“I’m a poet and don’t even know it!” At some point, you’ve probably said something in an unintentional rhyme. Poetry? Sure, maybe those two seemingly silly sentences you shared with your spouse or with a parent were a little poetic:
Every year an ornament cracks
And there’s the cat – his smile is back!
The main obstacle with those considering writing poetry or getting into reading it, is that they assume it has to be serious, Shakespearean, and therefore, a little irrelevant and bland. But poetry can be found everywhere and in everything.
During one school visit, I asked the students to consider an ordinary object right there in the classroom to write their poem about. After several minutes passed, a flummoxed child asked, “Miss Raven, all the ‘good’ regular items are already being written about. How can I write a verse about a staple remover?”
I asked her what those metal clamps reminded her of. Oh! Metal teeth! Suddenly she saw the staple remover as a metal-mouthed gnasher with only one goal: gnawing and twisting those tin soldier staples from a paper battlefield. How’s that for finding a little poetry in something ordinary?
Tell me, what happened today? Were you frustrated that the wind blew away your scarf or hat? Think there’s no poetry in that? Try a haiku to get yourself going. The pattern is simple (traditional haiku: 3 lines, 5/7/5 syllables per line).
Wind stole my red scarf
Old man winter craves color
Scarlet for snow’s white.
This is just a quick idea off the top of my head, but the point is, attempt to add a little wonder and mindfulness somewhere in your words. Here, the ivory white canvas of winter is unintentionally decorated with the red scarf you lost.
You can look up the various formats of poems and their history online or research in the library, but my goal is to stir up some inspiration because that spark will begin your poetry journey. And – it’s not as hard as you may think.
I’ve found even those who don’t think they’d have any interest in poetry, find themselves with a smile or a tear in their eyes when they hear or read a good poem.
My new children’s poetry book, The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes explores the world around us from the whimsical child’s perspective. Because I’ve been a full-time writer now for decades, and somehow naturally end up composing a verse or idea daily, it wasn’t too difficult for me to pick out 20 poems from my files for the compilation.
I already had the title of the book. Not much rhymes with “poems” and my manuscript was originally being submitted to a publisher called Gnome Publishing, so I put together that title – The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes, thinking it sounded cute and was appropriate. Although the publishing house I signed with is a different one, the book title was already etched in my brain and I believed in the verse I imagined a group of magical gnomes or elves would enjoy reading while enjoying tea and honey biscuits perched under a mushroom cap. And so it came to be!
I hope that reading the poems in my book, and viewing the playful artwork illustrator Naz Tarcan provided, may provide a good place for you to jump start your own love of poetry – and your own way of expressing or enjoying it!
Book Summary
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.
Publisher: Handersen Publishing
ASIN: B0BJNT69WG
ISBN: 1647030757
ISBN-13: 978-1647030759
Print Pages: 28 Pages
Purchase a copy of The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, or Bookshop.org. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.
About the Author
Raven Howell writes stories and poetry for children. Having published several award-winning picture books, she enjoys sharing her love of literature by visiting classrooms and libraries. Raven is Creative & Publishing Advisor for Red Clover Reader, served as Poetry Director for Monster Magnificent, and writes The Book Bug column for Story Monsters Ink magazine. Her poems are found in children’s magazines such as Ladybug, Spider, Highlights for Children, Humpty Dumpty, and Hello Magazine. She’s an editor, and collaborating author for Reading is Fundamental SoCal.
When not writing, Raven enjoys sunshine and the beach, spending time with her family, hiking, laughing, reading, goofing around with artwork, and inventing new recipes.
You can find her on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/atpearthkeeper
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atpearthkeeper/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RavenHowellAuthorandPoetPage/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pickward/_saved/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raven-howell-5a813015b/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ravenhowell22
Blog Tour Calendar
— Blog Tour Calendar
December 26th @ The Muffin
Join us at our WOW! blog today, The Muffin, for the blog tour launch of The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes by Raven Howell. You can read an interview with the author and have a chance to win a copy of the book for yourself.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/
December 28th @ Strength 4 Spouses
Join Wendi as she reviews The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes by Raven Howell.
December 28th @ Reading Girl Reviews
Gina reviews Raven Howell’s book The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes.
https://www.instagram.com/readinggirlreviews/
December 29th @ The Faerie Review
Visit Lily as she reviews The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes by Raven Howell.
https://www.thefaeriereview.com
December 30th @ Anthony Avina’s Blog
Join Anthony as he features a guest post by author Raven Howell featuring a beginner’s guide to writing poetry.
https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/category/blog-tours/
January 1st @ Page Peeks
Visit Jeanne’s book review column as she reviews The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes.
January 2nd @ Mother Daughter Book Club
Join Cindy as she reviews The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes.
January 4th @ AJ Kormon’s Blog
Join AJ as she reviews The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes.
January 6th @ Knotty Needle
Visit Judy as she shares her insights into Raven Howell’s book The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes.
http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/
January 8th @ Shoe’s Seeds & Stories
Join Linda as she features a guest post by author Ravne Howell about why we love gnomes so much.
https://lschuelerca.wordpress.com/
January 10th @ Mother Daughter Book Club
Visit Cindy’s blog again for a guest post by Raven Howell about arts and crafts, making fun gnomes for all ages.
January 12th @ Anthony Avina’s Blog
Visit Anthony’s blog as he reviews The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes by Raven Howell.
https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/category/blog-tours/
January 12th @ The Mommies Reviews
Visit Glenda’s blog today to read her review of The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes by Raven Howell. You’ll also have a chance to win a book copy too!
https://themommiesreviews.com/
January 16th @ Word Magic
Visit Fiona’s blog as she shares author Raven Howell’s insights about the impact on children through author visits to schools or libraries.
http://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/
January 15th @ Shoe’s Seeds & Stories
Linda treats us to her review of The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes by Raven Howell.
https://lschuelerca.wordpress.com/
January 17th @ Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews
Lisa interviews Raven Howell about her book The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes.
https://lisahaselton.com/blog/
January 18th @ Bev A Baird’s Blog
Join Bev as she features a guest post by author Raven Howell about her lifelong journey as a poet and how she made it happen.
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/
January 20th @ Bev A Baird’s Blog
Come by Bev’s blog again as she reviews The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes. A must-read children’s book you’ll love!
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/
January 20th @ Editor 911
Margo treats us to her review of The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes.
January 22nd @ World of My Imagination
Nicole shares her thoughts about The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes.
https://worldofmyimagination.com/
January 23rd @ A Storybook World
Visit Deirdra’s blog and read a guest post by Raven Howell about gnome fashion and how the fairy realm influences fashion today.
http://www.astorybookworld.com/
January 25th @ Carole Writes
Visit Carole’s blog for her review of The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes.
January 27th @ Editor 911
Come by Margo’s blog again and read Raven Howell’s guest post featuring yummy treats with a gnome theme.
January 28th @ Lisa’s Reading
Join Lisa as she reviews The 20 Little Poems for 20 Little Gnomes. You also have the chance to win a copy of the book too!
January 29th @ Jill Sheets’ Blog
Visit Jill’s blog as she interviews author Raven Howell about her writing journey and her experience as an author.