Poetry Friday: Coming soon, “Bless the Earth” anthology!

I’m always excited when new poetry anthologies come out – but it’s extra-exciting when I get to be in them!

Nancy Tupper Ling and June Cotner follow up their beautifully-illustrated poetry anthology For Every Little Thing (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2021) with a brand-new book due out this spring!

Bless the Earth: A Collection of Poetry for Children to Celebrate and Care for Our World, to be published April 2, 2024 by Penguin/Convergent, ties together our common humanity with the natural beauty of our world.

Bless the Earth, our faithful friend,
her mountain range and river bend,
her forest green and canopy,
the hidden world of bended trees.

The book includes about 60 poems, both contemporary and classic, divided into five sections:

• Dreams for My World
• Earth and Sky
• All Creatures, Big and Small
• Seasons
• Caring for Our World

I’m very proud to have two poems included in the anthology – but rather than spill the beans and share them here now, I thought I’d share a poem I had submitted that didn’t quite make the cut!

You actually may have seen this waaay back in 2014 when Carol Varsalona featured it in her “Finding Fall Gallery” of poems and artwork on her blog Beyond Literacy Link, but I present it to you today because a week before Thanksgiving is as good a time as any to post an autumn poem:
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Art of Autumn

When Mother Nature tires of green
she paints each tree without a sound.

In just a few short autumn weeks
each tree, in turn, then paints the ground.

– © 2014, Matt Forrest Esenwine, all rights reserved
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Speaking of Thanksgiving, if you’re in New Hampshire next weekend, I hope you’ll stop by Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord, one of our wonderful local bookstores, for Small Business Saturday.

I’ll be sharing my new picture book The Thing to Remember about Stargazing (Tilbury House 2023) and will be joined by my friends Kari Allen and Don’t Ask a Dinosaur co-author Deb Bruss. You get get some holiday shopping done, support a local business, AND help a children’s author afford an extra can of cranberry sauce for the table. It’s a WIN for everyone!

For today’s complete Poetry Friday roundup head on over to Live Your Poem, where my friend Irene Latham is hosting the festivities with a spotlight on our mutual friend Vikram Madan’s new graphic novel, her latest ArrtSpeak poem, and a celebration of “last” poems!

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~~ SPECIAL OFFER! ~~

I’m booking author visits for the 2023-24 school year, and would like to fill my schedule as soon as possible, so I can plan out the rest of my year. SO…if you book me for a full-day, in-person school visit ($700, which includes up to 5 presentations) BEFORE 12/31/23, I will take $100 off! (Or 20% off a virtual visit!) Email me now at Matt (at) MattForrest (dot) com!

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”

Adult presentations include:

• 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 now on BOOKSHOP!

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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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