More Art 4 All!
- Linda Baie, who posted a wonderful review of Stargazing earlier this week, has had stars on her mind at Teacher Dance and shares a beautiful poem.
- Friends, beauty, darkness – these sound like elements from my book, but they are actually elements of a new poem from Kat Apel at Kat’s Whiskers!
- Sally Murphy wrote a poem to one of her verse novel characters – and he wrote back!
- Libraries can be full of inspiration, and at Wee Words for Wee Ones, Bridget Magee shares a poem that was inspired by a doll and a scooter – in a library!
- Mary Cronin is feeling the beat – and the love – as a local school’s music teacher used one of her poems as part of a project on percussion.
- At The Poem Farm, Amy has a new poem about foxes and fire and all the colors and images of autumn!
- It’s a tale of sunflowers (and a haiku!) that Marcie Flinchum Atkins shares today.
- My poem was inspired by the nighttime, and that – along with a poem by Kate Baer – is also the inspiration behind an original poem by Rose at Imagine the Possibilities.
- At BookSeedStudio, Jan shares a portion of a new YA novel by Han Nolan that, through the use of creative enjambment, reads beautifully as a poem!
- “Diminishing verse” is a fun – if not challenging – form of poetry, and Laura Purdie Salas shares a draft she’s working on, along with her process of writing it.
- Patricia Franz is “painting with words” by creating a concrete poem about something that was “hanging around!”
- Tracey at Tangles & Tails has October on her mind and shares an original poem as well as one from Paul Laurence Dunbar, one of the first African American poets to become popular nationally.
- Also for October, Anastasia Suen kicks off a “small poem challenge” for the month.
- And October is on Donna JT Smith’s mind, too, as she shares an original autumn poem at Mainely Write.
- Carol at The Apples in My Orchard is on a 15-day river cruise through Europe (how cool!) and decided that a castle poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow would be very apropos for a Poetry Friday post.
- At Chicken Spaghetti, Susan Thomsen has swimming on her mind and shares a wonderful poem from Susan Browne.
- Last but not least, our ‘other’ Carol (Varsalona) is celebrating autumn at Beyond Literacy Link with a Golden Shovel that praises those wonderful autumnal moments that mean so much to us as the seasons change.
AND…I’m booking author visits for the 2023-24 shool year!
I love chatting with elementary and middle school classes about writing: why poetry is fun to read and write, the importance of revision, and how imagination and creativity can lead to fantastic careers! My presentations are tailored to fit the needs of the classes and students’ ages. One day I might be sharing details of how a picture book like Flashlight Night (Astra Young Readers, 2017) was created; the next, I’ll be discussing dinosaur breath or origami sea turtles!
Student presentations include:
- The Making of a Picture Book
- How a Child Saved a Book
- “Once Upon Another Time”
- The Most Imporant Thing about Writing Poetry
- “I Am Today”
- “A Beginner’s Guide to Being Human”
- “Everybody Counts: Counting to 10 in Twelve Languages”
- The Making of a Picture Book
- The Most Important Thing about Writing Poetry
- Free Yourself with Free Verse
- Tight Language, Loose Narratives: Crafting a Non-Traditional Picture Book
Learn more at MattForrest.com!
If you or someone you know might be interested in having me visit your school, library, or other organization, please email me
at matt(at)mattforrest(dot)com!
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NOW AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE:
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Order a PERSONALLY-SIGNED copy of this or or ANY of my books
from my local independent bookstore!
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I’m also very happy to be part of the BOOKROO family!
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Ordering personalized signed copies online? Oh, yes, you can!
You can purchase personally-signed copies of Flashlight Night, (Astra Young Readers, 2017), Don’t Ask a Dinosaur (Pow! Kids Books, 2018), and nearly EVERY book or anthology I’ve been part of!
Click here to view all my books and to order!
Just click the cover of whichever book you want and send a comment to the good folks at MainStreet BookEnds in Warner, NH requesting my signature and to whom I should make it out. (alternatively, you can log onto my website and do the same thing) They’ll contact me, I’ll stop by and sign it, and then they’ll ship it! (Plus, you’ll be supporting your local bookseller – and won’t that make you feel good?)
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Thank you to everyone for your support!
