Poetry Friday: “Bless the Earth, “Bless our Pets,” bless my soul!

What a way to wrap up National Poetry Month!

We’re celebrating not one, but TWO new poetry anthologies published this month – and they are both blessings, in a manner of speaking.

As I’ve mentioned here before, Bless the Earth (Convergent/Penguin, 2024), the newest poetry anthology from Nancy Tupper Ling & June Cotner is officially out, and is absoutely beautiful!

This past weekend, several of the book’s contributors got together to celebrate its official launch at author-illustrator Peter Reynolds’ bookstore, The Blue Bunny in Dedham, MA. And what a fantastic time!

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Nancy, Charlotte Sheer, Amanda Smith, Keri Biron, Cathy Stenquist, and I all shared the poems we contributed (like my “The Snow Clouds Know,” which I shared here a few weeks ago) as well as some other contributors’ poems including one by my friend, Charles Ghigna.

And a VERY special thanks to Nancy for bringing along book-themed cookies, including one based on my poem, “Honeybee!” What a surprise!

I was going to take a photo of the entire basket with all the different cookies – but alas, I was too late and all that remained were crumbs.

We signed multiple copies, and I even got to sign a few of my own books like Flashlight Night and The Thing to Remember about Stargazing, which were also available.

In other poetry news…

One of the final poetry anthologies from the late, great Lee Bennett Hopkins was also published this month! Bless our Pets: Poems of Gratitude for our Animal Friends (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2024) has been a long time coming – but it’s worth it!

The fact that it was one of a handful of anthologies Lee was working on before he passed in 2019 is bittersweet – but the fact that my friend and fellow New Hampshire-ite Lita Judge was tapped to do the illustrations makes the book EXTRA-sweet.

^{All images © 2024 Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, all rights reserved}

From dogs and cats to gerbils and goldfish, fourteen favorite pets are celebrated by some of our country’s most esteemed children’s poets like Kristine O’Connell George, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Charles Ghigna, and many others.

The poems range from thoughtful longing, such as in Darren Sardelli’s “Guinea Pig,” about a child away at summer camp who misses their pet, to the tender caring of Lois Lowry’s “Mouse Dreams”:

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This particular poem is especially touching for me personally, because I know Lita still misses her own pet mouse, Pan, who passed away last year. He was such a cute little guy, and everyone who knew him loved him.

Lita also appreciated the opportunity to portray her very first bird for the poem written by our fellow New Hampshire creator, Ralph Fletcher:

Bless our Pets is truly one of the most beautiful and beautifully-worded books you will see all year. And I’m not just saying that because so many of the contributors are friends of mine! (Nor am I saying it because Eeerdmans will be publishing MY very first anthology next spring – hint, hint) You can see for yourself right here how much love was poured into this project.

And what a wonderfully perfect poem to end the book, from the man who brought all these poets together:

Lee will be missed, but his spirit lives on in each of us whom he touched. Hard to believe it’s been nearly five years since he passed in Aug. of 2019. He would be so proud of this.

And by the way, Lita’s bird and mouse aren’t her only family members to grace these pages! Prince Redcloud’s “Old Calico” features the cat Lita grew up with as a young girl, and another long-lost pet of hers, Wilbur, is the star of Sarah Grace Tuttle’s “Hamster Hoping.”

You’ll also find her giant fluff-monster of a kitty, Willow (a Maine Coon Cat), on the back cover!

This may be Lee’s poetry anthology, but it’s Lita’s family album – and I couldn’t be happier for either of them.

Hold on! There’s MORE poetry news…!

I’ve just received word that a proposal I submitted with Charles Waters and Laura Purdie Salas for the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of Education) Convention this fall was ACCEPTED – which means I’ll be heading off to Boston, MA in November!

Our panel presentation, “Poems and Picture Books as Writing Prompts and Conversation Starters,” will offer suggestions on how students can use what they read and learn – from any book, poem, or story – to better understand themselves and the world around them. An educator friend of mine, Joanne Tranchemontagne, will then offer her perspective on how teachers can implement these suggestions in a classroom setting.

When I first learned last year that the 2024 NCTE Convention was taking place just two hours from me, I was determined to attend in some way, shape, or form – so I’m thrilled that I’ll be able to do so as a presenter. If you decide to attend, please track me down!

For more poetry, head over to There is no such thing as a God-foresaken town where Ruth – who is living in Uganda now – is hosting today’s complete Poetry Friday roundup with a heartfelt poem about the country in which she used to live, Haiti.

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~~ 2024 SCHOOL VISIT dates still available! ~~

I still have a few dates still available for author visits for the 2024 spring semester! If you think your school might be interested in having me visit, check out all the presentations I offer, then email me 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 crafting origami sea turtles!

Student presentations include:

• The Making of a Picture Book
• How a Child Saved a Book
• “Once Upon Another Time”
• The Most Important 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!

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Order PERSONALLY-SIGNED copies 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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