Two Robins

She sits quietly

warming a clutch of blue eggs

waiting for hatchlings—



He sits in a nearby spruce

singing her a love song



-Linda Kulp Trout

 A big thank you to Mary Lee at A Year of Reading for hosting this week's Poetry Friday.

A Loon, An Owl, and Animal Babies

Three beautiful new books arrived on my porch this week.  All of them are about babies! 

SECRETS OF THE LOON is the latest book by the amazing Laura Purdie Salas.  I'm so happy to add this book to my "Laura" collection. Laura's poetry and Chuck Dayton's photographs combine to make every spread breathtaking.  The opening scene blew me away.

Below white pines, at water's edge,

in guarded nest of mud and sedge,

squeezed inside an olive egg,

bill meets wing meets folded leg.

Isn't that lovely?  The book has a magical feel to it.  It's one I know I'll read again and again.

 Smriti Prasadam-Halls is a new-to-me author. I'm not sure how I found WELCOME TO YOUR WORLD, but sometimes the right book comes to us when we need it. I love the soothing way it reads like a lullaby.  Jaime Kim's illustrations portray "tender scenes between animals and their babies..."  The book begins with a human mother holding her newborn.

  Welcome, little baby,
round your mama curled.
  Welcome, little baby.
Welcome to your world!

This book would make a great gift for new parents!

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Maria Gianferrari's new poetry picture book WHOO-KU HAIKU: A Great Horned Owl Story is illustrated by Jonathan Voss. I love stories told through haiku, and a bonus is that I learned a lot too!

Pip. Pip. Pip. Poking.

A hole, cracking. Cracking. Crack!

Pink owlet peeks out.

Readers young and old will enjoy and learn from all three of these books!  

A big thank you to Jama for hosting today's Poetry Friday on her blog, Jama's Alphabet Soup