Can you write 7 picture books in 7 days? I'm not sure if I can either but I'm going to try.
Paula Yoo has come up with a spin off of "NaNoWriMo", National Picture Book Writing Week! Register on Paula's site and Write 7 children picture books in 7 days. On the 7th day there is a draw for an autographed copy of Paula's latest picture book. That's in in a nut shell.
For full details and rules see:
http://www.paulayoo.com/content/natl-picture-book-writing-week-may-1-7-2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
The Other Manuscript
"Ok Auntie Flamingo, on March 27th you said you submitted another manuscript but you have only talked about the poetry book, IF MY FISH FEET . What is the other book and why haven't you talked about it?"
This is true. I have only been talking about one of the books. Like Mother Goose, Auntie Flamingo is known for her poems. Though the other unpublished book is in rhyme it will probably be published under my 'other' name and not Auntie Flamingo. However, I will talk a little about it here.
In a CANSCAIP interview by Lucy Falcone, author Arthur Slade said, "And there's no such thing as 'normal'. Even if there was, who wants to be normal anyway?" Every child, at some point, will feel abnormal about something. For me it was my height. As a child, playing house in kindergarten I was always the mother but was never allowed to play the role of the baby, I was always in the back row for class pictures and my pants were often a half inch too short. ANNALEE is a story about an unique young woman who is nowhere close to being ordinary. Many of the things she does is upside-down, backwards or just a little crazy. The town's people of Normalville tolerate her antics until the day the media arrive looking for someone to place in their magazine. Fearing ANNALEE's weirdness will ruin their chances the town's people cruelly tell her to go home on the outskirts of town. Will ANNALEE get her chance to try to impress the photographer and reporter?
Now grown, I see what a gift my height really is and I have realize how being different opens doors. This is something very difficult for a child to understand.
Comments on the story? Is there something you are/were insecure about? Isn't is nice to know that you are not the only one who feels this way?
This is true. I have only been talking about one of the books. Like Mother Goose, Auntie Flamingo is known for her poems. Though the other unpublished book is in rhyme it will probably be published under my 'other' name and not Auntie Flamingo. However, I will talk a little about it here.
In a CANSCAIP interview by Lucy Falcone, author Arthur Slade said, "And there's no such thing as 'normal'. Even if there was, who wants to be normal anyway?" Every child, at some point, will feel abnormal about something. For me it was my height. As a child, playing house in kindergarten I was always the mother but was never allowed to play the role of the baby, I was always in the back row for class pictures and my pants were often a half inch too short. ANNALEE is a story about an unique young woman who is nowhere close to being ordinary. Many of the things she does is upside-down, backwards or just a little crazy. The town's people of Normalville tolerate her antics until the day the media arrive looking for someone to place in their magazine. Fearing ANNALEE's weirdness will ruin their chances the town's people cruelly tell her to go home on the outskirts of town. Will ANNALEE get her chance to try to impress the photographer and reporter?
Now grown, I see what a gift my height really is and I have realize how being different opens doors. This is something very difficult for a child to understand.
Comments on the story? Is there something you are/were insecure about? Isn't is nice to know that you are not the only one who feels this way?
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Earth Day!
Happy Earth Day! What are you doing today to help make the earth GREEN?
I'm trying to drive less today, reduce waste, properly recycle and turned the heat down in the house. (Where's my sweater? It's wet and cool today where I live.)
According to the David Suzuki Foundation Website, if you took all the spaces where heat could escape in an average Canadian home and put them all together they would make a hole a size of a basketball! Properly weather sealing your windows and doors can help reduce the problem.
In my unpublished book, IF MY FISH HAD FEET I have two environmental poems. THE MOTHER OF ROCK AND ROLL and HUMPHRY DUMPHRY.
HUMPHRY DUMPHRY is what I call a MOTHER GOOSE-ISM. A MOTHER GOOSE-ISM is taking a Mother Goose poem and changing the words and the meaning of the poem. Children do this all the time. For example, during my daughter's swimming class we sing the following before jumping into the pool.
Here is another blogger's post about Earth Day you might be interested in: Lori Calabrese Writes!: Celebrate Earth Day with these children's books
Leave a comment on what you are doing to participate in Earth Day or if you have a MOTHER GOOSE-ISM of your own.
