“In her butterfly net of beguiling rhythm and rhyme, Raven Howell captures the sweet, fleeting moments of childhood. Both you and the little gnome on your lap will love it!”
—Irene O’Garden, poet, author, Off-Broadway playwright
Discover the magic in simple moments when a child peers in the mirror to
unintentionally come upon his smile, where kittens nap in boots, fairy hugs
feel good, mice delight in reading books, and January snowflakes taste yummy. Twenty
whimsical poems warm the heart and inspire cheer; a collection enticing both
the young and seasoned reader to explore the enchantment of the wonderful world
of poetry.
The Impact on Children Through Author Visits to Schools/Libraries
“Good morning, everyone! It’s wonderful to be here - thanks for inviting me. My name is Raven Howell and I write children’s stories and poetry....” and off we go. I’ve always enjoyed visiting students and children in classrooms, bookstores, and libraries to share my love of books, and reading and writing.
Involved in the children’s literary community for
several decades now, I don’t recall my very first visit to meet with
students, but I do know that I’ve never had a visit I didn’t enjoy. I
could be presenting in a big school assembly or teaching poetry with four
students in attendance in a small enrichment workshop, and still, I always gain
new insight, am inspired by the kids themselves, and go home smiling.
What I gain from author visits is important
to note because inspiration runs both ways. As you give, you get. That may not
be apparent in the moment, and on several author visits, a child may seem
completely bored, looking out the window, or maybe is disagreeable on some
level. Yet, inevitably, the teacher will contact me afterwards and say
something like, “Caleb always has a hard time focusing, but after you left, he
wrote a poem about baseball and even drew a picture to go along with it! We
have a hard time getting him to write anything, so thank you!”
Poetry tends to strike a chord or ring a bell
inside one’s heart. Because of poetic rhythm, rhyming, wording, and expression,
it can communicate a message like no other art form. And for children, who are
full of questions (“Mom, why is the sky blue?”), poetry can address questions
and make the questioner see things a different way. It’s an incredibly powerful
medium for anyone of any age. Teaching even the youngest students how to read,
listen to, be inspired by, and then attempt to write their own poetry or story may
lead to anything from self-expression, processing emotions, to improving
literacy and even epiphany.
Children want to explore. Children want
to explore what’s beautiful in their world, and a good story or poem is the
perfect pathway. This aesthetic is the inspiration behind my new picture poetry
book, The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes. If you’re a children’s
author and have any doubts or self-consciousness about a school visit, please
know the kids would love to hear “your story”, you’ll both be linking together
in some form of enlightenment AND, you’ll have fun doing it!
Here With You
Hop the rocks
Across
the stream
Where
tall trees whisper
Forest
dream.
Skip the
path
Where our
hearts sing,
Let
bright sun shine
On
Robin’s wing.
Glad to
be
Out here
with you
Where
grass is green
And sky is blue.
From The 20 Little Poems from 20 Little Gnomes written by Raven Howell © 2022 Handersen Publishing. Available on Amazon.
Raven Howell is an award-winning author and poet of several
children's picture books. Her poems appear in children's magazines such as
Cricket, Highlights for Children, HighFive, Ladybug, Jack and Jill, and Fun for
Kids. She enjoys presenting children’s writing workshops, visiting libraries
and schools, and serves as Creative and Publishing Advisor for RedClover
Reader. Raven writes a column for Story Monsters Ink magazine, The Book Bug.