FLASHLIGHT NIGHT:
- NY Public Library’s “100 Best Book for Kids 2017” AND “Staff Pick!”
- KIRKUS Starred review!
- Kansas NEA Reading Circle Recommended Books!
- “Best Reads of 2017,” Unleashing Readers
- Finalist, 2019 New Hampshire Literary Awards
- Positive reviews from Horn Book, School Library Connection, School Library Connection, Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, and Shelf-Awareness!
DON’T ASK A DINOSAUR:
- “Rollicking rhyme!” – Booklist
- “A wild romp!” – Parenting NH Magazine
- “Cute…intriguing…4 out of 5 stars” – Tulsa Book Review
- “Rhythmic…funny and informative” – Unleashing Readers
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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!
To keep abreast of all my posts, please consider subscribing via the links up there on the right! (I usually only post once or twice a week – usually 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, Instagram, Pinterest, and SoundCloud!
Pingback: Poetry Friday: Laws of Motion – Reading to the Core
Congratulations on your new book, Matt! It looks wonderful. Today I’m sharing my response to Mary Lee’s Inkling challenge, “Laws of Motion.” https://readingtothecore.com/2023/10/05/poetry-friday-laws-of-motion/
Thank you for hosting today!
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Thanks so much, Catherine!
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Matt, congratulations on the release of your eighth book and the glowing reviews it is attracting. Well done, you! Such a buzz. I enjoyed the backstory you shared regarding the process you undertook following the setback with the original poem. Flexibity and stickability certainly came to the fore. Enjoyed your Stargazing poem and the gentle way you presented the conditions for participants. Brought back memories. Thank you also for hosting.
This week, I’m sharing an Ekphratic poem regarding images protraying bland, featureless and often mysterious landscapes.
https://alanjwrightpoetrypizzazz.blogspot.com/2023/10/landscape-somewhere-ekhprastic-poem.html
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I appreciate that, Alan, thank you!
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Congrats again on Stargazing! The poem excerpt is beautiful — and you got 2 picture books out of the poem? Very cool! Love that it’s being featured on StoryWalks too!
This week at Alphabet Soup I have a review of Betty and the Mysterious Visitor by Anne Twist and Emily Sutton and a giveaway:
(my link goes live at 6 a.m.)
Thanks for hosting this week!
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Thanks, Jama, for all your support! Yes, my “Beginner’s Guide to Being Human” was borne of this manuscript – and then I sold this one, too!
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10 out of 10 from Betsy Bird — nice! Congrats on the beautiful new book, Matt, and thanks for hosting! My post is here: https://tabathayeatts.blogspot.com/2023/10/poison-and-prudence.html
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Thanks so much, Tabatha!
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Congratulations on your new book, Matt. Stargazing looks GORGEOUS! I can’t wait to read it.
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Oops. I hit enter too soon. Thanks for hosting Poetry Friday this week! I’ll have a poem called “The Last Hummingbird” in my TeachingAuthors post. It won’t go live for a few hours yet, but I won’t be around tomorrow to share the link: https://www.teachingauthors.com/2023/10/the-end-of-this-series.html
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That’s very kind of you, Carmela, thank you!
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Matt, congratulations! I just went out and did a little stargazing before I commented and posted my link. I’m tickled that you went on this ten-year journey to make your book a reality. I’m going next to Main Street Book Ends to get a copy for my stargazing grandbaby.
I was excited to get my copy of Fly: A Anthology of Poetry, but it didn’t come, so I wrote an ekhphrastic poem about the cover art. https://mrsdkrebs.edublogs.org/2023/10/05/poetry-friday-fly-and-flowers/
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Thank you so much, Denise. I’ll need to look into this FLY book!
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Congratulations! I’m getting ready for work here in Uganda on Friday morning, so I’ll be back later to read more closely! Here’s my post: https://thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com/2023/10/poetry-friday-birdtober-day-six.html
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Thanks, Ruth!
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Your new book is beautiful, Matt. Congratulations! Thank you for hosting today!
I’m sharing a poem from my new book Write With Me.
https://lindakulptrout.blogspot.com/2023/10/a-place-where-i-can-be-me.html
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Thank you so much, Linda!
