April 2012

IBBY : Hans Christian Anderson Awards

Hans Christian Andersen, yes, we love the stories he gave us. Their universal themes of compassion and tolerance are as relevant today as ever.   In his honor, the highest international recognition given to authors and illustrators of children’s books are the Hans Christian Andersen Awards.  IBBY presents the Hans Christian Andersen Awards to a living… Read more »

Celebrate Poetry!

Play ball!  The short snappy verses in POEM  RUNS by Douglas Florian will delight any reader who would prefer to have a baseball bat in his hands hoping to hit a homer. This poetry collection will be a winner with the youngest of baseball fans.  The author, Douglas Florian, is a poet and painter, an… Read more »

FAQs: How Can I Help My Child Enjoy Poetry?

Children have a natural affinity for poetry which begins with nursery rhymes and early language development. Some of the first words that children hear are poetry; nursery rhymes and lullabies are small poems. Many of the bedtime stories parents select to read are rhyming stories. As they enter school, children may begin to dislike some… Read more »

Happy Birthday, Beverly Cleary!

What elementary student hasn’t loved THE MOUSE AND THE MOTORCYCLE, or laughed out loud while reading Beverly Cleary’s books about RAMONA QUIMBY and HENRY HUGGINS? For many young readers, Cleary’s books are among a short list of the “best of the best” books. For that reason, it seems appropriate that, across the nation, Cleary’s April… Read more »

Water Sings Blue – Giveaway

You know, it’s always a joy to spend time with special guests, such as Kate Coombs. Not only is she a brilliant author, poet, and generally delightful individual – the lovely lady is generous, as well. We’re thrilled to have Kate featured as our Author-in-Residence for April, National Poetry Month. And, what’s equally exciting is… Read more »

A Letter to Readers from Kate Coombs

Dear Reader, Water Sings Blue started when I wrote a poem about a jellyfish. I was thinking about how jellyfish look like those glass cake dishes—you know, the ones with a glass dome on top that has a kind of ruffled edge? Anyway, I turned that into a poem. And then I decided I’d like… Read more »

What’s Your Story, Kate Coombs?

I grew up in Camarillo, California, where I spent every minute I could reading. When I was little, my parents read us stacks of bedtime stories every ight. Then when my sister and I got old enough, we rode our bikes to the library every Saturday and picked out 10 books—which was the limit. I… Read more »