Welcome to Poetry Friday. I’m happy to be your summer host. I’m traveling back in time today and reviewing a beautiful book I received in spring (thank you, Candlewick Press!) Helen Frost and Rick Lieder’s Hello, I’m Here tells the story a newly-hatched sandhill crane chick through a clever, first-person poem and gorgeous close-up photography.
The poems starts inside the crane’s egg, and continues through hatching, first steps, meeting a sibling, wing flapping, swimming, predator avoidance, feeding, considering flight, and resting. That’s a lot of ground for a newborn chick and a 168-word text!
The young chick’s voice carries the poem, and the amazing photography brings the story to life. Simple questions and actions in rhyming couplets let the reader imagine what it would be like to be a baby crane.
I love the child-like voice of the chick who speaks from inside the egg and tells the reader what she’s thinking and doing:
Who’s talking to me?
Is it night or day?
I start to peck,
and my shell falls away.
If you have not yet read Hello, I’m Here, I recommend it. Find yourself a pre-schooler and sit down for a snuggle or pour over the pages on your own and get inspired.
Speaking of inspiration, Today’s Little Ditty has a new challenge this month from Karen Boss, editor at Charlesbridge. Karen asked us to, “write a poem in second person, speaking directly to a kid or kids about something that you think is important for them to know.” I broadened the definition of kid and, staying under the influence of Hello, I’m Here, have written my advice poem to a sandhill crane chick:
Advice to a Young Chick
An egg will protect and nourish you. But when the time is right
peck, peck, peck and break free.
Ask for help when you need it. Loudly. Peep, peep, peep!
Try new foods—bugs and snails are delicious.
Lean on a parent’s soft feathers when you are tired.
Stretch new legs.
You will fall before you walk.
Flap new wings.
You will falter before you soar.
Someday you will take to the sky.
–©Buffy Silverman
Thanks for visiting today. While you’re here I hope you’ll check out my spanking-new website! Many thanks to my web-designer, Emma Conner, for putting it together. In the name of nepotism, I’m happy to recommend Emma if you’re in need of a new website. You can find her contact-info on the bottom-right corner of this page.
Mr. Linky is helping me with the round-up. Please leave your links below:
Thanks for introducing me to this book, Buffy. I’ll have to check it out!
I love your poem, especially the last two lines, which I take as great encouragement for me:
>>You will falter before you soar.
Someday you will take to the sky.<<
The new look of your site is very pleasing to the eye!
Buffy, I cannot wait to read some of your nature inspired books for children! I am a fan of both and as an environmental educator strive to connect children to nature! I am always looking for applicable books to suggest!
Thanks for hosting this week!
Carol from The Apples in My Orchard
I will get the book–it looks amazing! and I love your poem to a sandhill crane chick–seems like just about everything she would need to know!
I wrote about birds today, too–inspired by all the wonderful birds I see everyday on my walks. My photos are nowhere near as good as the beauties you shared.
And thanks for hosting this week, too.
Thank you so much, Buffy! What a delightful end-of-a-busy-week surprise!
Your poem is great, and I’m about to explore your new website.
So glad you found my post, Helen–and I was happy to share Hello, I’m Here! It’s a charmer.
I agree with everyone else, your new site is very inviting. Thank you for sharing Helen’s new book. I love her work and look forward to reading this one. Congratulations on all your successes!
Thank you, Linda–and I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading this one!
Hi Buffy, love your new site. Did you take the pic of the butterfly? I’m requesting the book, Hello, I’m Here to share with my grandsons. And your “Advice to a Young Chick” is lovely. Thanks for hosting today.
Thanks, Ramona. Yes, the monarch is my photo–and if you click around you can watch it change! I think you’ll enjoy sharing this one with your grandsons.
What a gorgeous book. We are lucky enough to see the sandhill crane migration every year. It is phenomenal. I love the look of your new website.
Thanks, Kay. We live at the swampy end of a little lake where the sandhills gather in the fall. I love watching them, too.
Congrats on your new site, Buffy…it looks fabulous! This book is simply precious, and your poem to the chick is a perfect companion. I love the growth mindset advice for the wee hatchling! How lucky we all are to have each other. Every once in a while, when I read a post like yours today and see the roundup, I simply feel grateful. xx
Thank you, Amy–yes we are lucky to have this group! I’m going to try to participate a little more regularly.
Oh, yes, I noticed your new look right away, Buffy, and wow! Nice! I really appreciate this choice of book since my head is now all full of preK needs and opportunities. My post is more harping on (musically & beautifully, I hope) about the need for climate action and how action often causes discomforts. To the rescue: bandaids! Thanks for hosting–I love “fall before you walk” and “falter before you soar.” Yes indeed.
Thanks, Heidi–it’s a perfect preK read and inspiration to go outside! Please keep harping, friend.
We have a few pairs of Sandhill cranes near our home. They are so fun to watch. I haven’t seen any babies out and about yet, but I am hopeful. Thanks for hosting!
