Poems from a Green and Blue Planet
I was sent this beautiful gif which features a verse from my poem, Snow Fox, by Hachette books. Poems From Green and Blue Planet is out tomorrow in a book shop near you, on #NationalPoetryDay!
I hope you are all going to share a poem with someone, any poem, or a truth poem (the theme of this year’s National Poetry Day) tomorrow!
Be the Change – Global Climate Action Day
This is a scheduled post. Today is Global Climate Action Day – and I will be taking action by marching in Bristol with our young people to protest the government’s inaction, and all governments’ inaction on this issue.
On the subject of sustainability, Be the Change has arrived, in the form of my, Matt Goodfellow and Roger Stevens‘ new book of climate crisis poems. Young children are hearing a lot of doom and gloom, real doom and gloom of course, and many feel powerless. Each poem has a little ‘you can help’ tip underneath, small, real steps to help the planet, which are achievable by any young person. (I love the cover, by Anneka Sandher, thank you, Anneka!)
So – here is the ultimate poem in this collection. Humans already have the ability to fight climate crisis. All that is missing is our own interaction, our own action, our own coming together, our own cooperation, our own will. It only takes everyone doing something, every government liaising with every other government, to arrange a way to save us all. Will it happen? Perhaps it relies on every person asking their own government to do something. At the minute, we can only hope.
Snow
Swirling slowly
in lilting flight,
as cold as stars,
the soundless white
of drifting feathers
spreading wings,
to sing the songs
that snowflakes sing,
of how small gifts
of peace and light
can change the world
in just one night.
© Liz Brownlee
Lola, my Literary Assistance Dog…
I hear that there are new dogs on the scene, imposters, claiming to be the first literary dogs. Well, I can assure you that LOLA is the MOST literary dog. Here she is reading children’s poetry as a mere puppy.
This is her, totally exhausted after perusing my Chambers Thesaurus. It’s tiring, being a literary dog.
Editing takes up a great deal of time, of course. Might as well do it somewhere comfortable.
Supporting libraries, something she passionately believes in.
The inevitable celebrity get-togethers with friends…
And of course, visits to literary festivals. Here she is enjoying a private session with Philip Ardagh, who read to her from one of his wonderful children’s books. He is one of her heroes, as you can see.
I’m sure you’ll agree that Lola can definitely be termed THE literary dog! (I particularly like the heart shape in the shadow in the above picture! Lola and I LOVE books!)
Be the Change!
I was so excited to get the cover artwork yesterday for my new book with Macmillan, produced with my lovely writing companions, Matt Goodfellow and Roger Stevens.
This is a book I’ve wanted to write for a long time – poems about sustainability, all aspects of climate crisis, with facts and ‘You Can Help’ information, so youngsters can turn any anxieties they have about all the bad news they are hearing outward into productive strategies to help the planet; with plenty of discussion springboards for teachers.
It is a gorgeous cover and we don’t know who illustrated it yet, but will thank them as soon as we do!
If it looks like the book for you, it is out on the 5th of September.
Reaching the Stars up with the Stars at the RSC
Last weekend I was with some poet friends in Stratford Upon Avon. On Saturday evening we went to see Taming of the Shrew, with women in all the men’s roles. Not my favourite Shakespeare play, but transformed into THE best Shakespeare I’ve seen at the RSC or anywhere, do go and see it if you can! Revelatory, nuanced, hilarious.
Which made it all the more wonderful that Bernard Young spotted Reaching the Stars, Poems about Extraordinary Women and Girls, by me, Jan Dean and Michaela Morgan, in the RSC shop.
We are all thrilled.
Bristol Hand Made Book Fair
We went to the Hand Made Book Fair in Bristol at the Arnolfini and found Ed Boxall there. So we had a photo opportunity. Ed seemed really pleased to see me but I think you can tell by the picture he was actually really pleased to see Lola.
National Poetry Day Ambassador Badges Have Arrived!
I’m thrilled to be a National Poetry Ambassador, I love thinking up ways to promote children’s poetry, it being so important in so many ways.
National Poetry Day this year, on October 3rd, has the theme of TRUTH.
Now I have to think up ways to use these wonderful badges – the blue ones have a white cat on, the green ones have a red bird, and the yellow ones have a blue and white dog.
Give me your IDEAS in the comments!
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Other content from Liz:
Children’s Poets’ Climate Change Blog: Be the Change
Everything to do with Children’s Poetry – Poetry Roundabout Blog
Liz’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizpoet
KidsPoets4Climate Twitter: https://twitter.com/poets4climate
Children’s Poetry Summit Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidspoetsummit
AtoZ Challenge; Y is for Bernard Young
Bernard Young is an experienced professional poet and performer who leads writing workshops for children and adults. Bernard’s poems have been broadcast on local and national radio and feature in numerous anthologies of poetry for young readers. His speciality is primary school age. Here is a link to his new book, What are you Like? And here is a link to his website.
And here is lovely poem Bernard sent for the Poetry Feast:
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Best Friends
Would a best friend
Eat your last sweet
Talk about you behind your back
Have a party and not ask you?
Mine did.
Would a best friend
Borrow your bike without telling you
Deliberately forget your birthday
Avoid you whenever possible?
Mine did.
Would a best friend
Turn up on your bike
Give you a whole packet of your favourite sweets
Look you in the eye?
Mine did.
Would a best friend say
Sorry I talked about you behind your back
Sorry I had a party and didn’t invite you
Sorry I deliberately forgot your birthday
– I thought you’d fallen out with me?
Mine did.
And would a best friend say, simply,
Never mind
That’s OK?
I did
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© Bernard Young
If you would like to blog hop to the next AtoZ Challenge, please follow this link.
Children’s Poets’ Climate Change Blog: Be the Change
Liz’s Blog: Liz Brownlee Poet
Liz’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizpoet
KidsPoets4Climate Twitter: https://twitter.com/poets4climate
Children’s Poetry Summit Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidspoetsummit
AtoZ Challenge; X is for XXX by Colin West
Colin West studied Graphic Design and Illustration at various art colleges. His first book, a slim volume of nonsense verse, Out of the Blue from Nowhere, was published by Dennis Dobson in 1976 – I am the proud owner of one of these! He went on to write and illustrate some sixty children’s books, some of which were favourites with my children, and now lives in Sussex and writes and draws for his own amusement, mainly.
However, he has published two rather wonderful recent collections The Funniest Stuff and Bonkers Ballads, both of which are stuffed with Colin’s delightfully witty poems and charming, colour illustrations.
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Here is the fun poem and wonderful illustration Colin sent for the poetry feast:
XXX
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© Colin West
If you’d like to blog hop to another A-Z Challenge, then follow this link.
Children’s Poets’ Climate Change Blog: Be the Change
Liz’s Blog: Liz Brownlee Poet
Liz’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizpoet
KidsPoets4Climate Twitter: https://twitter.com/poets4climate
Children’s Poetry Summit Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidspoetsummit