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Hooray Matt!!! Many Congrats on “The Thing To Remember About Stargazing!” its evolution, and all the wonderful publicity its receiving! How spectacular to be featured by so many libraries too. Thanks for hosting us!
My poetry muse this week is our radiating moon, and along with my poem I’m sharing a bit of art and music: https://moreart4all.wordpress.com/2023/10/05/poetry-friday-october-moon-and-a-bit-more/
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Ah, the moon and stars are so inspiring, aren’t they? Thanks, Michelle!
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Thanks for hosting, Matt. I love reading about the other special “stars” for your new book and a bit more of the backstory. I am sharing, because of you, another star poem, am still “stargazing”. https://www.teacherdance.org/2023/10/poetry-friday-inspiration-to-look-up.html
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Thanks, Linda – adn thank you again for your nice review earlier this week!
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Congratulations, Matt. I probably don’t do enough stargazing. Maybe I should put that on the list of things to do tonight. For sure, we have wide open spaces and a gazillion stars to spot!
It’s not night stars on my post today. And yet – the poem is fitting, just the same. 🙂
Thanks for hosting!
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Fitting, indeed, Kat! Thanks!
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Congratulations on the latest book. I played with a class pantoum: https://www.jonerushmacculloch.com/blog/poetry-friday-week-39-poetry-play-playing-with-pantoum
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Thanks again, Jone!
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Congratulations Matt. Your book sounds perfect, and I loved learning about it’s journey. Thanks for hosting today. I’m sharing a conversation between me and my main character, Herbert, who has decided he will only speak to me in rhyme. http://sallymurphy.com.au/2023/10/poetry-friday-dear-herbert/
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Thank you so much, Sally!
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Pingback: Poetry Friday: Dear Herbert
Congratulations, Matt on your ‘stellar’ new book! And thank you for hosting. 🙂
My poem today is part of my Camera Roll 23 series: In the Library Vestibule…
Plus I recap my feeble attempts to participate in the scbwiArtober2023 challenge.
https://weewordsforweeones.blogspot.com/2023/10/camera-roll-more-than-23-in-library.html
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Thank you, Bridget!
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I love the idea of the story walk, Matt. Congratulations on the publication of the book, and all those glowing reviews!
This week I am writing about what happened when the music teacher in my K-3 school used my poem “Drum” in her lessons on perscussion!
https://maryecronin.com/feeling-the-beat-feeling-the-love/
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Congratulations, Matt! Time with stars is time well spent, and I imagine your book will send many children on such heavenly adventures…
Today at The Poem Farm, I’m in with a fall poem…in the voice of a fox.
http://www.poemfarm.amylv.com/2023/10/sing-someone-elses-song.html
Thank you for hosting! xo, a.
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Thanks, Amy, I hope so, too!
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Thanks, Mary – your post sounds intriguing!
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Congratulations on the new book! I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy. I’m writing about sunflowers today: https://www.marcieatkins.com/2023/10/06/poetry-friday-a-tale-of-sunflowers/
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Thank you so much, Marcie!
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Pingback: [review + giveaway] Betty and the Mysterious Visitor by Anne Twist and Emily Sutton | Jama's Alphabet Soup
Congratulations, Matt! It’s just delightful to see your book stack grow. I look forward to sharing this with some special kiddos (and their grown ups) in my life.
https://awordedgewiselindamitchell.blogspot.com/2023/10/choose-visual-framework-write-poem.html
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That’s kind of you, Linda, thank you!
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Congratulations, Matt! I’m looking forward to holding a copy of this beautiful book in my hands. Today I’m writing about some nighttime backyard visitors and celebrating a new-to-me poet.
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Thanks so much, Rose!
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Matt, appreciations for hosting.
I can only imagine how much more special the night sky flows for your kids & YOU after this 10 year journey to reach the stars. So gladsome for your poem & especially
“even some clouds aren’t a a problem’
This, poet pal, is a potent echo of Life itself & this books’ Journey.
jan/Bookseedstudio
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Bookseedstudio for Oct. 6, 2023
We are turning a new book’s pages with National Book Award winner & Hollins Childrens Lit. Prof., the amazing Han Nolan.
https://bookseedstudio.wordpress.com
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I suppose it is, Jan! Thank you very much!