Aren’t they fun to watch? Dozens of sandhills gather at our lake each fall, but we’ve only once seen a pair with chicks hurrying along the edge of the swamp.
Hi Buffy! So colorful & sleek your new site!
And I didn’t know about HELLO… so many appreciations for this fly-by.
And, for sharing your advice poem inspired by Helen & Rick’s tribute to parenting & babyhood.
I want to get it not only for the photography & poems, but for what must be an incredible back-story of access.
Many summertime breezes to you
Jan/Bookseedstudio
(“Summer Shorts” my previous pst, still stands, so no need to visit if you already have, folks!)
Ah ha, Jan–I thought you had put up the wrong link when I clicked, but now I see that you meant for it to be last week’s post. I think you will love this book–it’s an amazing close-up view!
I love Helen Frost’s voice, so simple, yet inviting and loving. I also love your advice to the little chick, especially “you will falter before you soar” –good, universal advice. Thanks for hosting today.
Yes, I love that simple voice too. It makes you feel like you’re seeing the world for the first time!
What a grand Buffy-post filled with brilliant color, gorgeous photographs and just-right words! Thank you for hosting, Buffy… and happy summer! May it fill you up with poems! xo
Happy summer to you, Irene–I’m sure yours will brim with poetry!
How cool that both of us had websites done by our daughters the same month! Great minds and all that. Thank you for the charming review and poem & for hosting!
I just checked out your site, Tabatha–Elena did a great job with it!
Buffy, I love Helen and Rick’s collaboration, and I haven’t gotten to this one yet. Thank you for the reminder! Your poem is lovely, too. I like the encouragement about bugs and snails–hehe.
We all can try new things, right? (And I have to admit, I’ve eaten both!)
Buffy, this post was filled with the natural wonder of eggs hatching, baby cranes coming into the world, and poetry to accompany the book review. Thank you for this treat. The book looks like one my granddaughter who just turned two will love for the photos. I am sure that she will call the babies, ducks but the word crane will become part of her new vocabulary. Your poem, although it is written to a young chick can be a universal one for all. The last line is so inspiring..
I’m sure you would love sharing this one with your granddaughter, Carol!
Nice review, Buffy, and great job making this month’s DMC challenge work for you! It’s interesting to read your poem from a human perspective and see all the ways the advice still applies. I, for one, still hope to flap my wings and take to the skies one day. 🙂
Well you probably figured I couldn’t do this challenge straight–but yes, I hoped it would still apply to human chicks. I think you’re already flying, friend.
Thanks for hosting today, Buffy. I’m excited to read this book! I love Helen Frost’s books — she’s a brilliant poet.
Her poetry is wonderful!
I can’t wait to see this new book by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder! The combination of her words and his photographs is something special. I LOVE your advice poem! So perfect!
Thanks for rounding us up this week!
Thanks, Mary Lee–I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one.
Your website looks wonderful and “Hello I’m Here” is gorgeous. A two-fold visual treat 🙂 I love the combinations of fabulous photographs and poetry. Your advice poem is spot-on. I especially enjoy the inherent optimism in the final line. Thanks so much for hosting this week!
Based on the photos I’ve seen of yours, Molly, I think you would especially enjoy this book–the photographs inspire me (and make me jealous!)
Your poem offers good advice for many new hatchlings. Thanks for sharing this nature-filled book with us it looks delightful, the pics are incredible, and I love the voice of the little chick. Lovely website, refreshing and inviting–Enjoy! Thanks for hosting Buffy.
Thanks, Michelle–glad you like my new home!
This book looks adorable, and I love your Advice to a Young Chick. Thank you for hosting this week!
Thank you for stopping by, Kimberly–those chicks are adorable.
So glad I made it for the link-up today! Thanks for hosting. Your new site-look is fresh and vibrant, Buffy. Love your photos littered throughout. Also adore the fluffy little chicks in this post – especially adult and baby. The book sounds sweet – and your poem seems the perfect summation.
Thanks, Kathryn! The photography in the book is pretty amazing… hope you check it out.
I love that this Hello, I’m Here is nonfiction and a poem. I love the photographs. Your advice to a young chick is lovely. I especially like the line, Try new foods—bugs and snails are delicious, but I also love the acknowledgement that life will not always be easy. Life is full of falls and faltering.
Glad you liked that line, Cheriee–I made myself laugh when I wrote it!
Buffy, I really like your website. The colors are so beautiful. And, what a lovely space to hi-light your soon to be published work. And, your post is a perfect combination of TLD’s challenge and ‘Hello, I’m here.’ That last line gets me…I’m on vacation with soon to be college girl and she’s so ready to fly. Thank you for hosting this week. I always appreciate your work and attention to the very smallest details in nature. I hope Helen and Rick see your beautiful post. Helen’s work is some of my favorite!
Thanks, Linda–enjoy your time with your daughter before she soars!
I like your advice to the chick and what I see of the book. What amazing photos!
My post doesn’t quite do the photos justice–you’ll have to check out the book, Brenda!