A Party in Red Boots!

Red Boots
(Purchase your own pair here!)
Photo by Maria Pieroni

Click the arrow to hear me read this poem to you.

Students - The idea for this poem came from the red boots on the girl in my new book, FOREST HAS A SONG!  When I first had a peek at Robbin Gourley's illustrations last May, I was tickled to see these red boots.  Our daughter Georgia had a pair of red boots that she wore for a very long time, and so it just felt perfect.  In fact, when Mark made the book trailer for FOREST, we got Georgia a new pair so that she could dress like the book character.  Then...for the party, we got Hope a pair, and a pair for me too!  So three gals in our family were red-booted.

The idea for this poem also came from an older book, RED IS BEST by Kathy Stinson that I just found on my search for good books about opinions.  I love the red boots and the celebration of red throughout the book.

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If you look closely at today's poem, you will notice a couple of things about its structure. First of all, it is simply a list with a repeating line at the beginning of each 2-line stanza. You will also notice that the second line of each stanza includes a color smushed together with another word.  I do like smushing words together sometimes...but only when it feels right.  Originally, this poem only had a few smushes, but then I went back and revised to let every color have a smushpartner.

Do you have a favorite piece of clothing or footwear? Why is it your favorite?  Writing today's poem has given me a whole world of new ideas for new poems about clothing and shoes.  You might want to try writing about a favorite piece of clothing or a favorite pair of shoes yourself!  Or perhaps you'll write with a repeating line.  Or maybe you'd like to try a list poem.  Or maybe you would like to smush some words together.  Or maybe...you have a completely new and unrelated writing idea of your own.  If you do, let it out!

On Tuesday March 26, we had a release party for FOREST HAS A SONG at my friend Alix Martin's art gallery, redFISH Art Studios in East Aurora, NY.  I wish that you all could have been there....but here are a few pictures of the night to give you a peek into the festivities!  My dear college friend, Noelle, surprised me by coming to the party...all the way from North Carolina!

My First Book Illustrated by Robbin Gourley

and Published by Clarion, 2013

Cake by Luci Levere and Bakers at The Elm Street Bakery

Photo by Maria Pieroni

Alix Martin, Owner of redFish Art Studios With Me

Photo by Maria Pieroni

Book Table

Photo by Maria Pieroni

A Full Gallery

Photo by Maria Pieroni

Larry Buys 13 Copies?!

Photo by Maria Pieroni

Cheers!

Photo by Maria Pieroni

Mark Toasts with Summons by Robert Francis, our Wedding Poem

Photo by Maria Pieroni

I Sign Books Alongside the Doll Made by Dawne Hoeg 

and Above Robbin Gourley's Development Sketches

Photo by Maria Pieroni

This was a wonderful, magical night for me and for our whole family.  We were overwhelmed with gratitude for so many wonderful friends and colleagues and all of their generosity!  I will never forget any of it.

This week, reviewers and friends all around the Kidlitosphere have been generous toward my first book, and I am incredibly grateful for so many kind words and warm welcomes. I'm beginning to organize the reviews in two places if you are interested in reading any of them - here at my website, and on this Pinterest board.  If you are a reviewer who would like a review copy, please just send an e-mail with your address, to amy at amylv dot com, and I will be happy to ask Clarion to send you a copy.  

And now.....onto National Poetry Month.....beginning on Monday, April 1!  Last year, I took a Dictionary Hike.  This year, my April poetry project will be called 'Drawing into Poems'. Each day of the month, I am going to slow myself down, look closely at something, draw it, and take notes around my drawing. I'll photograph and share the drawing and notes on The Poem Farm each day. From time-to-time, at least on Fridays, I'll share a poem inspired by my drawings and notes. The purpose of this project is to help me see more clearly and to help me linger on images.

Voting begins soon in the Final Four (Round 5) in this year's Think Kid, Think! Competition with Ed DeCaria. Head on over here to vote....voting begins soon.

You can begin planning your blog visits for National Poetry Month by starting at Jama's Alphabet Soup where Jama is keeping a running list of everyone's various poetry projects around the Kidlitosphere.  And for more inspiration, visit poets.org.

Mary Lee is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at A Year of Reading.  Visit her to find out what's happening poetry-wise in the Kidlitosphere today....  

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