18th February Pamela Zagarenski

Today at school I put one of my favourite poetry books out on display, Red Sings From  Treetops. It is a favourite because its illustrator, Pamela Zagarenski is one of my top 10 favourite illustrators. And then tonight when I checked the blogs I follow I saw that it was her birthday today. Thank you Eric at Happy Birthday Author. If you do not know her work you must go to the library immediately and check out these three books. Her illustrations are superb. Her newest book, The Whisper,  Pamela both wrote and illustrated, the first of hopefully many books. It is on a theme close to my heart, the joy of reading.

 

4th June Joyce Sidman (1956)

I've just finished writing the library newsletter for this term and it had poetry as its focus. Currently one of my favourite poets is Joyce Sidman so I was very pleased to learn that today was her birthday. I really like the way she combines poetry with science, and always seems to get the balance right. I don't know whether she has any influence over who illustrates her books, but if she doesn't, she has been very fortunate. Her books are inspiring, text-wise and illustration-wise. The three books we have in our library, Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors ; Red Sings From Treetops: a Year in Colours and Night Emperor and Other Poems of the Night are just perfect! Perfect too for celebrating World Environment Day tomorrow!