(It was Joy Acey's idea to ask!) Birthday graphic by pngtree.com
Greetings, Poetry Lovers - Happy Poetry Friday! The Roundup is Here.
And, SURPRISE! - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEE BENNETT HOPKINS!
Welcome to your Poetry Friday Birthday Party!
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A few weeks ago, the clever and generous Linda Kulp Trout (Write Time) noticed that Lee's birthday fell on a Poetry Friday this year, the one I'd signed up to host. Let's have a party, she suggested. Let's do, said I. Amy Ludwig VanDerwater (The Poem Farm ) jumped into the planning posse and away we went.
Lots of folks in the Poetry Friday community enthusiastically came on board. See the trail of sprinkles? EVERYONE is welcome to celebrate – leave some birthday wishes below, and/or celebrate on your blog with a link in the comments, too!
I'll round up links throughout the day, and everyone can go from one party room to another, with some other fun poetry posts mixed in. Enjoy them all!
Lee, folks will be leaving you wishes in the comments today, and many will have links to party posts. A few other special folks have dropped by here with their greetings....
The lovely and talented Heidi Bee Roemer (heidibroemer.com) beautifully captures the kind of relationship many poets have experienced with Lee:
When I first met Lee in 1999 (thereabouts) at the Butler University Children's Conference, Rebecca Kai Dotlich's LEMONADE SUN was popping off bookstore shelves. On this pivotal day, Rebecca introduced me to my poetry idol, "the world's most prolific anthologist of poetry for children," Lee Bennett Hopkins. Little did I know what a far-reaching influence he would have in my life. In a career that has spanned decades, Lee has championed numerous aspiring poets, just like me. Moreover, he has captured the adoration of his readers, young and old, who find delight and oftentimes, epiphanies, in the words of a simple poem. Lee's passion for poetry is truly contagious. Allow me please to borrow the title of his brand-spanking new book-- WORLD MAKE WAY! as we celebrate Lee Bennett Hopkins' extra-special birthday!
Yes - World Make Way! Speaking of Rebecca Kai Dotlich (rebeccakaidotlich.com), she wasn't about to miss an opportunity to send along some sprinkled wishes. Here are her words for you, Lee:
I know how much you love birthdays. How much you love any celebration at all. Being your friend IS a celebration. Chocolate is a given, but I hope your day is filled with a little shopping, a little art, a little tapioca pudding and maybe an ice cream cone. And I hope one line of a poem comes to you, because I know that, alone, will bring you joy. Always know how much you are loved. How lucky I am to have you as my friend for so many birthdays, and for so maaaaannnnnnny more.
How old is Lee, you all ask? Well, let's just say 80 candles means he's still HOT, wouldn't you agree?
Wait - I hear a knock. Why, it's Rebecca M. Davis, senior editor extraordinaire at Boyds Mills Press & Wordsong! She's here with these words for you, Lee. (Please imagine some of them in a vibrant purple; my blog wouldn't play nice with colors.)
Dearest Lee,
Happy 80th birthday to you!
Hooray for Lee—friend, poet, friend of poets! Let's call you the poet's poet. You have made and continue to make our world brighter, more joyful, more wonder-filled through your work every day.
With love and admiration,
Rebecca (Davis)
Thank you for joining us, Rebecca!
Is that someone behind you? Behind the camera? Ohh - it's Stephanie Salkin! She and Jude Mandell spearheaded the effort to have Lee inducted into the Florida Arts Hall of Fame last year. Stef is busy with her camera settings, so she just sends HUGS AND KISSES, Lee!
ENDLESS appreciations to Tomie DePaola (Tomie's website) for such incredible art, and for joining the celebration.
Thanks to everyone for draping streamers from blog to blog today, and special thanks to Charles Egita for keeping the secret! ;0)
Finally, from me, a haiku for you, Lee -- inspired by Charles:
blooming orchids -
the poem he knows
by heart
Robyn Hood Black
Now, I know EVERYONE wants to get on with the party… Enjoy clicking through all the birthday posts and poetry – what better way to celebrate?
WE LOVE YOU, LEE!
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(Remember to drop in on the 2018 Kidlit Progressive Poem when you can, and check out all the Kidlit Poetry Month projects and feasts rounded up by Jama at Jama's Alphabet Soup! Want to keep up with Lee's latest books and poetic adventures? Click here for his website!)
