National Siblings Day: Alan Katz and OOPS

One week from today: The Poetry Round Up at the Texas Library Association annual convention. One of the featured poets will be Alan Katz, a multiple-Emmy-nominee for his work on The Rosie O'Donnell Show and Disney's Raw Toonage as well as several editions of the Grammy Awards and Tony Awards, Kids Are People Too, Nickelodeon projects, network specials, and game shows. He has also written hundreds of comic books, trading cards and other special projects for kids and their parents. He lives with his journalist wife, Rose, and their four children in Weston, Connecticut. His poetry is part nonsense rhyme and part sing along silly songs, including:

Take Me Out of the Bathtub. Margaret K. McElderry, May, 2001.
I’m Still Here in the Bathtub. Margaret K. McElderry, April, 2003.
Where Did They Hide My Presents? Margaret K. McElderry, October, 2005.
Are You Quite Polite. Margaret K. McElderry, 2006.

His newest book is Oops! (Margaret K. McElderry, 2008) illustrated with wonderfully cranky cartoons by renowned New Yorker cartoonist Edward Koren. Katz lampoons kids’ foibles, as well as parents and grownups of all stripes and types. I particularly like the last 30 pages of the book (the “Oops, There’s More!” section) where Katz lets the reader into his poetry process, sharing his first poem from fourth grade, photographs of childhood report cards, awful sketches, and hilarious stream of consciousness poet musings. Check it out. And in honor of National Siblings Day, enjoy this poem by Katz from Oops:

No Sale
by Alan Katz

I put my brother on eBay,
but nobody made a bid.
Perhaps it’s ‘cause I listed him
as “A Really Stinky Kid.”

I knew it’d be hard to sell him,
but not quite as hard as this.
I think I’d better lower the price…
and maybe throw in our sis.

From Oops (Margaret K. McElderry, 2008, p. 68)

Picture credit: www.brighamandwomens.org and Amazon

Happy Day 100

Today is the 100th day of 2008. Many schools use this as an occasion to teach young children about math, gathering 100 of some object (paperclips, canned goods, etc.) to count, sort and categorize. 100 seems like such a big number when you’re 4 or 5 and counting to 100 is an enormous accomplishment! So, let’s make a poetry connection with this 100th day. Look for the poetry of Betsy Franco who loves to weave math into poetry. In fact, find her collection, Counting Our Way to the 100th Day! She shares a sample poem on her Web site:

One Hundred Puddles
by Betsy Franco

One hundred puddles make a pond.
One hundred ponds would make a lake.
One hundred lakes would make a sea.
Just add some salt and sail with me.

One hundred drops can be a cloud.
One hundred clouds can be a storm.
One hundred storms is winter weather.
Let's make a fire and read together.

One hundred words can be a poem.
One hundred poems can be a book.
One hundred books can fill a shelf.
Come read of dragons, bears, and elves.

From: http://betsyfranco.com/work3.htm

And while I’m at it, allow me to mention Betsy’s professional resource book, Conversations with a Poet, Inviting Poetry into K-12 Classrooms (Richard C. Owen, 2005). I’ve posted about Betsy before (on her birthday on August 15, 2007) and had the chance to work with her when she presented on my poetry panel at ALA last summer. I knew she had compiled these wonderful collections of poetry BY teens, as well as authored many nature and math-themed poetry books of her own, but I had not realized that she had also created this lovely guide for grown ups. (Thanks, Richard, for bringing this to my attention.) It’s much like Georgia Heard’s work (For the Good of the Earth and Sun; Teaching Poetry and Awakening the Heart: Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School) since it represents the POET’S perspective and focuses on guiding children in writing poetry and understanding its varying forms. She calls it a “frank discussion of writing and teaching poetry from a poet’s point of view.”

But Betsy offers even more nuts and bolts that the classroom teacher or librarian or parent will find tremendously helpful. She provides discussion questions to guide talking about poetry (which should help reduce the intimidation factor that so many people seem to face), tips for teacher demonstration, warm ups and poetry starters, even a helpful and sound rubric for assessing student efforts (that is very positive and not punitive).

Her section on 16 poetry forms is a gem all by itself. For each form (from acrostics to haiku to sestinas), she offers background info, characteristics of, how to approach this with younger or older students, samples, and listings of other examples. She even offers what she calls “think throughs” that describe what the poet is thinking when writing or responding to a poem. She also provides “read through” lessons designed to be read aloud verbatim, if desired. That may sound odd, but they are clear and concise and in a charming voice—so helpful for teachers who just feel at a loss in talking about poetry. A glossary of poetry terms with examples also helps demystify poetry jargon. These tools will all help jumpstart the dialogue about poetry that comes so naturally for some and not at all for others. Check it out. It’s a great addition to any professional library on sharing poetry with kids.

Picture credit: amazon and http://www.rcowen.com/ProfBks.htm#Betsy%20Franco

Happy anniversary, U.N.

On this day in 1946 the United Nations assembled for the first time. According to the U.N. Web site, “The name "United Nations", coined by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was first used in the "Declaration by United Nations" of 1 January 1942, during the Second World War, when representatives of 26 nations pledged their governments to continue fighting together against the Axis Powers.” I’ve visited the New York headquarters a few times and always come away impressed and heartened by the history and vision of this body. And the New York site is beautiful, full of large-scale murals and art from around the world, with spacious hallways and meeting rooms full of gravitas. All those people from around the world working against the odds, against the obstacles, to keep communication open. Here’s a poem to celebrate this institution, from the point of view of Eleanor Roosevelt.

The United Nations
Eleanor Roosevelt
Hyde Park, New York, 1947
by Bobbi Katz

I hear Franklin’s words, although he’s at rest.
“Don’t discard the good, when you can’t have the best.”

The President said, “Be my eyes and my ears.”
I looked and I listened for so many years.
I brought the pulse of the nation to our partnership
with what I saw and I heard on each fact-finding trip.

“Peace,” Franklin said, “will need help to endure.
Peace needs a structure. Of that I am sure.”
The United Nations, he thought, could be the way
to work toward world justice and keep war at bay.

I hear Franklin’s words, although he’s at rest.
“Don’t discard the good, when you can’t have the best.”

Now atomic bombs pose a dark new threat.
The need for peace grows more urgent, yet
the United Nations, it’s clear to me,
will be as strong as its members allow it to be.

I hear Franklin’s words, although he’s at rest.
“Don’t discard the good, when you can’t have the best.”

From Katz, B. (2000). We the People: Poems. 1st ed. Illustrated by Nina Crews. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Check out the U.N. “Cyberschool bus” Web site for many interesting teaching ideas and activities.

Picture credit: www.endoilaid.org