July & August 2020
Vol V No IV
Not your ordinary poetry magazine!
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Published bi-monthly
Poetry for Children
Child’s Chant
Oklahoma Dust Bowl, 1935
Dust blows in, dust blows out.
Drought brings dust, dust brings drought.
Right hand in, swirl about—
dust blows in, dust blows out.
Bury scarecrow, bury cow,
bury chickens, bury plow.
Dust blows in, dust blows out—
left hand in, swirl about.
Papa fiddles, baby cries,
Mama stares at empty skies.
Right foot in, swirl about—
dust blows in, dust blows out.
Dust for breakfast, dust for dinner.
Crops stop growing, hope grows thinner.
Dust blows in, dust blows out—
left foot in, swirl about.
Packed jalopy, laden mule.
Goodbye friends, goodbye school.
Whole self in, swirl about—
dust blows in; we blow out.
Originally appeared in the National Geographic anthology, The Poetry of US.
Renée M. LaTulippe is an author, editor, and teacher. Her poems appear in many anthologies including School People, Thanku: Poems of Gratitude, and One Minute Till Bedtime. Renée teaches The Lyrical Language Lab and blogs on children’s poetry at NoWaterRiver.com.
Picture This
My sister can draw very well
and much better than most, I would say.
Wherever she happens to go,
her sketch book is not far away.
She carries it with her to school
and may start on a sketch while she’s there,
then finish it up back at home
and have a nice drawing to share.
One time we were down at the beach,
with no pencils or paper around,
but she drew us a wonderful scene
with a stick, on the wet sandy ground.
From Magic Words.
Phil Huffy is a busy poet whose work appears in dozens of literary publications. His recent book, Magic Words, is a children’s collection of over 100 poems, soon to be released in an audio edition as well.
The Bread and Butter/Batter Battle
My brother likes butter,
While I prefer batter
My brother eats butter
With bread, but no matter,
My mother eats batter
With bread, but no butter,
And then there’s my father
Who goes even further . . .
My father eats butter
With big globs of batter,
(He’d eat it with bread but
’Twould make father fatter.)
So, all day we battle,
Each one with the other,
About which is better,
Bread, batter or butter.
From Moonsnacks and Assorted Nuts.
Mary Grace Dembeck is an award-winning writer and artist. Her book of children’s poems, Moonsnacks and Assorted Nuts, has been set to music by Maureen McGovern, and her paintings have been exhibited at the National Academy of Design.
with Robert Schechter
Fairy Party
In the moonlight-speckled forest
where the creek runs bubbling white,
there are teeny tiny fairies
celebrating through the night.
They call upon the fireflies
to twinkle all around,
then spread their picnic blankets on
the mossy, velvet ground.
They share a batch of honey cakes
and drink from acorn mugs.
They flit their wings, they spin and twirl,
and dance with ladybugs.
The fairies clap and sing a song
that carries on the breeze.
If you listen . . . you may hear them
in the rustling of the trees.
Diana Murray is the author of over a dozen children’s books, including Unicorn Day, Ned the Knitting Pirate, and Goodnight, Veggies. Her poems also appear in magazines and anthologies such as Thanku: Poems of Gratitude. Visit her website at dianamurray.com.
Singing Duck
The duck makes a quack
and that quack makes the duck
stand out from the crowd,
rise up from the muck.
That quack makes the duck
stand out from the pack,
but its fame only lasts
till the others quack back!
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At the Pond
A swollen lily pad
grew eyes, a tongue, then
left a hole in the air
where a fly had been.
Orel Protopopescu is the author of prize-winning poems and books for children and adults. Her picture book, The Perilous Pit, was a NY Times Best-Illustrated and her Two Sticks was a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. orelprotopopescu.com.
Walking On Eggshells
I would’ve played the piano by ear
but I’d already laughed my head off.
In a stormy row I stuck my neck out
which kept my head well above water.
I knew the kitchen like the back of my hand,
which made it very easy to have a finger in every pie.
If I am all ears
how come I’m also all heart?
I put my foot in my mouth
which made it very difficult to walk on eggshells.
Chrissie Gittins is an award-winning poet. Her latest children’s poetry collections are Adder, Bluebell, Lobster, and Stars in Jars. Her poems are widely anthologized, have been animated for TV, and appear in a recording for the Children’s Poetry Archive. chrissiegittins.co.uk.
Stone the Crows
In the field, there’s a man
made of sticks and straw
On the man, there are crows
that croak and caw
He’s supposed to scare
the crows away
He’s supposed to keep
the crows at bay
But the birds aren’t afraid
they think he’s sweet
And they walk on the man
with their little crow feet
First published by The Caterpillar, Winter 2018.
Jackie Hosking, born in Nigeria to Cornish parents, now lives in Australia. Her picture book, The Croc and the Platypus, is published by Walker Books, and she’s very happy to have four new books in the wings. Visit jackiehoskingblog.wordpress.com.