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Congratulations, Matt! I gave the Inklings our challenge this month. Here’s how I approached it: https://ayearofreading.org/2023/10/05/poetry-friday-visual-frameworks/
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Thanks, Mary Lee!
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Pingback: Poetry Friday: Juggling | Reflections on the Teche
Congratulations on another book launch. This one will make a wonderful companion to Irene’s Moon book. Stargazing is something I like to do early in the morning while walking. Thanks for hosting. I am juggling my life in a zeno. https://reflectionsontheteche.com/2023/10/06/poetry-friday-juggling/
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Thanks, Margaret, I hadn’t thought of Irene’s book, but you’re right!
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Hi Matt, and congratulations on your gorgeous new book! I’m in with a poem of diminishing verse, which I wasn’t able to post with the rest of my poetry group last week. It’s at https://laurasalas.com/poems-for-teachers/the-journey-a-draft-of-diminishing-verse/ . Thanks for hosting this week!
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Thank you so much, Laura!
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Hi Matt! Congratulations on STARGAZING…thanks for sharing its beginnings! I’ve go a post on the theme..Love Poem with Snow and Constellations. 🙂 Thank you for hosting! https://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2023/10/love-poem-with-snow-and-constellations.html
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So we both have constellations on our mind, I see! Thanks, Irene.
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Matt, congratulations! What an exciting week! I saw an email about your Writers’ Rumpus post this morning as well, so word is getting out there. I truly enjoyed the poem that you posted, and I can’t wait to read more of Stargazing! Thank you for taking time to host Poetry Friday during this busy week!
http://traceykj.com/joomla/index.php/october-undertakers
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Oh, thank you so very much, Tracey, I appreciate that!
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Congrats again on STARGAZING, Matt! The story walks will be so fun. Our little m mountain town is just starting story walks this year, too. Thank you for hosting!
https://patriciajfranz.com/blog-painting-with-words/
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Thanks so much, Patricia!
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HI, Matt! Congratulations on your book – a subject many will enjoy! I also thank you for hosting the round-up this week. Thanks. Here’s to many more successful book birthday’s for your creations! https://theapplesinmyorchard.com/2023/10/06/poetry-friday-hello-from-germany/
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Thank you, Carol!
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Hmm… not sure my comments came through? Try #2
Congrats again in STARGAZING, Matt! The story walks will be very fun. Out small mountain town started then this year finally! Thank you for hosting!
https://patriciajfranz.com/blog-painting-with-words/
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Congratulations on STARGAZING, Matt! Happy book birthday! I’m starting a new month of seasonal poems at https://anastasiasuen.com/october-2023/
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Thanks so much!
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Love this newest addition to your growing, glowing collection! I have at last put a poem up…hard to squeeze them in some days lately. Today’s is a thought about October. https://mainelywrite.blogspot.com/2023/10/october.html
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Thank you, Donna!
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Matt, I am sorry that I am so late in sharing my post. I have been inundated with so many family matters this week but I am glad to be here. Congratulations once again on your marvelous book that I will take the time this week to review. Thank you for hosting. My blog post is at https://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2023/10/search-observe-praise-autumnal-moments.html
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No worries, Carol, better late than never, right? 😉
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Congratulations on your newest book! It really looks wonderful and I loved reading a bit of the backstory. I’m coming in last minute to share my response to this month’s Inkling challenge. https://nixthecomfortzone.com/2023/10/06/pf-path/ Thanks so much for hosting!
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Well as I told Carol, better late than never – thanks, Molly!
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Hi, Matt. Thanks for rounding up. Congrats on the new book! My first comment did not go through, so I’ll try again. I’m in with a link to Susan Browne’s poem about swimming, https://chickenspaghetti.typepad.com/chicken_spaghetti/2023/10/swimming.html
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So sorry I’m just getting to this now, Susan – thank you!
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Oh, that’s a gorgeous poem! (I also submitted work for that anthology.) It’s funny how we think of a writer’s works as these little boxes in a row, like a shelf of book covers. But in reality, they’re like a copse of trees, with roots growing into each other and limbs twining together. Can’t wait to compare the book to this poem. Thanks for hosting, Matt!
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Thank you, Laura – great analogy, too. Twists, turns, and no way of knowing where the branches will lead or if they’ll even bear fruit.
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