Poem in Your Pocket Day!

National Poetry Month comes to an end today with the celebration of "Poem in Your Pocket" day. When the sweet girl and I celebrated this day together last year, she carried "Eletelephony" and I carried "Nothing Gold Can Stay."

This year she decided to carry Rebecca Kai Dotlich's "Midnight Stray" (far and away our favorite poem published in the Gotta Book 30 Poets in 30 Days series this April...we have loved that series!). I also wanted to carry a poem that we had read together during the month and chose Jane Yolen's "Grandpa Bear's Lullaby" (you'll need to scroll about half-way down the page to find it). It speaks to me on profound heart levels beyond its immediate tender and cozy associations. I love a poem that can work when it's whispered to a very small child, and yet still packs a wallop for the heart of a parent.

What a great month this has been. We're definitely going to make April a poetic month from here on out in our family. Not that poetry can't be celebrated in other months too -- it will be! But it's been wonderful to set aside some specific time to celebrate and play with language.

I also posted two reviews of poetry books for children on Epinions this month. You can check them out at these links: Prelutsky's "Pizza the Size of the Sun" Feeds Our Poetry Hunger and If Those Socks Could Speak -- "Dirty Pile of Laundry: Poems In Different Voices."

Happy end of Poetry Month!