The Roundup -
*From the Night (Before) Owls:*
At Write Time, Birthday-Party-Idea-Originator Linda (Kulp Trout) gets this celebration off the ground with balloons, a beautiful personal tribute to Lee featuring one of his poems, and a special giveaway!
Linda Mitchell continues the party with today's line in the 2018 Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem over at A Word Edgewise. Oh, you'll never believe where she's taken our poem's flowering protagonist, Jasmine.
Off to Maine we go with Donna at Mainely Write…. She has the perfect "L" day celebrations for Lee… Go See!
An ekphrastic poetry master, Diane at Random Noodling offers a cherita in Lee's honor based on a painting, "The Poet's Voice" (1923) by Alice Bailly [1872-1938]. (She also includes a link to Lee's terrific NPR interview for World Make Way.)
Diane's Kurious Kitty gives readers a glimpse into the breadth of Lee's many, many (many) works!
And, speaking of World Make Way, Karen Edmisten is highlighting this special book today, with some special wishes for Lee, too.
Matt chimes in from Radio, Rhythm, & Rhyme with an interview with Louie Chin, illustrator for Don't Ask a Dinosaur, which Matt co-wrote with Deborah Busse. He's also got some Poetry Cubed #5 entries, and birthday wishes for Lee!
At Teaching Authors, Bobbi shares a fulsome post about "The Crowned Prince of Poetry" (our guest of honor, of course)with more about World Make Way as well.
Alice Nine shares two poems inspired by Lee's… "Crows" and "A Deet-ed Tick"! (I know, you have to go check them out – poems are the best gifts!)
Buffy shares a "Spectacular Lee" post in honor of his anthology, Spectacular Science. The book inspired her original poem, "Spring Questions." (Hoping Spring makes its way to all of you in chilly climes!)
At Reading to the Core, Catherine shares an original, celebratory poem made from some of Lee's book titles. (Well done, Catherine!) She shares a video of Lee as well.
Brenda is celebrating Lee at Friendly Fairy Tales with a poem after this Lowcountry gal's heart – "Why Salt Marshes?" – with another nod to Spectacular Science.
At Today's Little Ditty, Michelle has a delightful poem for our guest of honor, "Don't Ask a Hopkinsaurus" – I dare you to get to the end without smiling. Catch up on her current giveaways (including Don't Ask a Dinosaur by Matt Forrest Esenwine and Deborah Bruss) and poetry projects, too!
Grab your party hats and blowers to go visit the Gathering Books crowd. Fats is celebrating Lee today with some favorite poems from different anthologies.
At TeacherDance, Linda B. is celebrating up a storm! She has two poem-gifts for Lee, a haiku as part of her Poetry Month project and a colorful poem featuring lots of his book titles.
You MUST check out the festive birds celebrating Lee over at Michelle Kogan's place – and her original poems for Lee. She shares a couple of his poems, too!
At Writing the World for Kids, Laura shares a poem she wrote to celebrate Lee 10 years ago, "Recipe for a Poetry Book." It still perfectly fits!
Alan J. Wright at Poetry Pizzazz would like to know, "Where's the Poetry Section?" in bookstores. Will you join him in asking?
Jama, who has kindly rounded up Kisdlitopshere Poetry Month offerings at Jama's Alphabet Soup, has a celebration of World Make Way AND a giveaway!
Ramona is checking in from Pleasures From the Page with warm recollections of how Lee's books have touched her over the years, and with a 13-line poem created with some of her favorite LBH book titles. Perfect for the 13th!
Laura Shovan has a fascinating celebratory post sharing Lee's "Final Score," with connections between that poem and her new book, TAKEDOWN.
Jone Rush MaCulloch offers a gorgeous haiku and photo honoring Lee today at Deowriter.
Jone is also featuring some wonderful Student Poetry at MacLibrary. Enjoy!
Raincity Librarian Jane shares a poem excerpt from "Druid Hill Park" by British Columbian poet Heidi Greco, part of the local "Poetry in Transit" program.
At Beyond Literacy Link, Carol has… well – Shhh! It's a Surprise! ;0)
Hear those voices of happy kids? Those are Teacher Ann Marie Corgill's first graders from Shades Mountain Elementary in Hoover, joining the LBH Birthday Party at The Poem Farm with Amy. You'll also find Amy's Poetry Month project poem for today, which is something like a simile. ;0)
*Next Up: The Early Birds:*
Our bella Renée is wishing Lee Happy Birthday via Facecbook. At No Water River, she continues her Community Collections series for Poetry Month with Elizabeth Acevedo, renowned slam poet, presenter, educator, and verse novelist – powerful poetry!
