Poetry Friday

"If a writer isn't a reader, he's in the wrong profession." ~Marion Dane Bauer.

And isn't that the truth! The more we writers read the more we learn, and besides it's fun to read and I love going to the library and just pulling out books from shelves, randomly!

Earlier this week that's exactly what I did, and I came upon The Rainforest Grew All Around by Susan K. Mitchell and illustrated by Connie McLennan. It's poetry, non-fiction and song. What more could one ask for a book fot children. The words are written based on the song The Green Grass Grew All Around. Susan Mitchell builds on the the ecosystem in the rainforest and comes full circle, from seed to seed. It is fun to read, even to yourself. The art work is lovely and makes the reader feel as though they are in the colourful and alive rainforest.

There are sidebars throughout giving the reader information about the various plants and aminals the author writes about. It is truely a great way for children (and adults) to learn about the jungle!

The book also won the NAPPA Honors and the 2008 Teachers' Choice Award

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This is an excerpt from The Rainforest Grew All Around by Susan K. Mitchell; the last verse...

and I wish I could surround the words with the artwork for you...

AND FROM THE POD,

there blew a seed...

the fluffiest seed that ever did see

The seed from the pod,

and the pod by the bat,

and the bat near the bird,

and the bird by the frog,

and the frog in the plant,

and the plant by the sloth,

and the slothnear the and,

and the ant by the snake,

and the snake by the vine,

and the vine near the cat,

and the cat in the tree,

and the tree from the seed,

and the seed in the gound,

and the rainforest grew

all around, all around;

the rainforest grew all around.

Please check out the Poetry Friday Roundup at Cuentecitos