I'm trying to drive less today, reduce waste, properly recycle and turned the heat down in the house. (Where's my sweater? It's wet and cool today where I live.)
According to the David Suzuki Foundation Website, if you took all the spaces where heat could escape in an average Canadian home and put them all together they would make a hole a size of a basketball! Properly weather sealing your windows and doors can help reduce the problem.In my unpublished book, IF MY FISH HAD FEET I have two environmental poems. THE MOTHER OF ROCK AND ROLL and HUMPHRY DUMPHRY.
HUMPHRY DUMPHRY is what I call a MOTHER GOOSE-ISM. A MOTHER GOOSE-ISM is taking a Mother Goose poem and changing the words and the meaning of the poem. Children do this all the time. For example, during my daughter's swimming class we sing the following before jumping into the pool.
Jack be nimble.
Jack be cool.
Jack jump into
The swimming pool.
Here is another blogger's post about Earth Day you might be interested in: Lori Calabrese Writes!: Celebrate Earth Day with these children's books
Leave a comment on what you are doing to participate in Earth Day or if you have a MOTHER GOOSE-ISM of your own.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
A Quick Poem - The Sphinx
Here is a little, fun poem that just fell out of my head a few minutes ago. Enjoy!
THE SPHINX
In the hot Egyptian desert
Lies the majestic Sphinx.
How does he smells without a nose?
Smell? He really stinks!
Badum-Ching!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Bubbles! - SBP (Story Behind the Poem)
It is time for another “story behind the poem.”
Today's story is for the poem BUBBLES IN MY TUB from my unpublished poetry book IF MY FISH HAD FEET. The poem is about a child's over zealous use of bubbles at bath time.
This poem is based on a real life bath incident at home. My son (I think he was 4 years old at the time) wanted to have a bath in the tub in my bathroom instead of the kids' bathroom. The tub in the en suite is a large, deep, soaker tub which my son pretend to swim in it. In order to fill the tub in a reasonable amount of time the water from the faucet comes out rather quickly. Well, between the amount of bubble bath I put in and rushing water stirring things up, a large volume of bubbles was created. I didn't quite realize the amount of bubbles in the tub until I dropped my son in and he practically disappeared. Of course, my son squealed with joy and I started laughing.
Thinking of this story still makes me chuckle.
I have a picture somewhere of him in the bubbles. I'll have to search and when I find it I will update this post.
Today's story is for the poem BUBBLES IN MY TUB from my unpublished poetry book IF MY FISH HAD FEET. The poem is about a child's over zealous use of bubbles at bath time.
This poem is based on a real life bath incident at home. My son (I think he was 4 years old at the time) wanted to have a bath in the tub in my bathroom instead of the kids' bathroom. The tub in the en suite is a large, deep, soaker tub which my son pretend to swim in it. In order to fill the tub in a reasonable amount of time the water from the faucet comes out rather quickly. Well, between the amount of bubble bath I put in and rushing water stirring things up, a large volume of bubbles was created. I didn't quite realize the amount of bubbles in the tub until I dropped my son in and he practically disappeared. Of course, my son squealed with joy and I started laughing.
Thinking of this story still makes me chuckle.
I have a picture somewhere of him in the bubbles. I'll have to search and when I find it I will update this post.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Score! - SBP (Story Behind the Poem)
Another poem in my book, IF MY FISH HAD FEET, is titled SCORE. It's about a child playing, the great Canadian sport, hockey waiting to get the puck and score. Our character finally gets the chance to get a goal however, the outcome in comically unfavourable.
This poem is based on a personal experience when I played basketball in school. Unlike the character in the poem I often had the opportunity to score but the result was not always as I intended. I am sure that I'm not the only person to do this but at the time I couldn't believe it happened.
What happened? Well, you will have to wait for the book to be published and find out for yourself.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
The Silly Poetry Book Name Is ....
Auntie Flamingo recently submitted a book manuscript of a collection of funny poetry for children. The name of the book is currently, "IF MY FISH HAD FEET And Other Silly Rhymes." (I say currently because it could change prior to publication.) The book has not been accepted for publication yet. It will probably be several months before I hear anything from the publisher. As Gary Gnu would say on The Great Space Coaster: No Gnews is Good Gnews.
