​I'm very excited to be revealing the cover of my upcoming debut picture book, There Was An Old Gator Who Swallowed A Moth, launching February 15, 2019, but first a little bit about the book and my journey. First let me say, since I come to children's literature via poetry, I am very happy that my first solo book is in rhyme, and cumulative rhyme to boot.

Gator lives in a Southern bayou, where he encounters many animals of the lagoon and can't help but…well…swallow them. These include a crab, ray, eel, pelican, panther, manatee and shark. But it really all starts with the moth:

There was an old gator who swallowed a moth
I don't know why he swallowed the moth.
It made him cough...


I'm thrilled with the illustrator, the very talented David Opie, who did my words proud and captured Gator in all his gluttonous glory. 

I also love the look on Gator's face when he realizes he may have gone a tad too far. I know I've sometimes felt this way after a particularly indulgent Thanksgiving dinner.

A big shout out of thanks also to my editor and publicists at Pelican Publishing. You all did and continue to do an amazing job! I'll be forever grateful to you for bringing my first picture book to life.

Thank you all for letting me share my good news with you and I hope you will spread the word about There Was An Old Gator Who Swallowed A Moth. I think kids will really enjoy the pictures and words as they build to the climax, as well as the many animals depicted in this book.

Now for the cover reveal (drum roll):

I spoke to 4 classes of 5th graders at Pinecrest Elementary for The Great American Teachin on 11/16/17 involving Ms. Gould, Ms. Galvin, Ms. Sparks and Ms. Boyle. Pinecrest Elementary is in Lithia, FL, a beautiful, very large elementary school in a rural town. It was lovely!

​My power point presentation included poem readings, poem performances, and discussion of the poems. The students were welcoming and seemed to be enjoying my talk. Since many of my poems were about animals, I asked the students to do "homework" - write a poem about an animal - any animal - or write a poem in the voice of an animal. Here is the wonderful and heart-warming smorgasbord of poems and pictures that I received, not to mention the lovely letters of appreciation!

​Let's start out with a poem by Levi, who wrote:
​

What a joy to be part of Irene Latham's Progressive Poem! It's been a blast watching this poem grow from blog to blog and I'm thankful to Irene for coordinating this effort each year! I wanted to be somewhere in the middle – not responsible for a beginning or ending. S4’s exhortation to "find the book," was just up my street! S5 included a brief departure from the mission as our protagonist couldn't resist the temptation to spout a few words while on stage - so true to her nature! (Yes, I think the protagonist is a she although I know some of you feel she is a he!) Pat, on S5L3, took up the quest once again but added another twist - apparently the book quest is part of a prophecy! Just wow! With this whole "find the book" couched in a prophecy plot twist, I feel like this poem could easily go another month! But I'll play along. I'll take the plunge. In fact, I'll dive in headfirst:

I’m fidget, friction, ragged edges--
I sprout stories that frazzle-dazzle,
stories of castles, of fires that crackle
with dragonwords that smoke and sizzle.
 
But edges sometimes need sandpaper,
like swords need stone and clouds need vapour.
So I shimmy out of my spurs and armour
facing the day as my fickle, freckled self.
 
I thread the crowd, wear freedom in my smile,
and warm to the coals of conversation.
Enticed to the stage by strands of story,
I skip up the stairs in anticipation.
 
Flip around, face the crowd, and freeze!
Shiver me. Look who’s here. Must I disappear?
By hook or by crook, I deserve a second look!
I cheer. Please, have no fear. Find the book.
 
But wait! I’ll share the lines I know by heart.
Mythicalhowls, fierytones slip from my lip
Blue scales flash, claws rip, the prophecy begins
Dragonworld weaves webs that grip. I take a trip…

Next up, Donna at Mainely Write. Take it away, Donna!

public domain art

In Just Spring
by e.e. cummings

in Just-

spring          when the world is mud-

luscious the little

lame balloonman


whistles          far          and wee


and eddieandbill come

running from marbles and

piracies and it's

spring


when the world is puddle-wonderful


the queer

old balloonman whistles

far          and             wee

and bettyandisbel come dancing


from hop-scotch and jump-rope and


it's

spring

and


         the


                  goat-footed


balloonMan          whistles

far

and

wee