Tag: board book

Poetry Friday: A belated “Cereal Day” celebration and TWO new board books!

On By Matt Forrest EsenwineIn poetry23 Comments

Hard to believe it’s been nearly a decade since the children’s poetry anthology The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations (Pomelo Books, 2015) was released.

In it, one can find poems about all sorts of celebrations, from Passover and Ramadan to Daylight Savings time and National Pet Week!

National Cereal Day, which I’m sad to say I missed, was on Thursday, March 7 this year – but that’s not going to stop me from sharing my poem about it:
.

Picky Eater

I love my Froot Loops,
love my Trix,
love Cheerios
and even Kix.
I also like
my Apple Jacks –
but please don’t give me
Sugar Smacks,
or stars or squares or flakes
you’ve found –
I only eat, you see,
what’s round.

– © 2015 Matt Forrest Esenwine and Pomelo Books, all rights reserved
.

This was actually one of the poems I shared with the 6th-grade students at Dunbarton Elementary School in New Hampshire this week. I had been invited to do a day-long series of presentations about creating books, the writing process, and why imagination is so flippin’ cool – and I focused on a different book and aspect of writing with each grade.

Everyone loved the brilliant artwork of Sonia Possentini in my book THE THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT STARGAZING (Tilbury House, 2023)

For the 6th-graders, it was a poetry workshop!

I showed them different poetic styles and forms, and explained why I love the tight, compact genre of poetry itself. We even wrote a crowd-sourced poem in just 10 minutes, which I hope to share here next week.

By the way, if you think you might be interested in having me visit YOUR school, scroll down a wee bit for more details – or just send me an email!

IN OTHER NEWS…

I have two new board books out!

From Rainstorm Publishing, the publisher of my very first board book, Elliot the Heart-Shaped Frog, we present:

Don’t be surprised if you don’t find my name on the covers – that’s ok! These were works-for-hire, and they were so much fun to write. These books will be perfect for First and Second birthdays, so I hope you’ll check them out.

ALSO: If you find yourself in the Boston area next month, I hope you’ll join me along with Nancy Tupper Ling, June Cotner, Padma Venkatraman, and several other contributors as we celebrate the official launch of “Bless the Earth” at Peter Reynolds’ bookstore, The Blue Bunny in Dedham, MA on April 21!

For more poetry, head on over to Imagine the Possibilities, where Rose Capelli is hosting today’s complete Poetry Friday roundup with a blog post devoted to Birds, Birds, Birds!

~~ 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 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!

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Order PERSONALLY-SIGNED copies of my books
from my local independent bookstore!

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

I’m now on BOOKSHOP!

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

I’m also very happy to be part of the BOOKROO family!

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

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?)

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

Thank you to everyone for your support!

FLASHLIGHT NIGHT:

DON’T ASK A DINOSAUR:

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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, and SoundCloud!

Poetry Friday: Celebrating a new board book – and a mother’s life

On By Matt Forrest EsenwineIn poetry12 Comments

As you may have heard, my newest book – my first-ever board book and first book written in prose – just arrived in the world this past Tuesday, and I’m still celebrating!

Elliot the Heart-Shaped Frog (Rainstorm Publishing/Kidsbooks Publishing) is a Goldilocks-type tale about a little frog who, no longer needing to live underwater, decides to set out in search of a new home and finds all sorts of surprising shapes and colors.

You can imagine, then my surprise yesterday, when I was helping a friend shovel her driveway and we both realized her son, Elliot, was wearing this:

What are the odds?? My book now has an official mascot, Elliot, the Frog-Hatted Cutiepie!

By the way, if you’re interested in picking up a copy, I encourage you to order through our local independent bookstore, MainStreet BookEnds. Not only will you be helping out a small, local business, but you can request that the book (or nearly ANY of my books) be personally-signed!

Now, then, the poetry…

It’s been nearly two years ago since I shared a poem my mom had written when she was a young woman. I had been cleaning out my folks’ house in preparation for it being sold, and came across several folders containing poems, stories, and articles written in a bygone age.

With her passing on Dec. 31, I’ve been thinking a lot about my own creative skills and how my parents’ influence reflects in my own work. While neither of my folks had the training or experience in writing that I have, they were very expressive and introspective people – and I can see that without their encouragement and support (not to mention their genes!) – I would not be where I am today.

So I thought I’d share another one of Mom’s poems today. I believe it was probably written in the mid-late ’50s, as she uses the initials of her maiden name, Virginia Gertrude Agnes Johnson, which she likely would not have done once she married Dad in 1959:

Much of Mom’s poetry – and there is quite a bit – deals with longing, despondency, anxiety, and melancholy. I wish I could have learned from her what inspired her to write, and to whom she often wrote. I know some of these were directed to Dad, who was in the Army and stationed overseas in Germany at the time – but some were written well before they met. A mystery never to be solved, I fear.

But then, poems are meant to make us think and keep us guessing, aren’t they?

For the complete Poetry Friday roundup, be sure to head over to Bookseed Studio, where Jan Godown Annino has all of today’s poetry links and fun!

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Coming March 2, 2021!

Contrasting the past with the present, this picture book takes you through a lyrical exploration of the world as it was before humans made their mark.

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

I’m now a part of the BOOKROO family!