The title of the book is the name of one of the poems in the book.
I've recently been finding my mind wandering thinking about each poem and how there is a story behind it. The idea of writing a poem called IF MY FISH HAD FEET came from my older brother. When he was young, around 4 or 5 years old, he had a pet angel fish named Herbie. One day was looking at the fish and said, "Hey! Herbie has no feet." My dad loves telling this story about my brother. Of course, when I heard it my brain starts turning and thinking about all the things a fish might do if he had feet and the poem was born.
Stay turned to find out more stories behind the poems.
The title of the book is the name of one of the poems in the book.
I've recently been finding my mind wandering thinking about each poem and how there is a story behind it. The idea of writing a poem called IF MY FISH HAD FEET came from my older brother. When he was young, around 4 or 5 years old, he had a pet angel fish named Herbie. One day was looking at the fish and said, "Hey! Herbie has no feet." My dad loves telling this story about my brother. Of course, when I heard it my brain starts turning and thinking about all the things a fish might do if he had feet and the poem was born.
Stay turned to find out more stories behind the poems.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Firsts
Something exciting happen in our home this morning. Claire, my 4 month old, rolled from her front to her back this morning. Yippy! It was pretty exciting for us. My son and I were cheering her on.
Today is also the final performance for my six-year-old son in ice skating. We signed him up to learn how to skate to play hockey and part of the program was to be part of a show. I can't believe how quickly he learned. I'm so proud of him.
I also have to comment that Claire had her very first swimming lesson last Monday. I thought she was going to scream her head off but she did really well and liked it.
Tonight is suppose to be my first night of recreational volley ball since the baby has been born. I'm a little worried because she has been 'mommy's girl' the last couple of weeks. I know it is only a phase and she will grow out of it but that doesn't help my husband tonight when he is alone with the kids. I will have my cell phone so if I have to leave, so be it.
I think I will start to look for some prompts and/or inspiration on writing new children's poems. I was taking a small break from poems since I submitted my poetry book manuscript but I am ready to go again. What is the name of my poetry book? Ah ha, I'll let you know in my next post. ;)
Today is also the final performance for my six-year-old son in ice skating. We signed him up to learn how to skate to play hockey and part of the program was to be part of a show. I can't believe how quickly he learned. I'm so proud of him.
I also have to comment that Claire had her very first swimming lesson last Monday. I thought she was going to scream her head off but she did really well and liked it.
Tonight is suppose to be my first night of recreational volley ball since the baby has been born. I'm a little worried because she has been 'mommy's girl' the last couple of weeks. I know it is only a phase and she will grow out of it but that doesn't help my husband tonight when he is alone with the kids. I will have my cell phone so if I have to leave, so be it.
I think I will start to look for some prompts and/or inspiration on writing new children's poems. I was taking a small break from poems since I submitted my poetry book manuscript but I am ready to go again. What is the name of my poetry book? Ah ha, I'll let you know in my next post. ;)
Friday, April 3, 2009
In Case You Didn't Hear...
April is National Poetry Month.
So, what am I doing to celebrate? Nothing too big this year. There is a fun poem that has been bouncing around in my head for a while that I should really get out because it is starting to hurt! I'm also checking out many of the different web sites and blogs related to poetry (just Google "National Poetry Month") Next year I think I will participate in the Poem-A-Day Challenge. Why didn't I participate this year? Well, I'm very good at multitasking but I also like to give projects the attention they deserve. I have a number of things already on the go and I don't want to spread myself too thin. Next year I will prepare for it. :)
To read about the history of National Poetry Month in Canada see-
The History of National Poetry Month in Canada
By Andrea Thompson
So, what am I doing to celebrate? Nothing too big this year. There is a fun poem that has been bouncing around in my head for a while that I should really get out because it is starting to hurt! I'm also checking out many of the different web sites and blogs related to poetry (just Google "National Poetry Month") Next year I think I will participate in the Poem-A-Day Challenge. Why didn't I participate this year? Well, I'm very good at multitasking but I also like to give projects the attention they deserve. I have a number of things already on the go and I don't want to spread myself too thin. Next year I will prepare for it. :)
To read about the history of National Poetry Month in Canada see-
The History of National Poetry Month in Canada
By Andrea Thompson
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