Thursday, April 17, 2014

Ayuh to Z Challenge - O

My theme: Book Titles A to Z written by Maine authors,
and a poem for that title each day for the month of April.  The poem is not about the book, but is written with the title as inspiration! 
Again today, I used both books in the poem.  They just seemed to go together.  They would be the start of a good spine poem!


Welcome to O!
O is for: 
Only Cows Allowed
by Lynn Plourde

On the Hill
by Lisa Jahn-Clough

Only Cows Allowed On the Hill

Only cows allowed on the hill
To graze on the nimblewill;
No quilled porucpine,
Nor piggish big swine
And no fowl with a beak or a bill.

Only cows can be way up there;
Not with horses nor moose will they share;
"Go away, you old cat!"
"Skeedaddle, muskrat!"
This is a strictly "Cows Only" affair.

If you're plucky and you are a cow -
A bovine with the climbing know-how,
Then you are in luck;
All others are stuck
At the foot of the hill, not the brow.

If perhaps you are named Jack or Jill -
Grab your pails and head up that hill;
There's milk you can get
And it's tasty, I'll bet -
Though you still might be taking that spill!

©Donna JT Smith, 2014

*nimblewill - a slender, branching American grass animals may graze on in the central United States.


On the Hill is about Franzi and Camille who live on opposite sides of the same hill.  They are happy where they live, but they miss human company.  They both set off to go around the hill to see if they can find companionship.  They each find the other one's empty house, but eventually find each other.
Kirkus Reviews
Lisa Jahn-Clough is a children's picture book author and illustrator.  She lived on a farm in Rhode Island until the age of 10, but summered on Monhegan Island, Maine. Her family moved to coastal Maine when she was 10.  She grew up in Brunswick, has lived in the Boston area, and now lives in Portland, Maine.
She was the director of Children's Writing Certificate Program at Emerson College in Boston, and taught there for several years.  She is also is a member of the faculty in MFA Writing for Children and Young Adults at Hamline University. She leads workshops for children on book-making and for adults on writing, illustrating and publishing children's books.
Lisa Jahn-Clough's website.

Only Cows Allowed The cows decide that no one is allowed in the barn except them.  The hens formulate a plan to get every animal back into the barn where they belong.
Lynn Plourde is a native of Dexter, Maine, and now lives in Winthrop, Maine.  More about Lynn Plourde here.
Lynn's book, A Mountain of Mittens, was featured for the letter M, also.

Brought to you by the letter O!

Outstanding!

P, where could you be?

11 comments:

  1. That was a cute poem. I need to read it to my nephews. I think they'd get a kick out of it. :)

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    1. I guess it is the titles of the books that are lending themselves to mostly children's poetry...or it is my child that is coming through mostly lately. Let me know how your nephews liked it!

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  2. What a delightful poem and book description! I love children's lit. so, this is right up my alley. Glad that you found me on my blog so that I could find you on yours. :)

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    1. Glad you could return my visit! And happy that you enjoyed the poem. Hope to be reading more of your blog.

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  3. Love the 'nimblewill', a new word! And the book "Only Cows Allowed" sounds very funny. Not only are you sharing your great poems but great poems too.

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    1. I was so thrilled to find nimblewill! I can't tell you how happy it made me to know it was actually graze-able! I will remember this grass forever! You should check Lynn's and Lisa's websites.

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  4. Some really clever - and extremely humorous - lines in this. "This is a strictly "Cows Only" affair" - just delightful writing.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Wendy! It was fun to put together, if you can call it that. Sometimes poetry feels like building to me.

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  5. Wow..that's a very innovative theme! Keep writing! :)

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  6. Great poem and a great idea overall! Thanks!

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