It's almost a book birthday, too – Tabatha Yeatts's Mistakes Anthology is about to make its way in the world! At the Team Imperfect book blog today, she's got mini mistake poem riddles by Molly Hogan. These would be great to share with kids!
Craving more of that? At The Opposite of Indifference, Tabatha is sharing more mini mistake-maker riddles ("Thieves, Fairies and Hearts") and birthday wishes for Lee!
Greg Pincus is in the party spirit, sharing a seasonally appropriate poem from Lee that he first featured several years ago at Gottabook.
You can't have a party without Joy at Poetry for Kids Joy, and she sends colorful art and Joy-ful poetic greetings for Lee from her Hawaiin islands. (Is that a ukulele I hear?)
At There is no such thing as A God-forsaken town, Ruth continues the celebration with some of Lee's own words about his work life. She also has a poem by Tony Hoagland that is guaranteed to stretch your poetic senses.
Drift on over the The Drift Record, where Julie has some appreciative words for Lee along with one of his poems, and a shout-out for one of his next books!
Mary Lee at A Year of Reading shares a student experience and a golden shovel poem about conquering a math problem, along with birthday wishes.
Molly Hogan is out and about looking for Spring, taking gorgeous photos and documenting the outdoors in poetry. She shares Lee's "Spring" poem, too!
At My Juicy Little Universe, Heidi takes us back to 2009, and the poem she read when Lee received the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Meander through her "Stanza Means Room" and enjoy a poetic house that grows sturdier with time.
Irene continues her ARTSPEAK series featuring Harlem Renaissance personalities, with a poem for today written specifically for Lee, "The Birthday Birds of Bonaventure Island."
At Reflections on the Teche, Margaret celebrates Lee and World Make Way, with an original poem, "Coming home," inspired by her father's artwork. It includes a line from "Early Evening" by Charles Ghigna.
The ever-enchanting Jan at Bookseed Studio has a post that – well, the whole thing is just a work of poetic art. Enjoy her singular way of telling a touch of Lee's story with love and panache. Lee makes the world "a whole lot brighter," and Jan does too.
I double-dog dare you to get through Christie's post at Wondering and Wondering without smiling. She's got Lee's "Under the Microscope" as inspiration for her response poem, "Under Our Stereoscope." She's got kindergarteners! Fairy shrimp! And more! The perfect birthday tribute.
At Wild Rose Reader, Elaine has two poems about nighttime – one which made it into her new book, THINGS TO DO, and one which didn't. Which one do you like best? Either would be good inspiration for our current Kidlit Progressive Poem! She has birthday wishes for Lee, too.
Head over to Poetry for Children for three perfect quotes from Lee in Sylvia's Poetry Quote-a-thon series this month. Hear, hear!
Kay at A Journey Through the Pages lets us follow along on a poetic journey through her recent family vacation! Your heart rate will slow to a smooth, steady beat reading her poem. (And then will perk up again with birthday wishes for Lee.)
Over in her Corner, Carol has created a poem inspired by Lee's "Storyteller (For Augusta Baker) from Jumping Off Library Shelves. A tribute tucked into a tribute!
Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect shares the ways her path has crossed with Lee's, in the classroom and beyond, and she offers a poem in his honor.
At Bildungsroman, Little Willow offers up a deliciously dark poem today, "Dark Matter and Dark Energy " by Alicia Ostriker. Thanks for joining in!
Lisa at Steps and Staircases has some Spring-inspired paint chip poetry to celebrate Lee today. What colorful fun!
JoAnn Early Macken has a fun poem about "poetic license" to share for Lee and all of us today. She's also got a drawing every day this month for copies of her book, Write a Poem Step by Step. Teachers, get thee hence!
--Noon Whistle! I must get myself hence to my Studio to open for the afternoon. I'll be back later to Round up Afternoon post-ers.--
*...And now, Happy Hour:*
At Evolving English Teacher, Poetry Friday newcomer Glenda shares a terrific golden shovel using a line from The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, in which she contemplates her long teaching career. Many will relate to "I Have Seen Myself in Prufrock." Welcome and thanks for sharing, Glenda!
Welcome to Cheriee, too, who has also been posting poems each day this month at Library Matters. Sometimes that can be a challenge, as she explores with a big dash of humor in "Another Poem."
*And, Last Call...*
At Merely Day by Day, Cathy chimes in with wishes for Lee and a poem about black pants!