Children's Book Subscription: Bookroo - Sincerely Stacie

You can create an account to add books to wishlists and be notified of special deals and dates…create custom collections…and discover and follow your favorite authors & illustrators!

Find out more about BOOKROO here!

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

Talkabook is setting out to inspire children by connecting them with authors and illustrators! Click here to view my profile and learn more!

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

I continue adding to my “Wit & Wordplay” videos ! These videos were created for parents and educators (along with their kids) to learn how to write poetry, appreciate it, and have fun with it. From alliteration and iambs to free verse and spine poetry, I’m pretty sure there’s something in these videos you’ll find surprising! You can view them all on my YouTube channel, and if you have young kids looking for something to keep busy with, I also have several downloadable activity sheets at my website.

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

Ordering personalized signed copies online? Oh, yes, you can!

You can purchase personalized signed copies of Flashlight Night, (Boyds Mills Press, 2017), Don’t Ask a Dinosaur (Pow! Kids Books, 2018), and nearly ALL of the books or anthologies I’ve been part of!

Click any of the following covers to order!

Just click the cover of whichever book you want and send the good folks at MainStreet BookEnds in Warner, NH a note requesting the signature and to whom I should make it out to. (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?)

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

Thank you to everyone for your support!

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

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!

Happy #BookBirthday, Elliot!

On By Matt Forrest EsenwineIn Uncategorized7 Comments

He’s a little froggy who’s been waiting to jump out of the pond!

All images @ 2021 Rainstorm Publishing / Kidsbooks Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved

Elliot the Heart-Shaped Frog (Rainstorm Publishing) has finally arrived and is in stores everywhere!

A color/shape primer disguised in a Goldilocks-like tale, Elliot features a little green hero who used to be a tadpole, but now no longer needs to live underwater – so he leaves his pond in search of a perfect new home! Anna Kubaszewska did a fantastic job of creating bright, bold illustrations that include lots of little details to keep little ones’ attentions. They’ll love counting all the bugs, butterflies, and other pond dwellers!

(click to enlarge)

Did you know that there are two other authors I have to thank for helping Elliot see the light of day?

A little backstory to Elliot: the story first came about after I had posted a photo on Facebook of a tiny spring peeper who had decided he wanted to hang out on our front door one April evening, way back in 2014.

Look closely at that bottom pane!

I was intrigued not only by his apparent disdain for a normal home in the pond, but also by the shape of his body. (and his nonchalance of being stared at by everyone in the house)

A number of folks commented on the photo, but one commenter in particular was my friend and Once Upon Another Time co-author, Charles Ghigna (aka, Father Goose®), who suggested I write a book about “the heart-shaped frog.”

So I did!

Now, keep in mind, this was 2014…SIX years ago! I began subbing it, but since it was a board book written by a guy with no agent, my options for finding a publishing home were limited. Eventually, though, after 8 rejections, the folks at Rainstorm Publishing contacted me to let me know they loved the story and wanted to purchase it!

See? Heart-shaped!

Oh, by the way…the second author to whom I’m grateful? My friend and neighbor, David Elliott, who is also my little green buddy’s namesake – although I dropped one of David’s “t”s because I felt it looked cleaner for a board book title. (no offense, David!)

We met about 10 years or so ago, and when it came time to give my main character a name, David’s last name popped into my head and I just loved the sound of it as a first name.

And as I mentioned this past Friday, the book contains two “firsts” for me: it’s a board book, which I’ve never published before, and it’s also the first and only book I’ve ever had published in prose. Eleven books to my name, either out or under contract – and they all rhyme, except for Elliot!

If you’re interested in picking up a copy, I encourage you to order through our independent bookstore here in town, MainStreet BookEnds. Not only will you be helping out a small, local business, but you can request that the book (or nearly ANY of my books) be personally-signed! Books are wonderful gifts in their own right – but a book signed by an author or illustrator directly to the recipient is a truly unique gift that will be treasured.

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

Coming March 2, 2021!

Contrasting the past with the present, this picture book takes you through a lyrical exploration of the world as it was before humans made their mark.

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

I’m now a part of the BOOKROO family!

Children's Book Subscription: Bookroo - Sincerely Stacie

You can create an account to add books to wishlists and be notified of special deals and dates…create custom collections…and discover and follow your favorite authors & illustrators!

Find out more about BOOKROO here!

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

Talkabook is setting out to inspire children by connecting them with authors and illustrators! Click here to view my profile and learn more!

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

I continue adding to my “Wit & Wordplay” videos ! These videos were created for parents and educators (along with their kids) to learn how to write poetry, appreciate it, and have fun with it. From alliteration and iambs to free verse and spine poetry, I’m pretty sure there’s something in these videos you’ll find surprising! You can view them all on my YouTube channel, and if you have young kids looking for something to keep busy with, I also have several downloadable activity sheets at my website.

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

Ordering personalized signed copies online? Oh, yes, you can!

You can purchase personalized signed copies of Flashlight Night, (Boyds Mills Press, 2017), Don’t Ask a Dinosaur (Pow! Kids Books, 2018), and nearly ALL of the books or anthologies I’ve been part of!

Click any of the following covers to order!

Just click the cover of whichever book you want and send the good folks at MainStreet BookEnds in Warner, NH a note requesting the signature and to whom I should make it out to. (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?)

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

Thank you to everyone for your support!

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

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!