A Poem Grows Inside You written by Katey Howes and illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee, published by The Innovation Press.
This beautiful picture book, A Poem Grows Inside You, is a poem in words and image that will plant a poetic verse in its readers.
A lone child ventures outside in the rain and starts to experience with all of their senses the nature around them. When the rain slows and the sun shines on the flowers and trees, they feel something special growing inside themselves. Poetry!
The verse and illustrations pair perfectly to encompass the child's journey with their own emotions and wavering courage to eventually share it and the poetry it inspires with others. When they do, a diverse group of children appear and become inspired to find the creative seed growing inside of each of them.
Some favorite lines include:
"Then deep in your bones
stirs a long dormant seed,
an idea once planted
by beauty or need."
[...]
"You branch out and bloom —
words unfurling and flowing.
You let the whole world meet
this poem you’ve been growing."
Each stanza recognizes and celebrates what we each hold deep within ourselves.
Katey Howes' lyrical text will make readers' hearts dance and want to nurture the bright promising feelings, passions, and love that can sprout through the power and inspiration of nature and self-expression.
The soft, simple, and brilliant illustrations by Heather Brockton Lee create movement and emotion from hesitancy, to curiosity, to courage, to then arrive at a burst of creativity.
Imagine It!
Throughout the year, there is always a certain flower or plant or tree growing. Likewise, throughout our lives, we are always growing in different ways emotionally and physically.
Take a walk outside, in your yard, at a park, or around the playground at school. What do you see sprouting? Or is there a flower you've often strolled past without stopping to admire it? Look up through the branches in a tree.
What words come to mind? List all the colors you see. List words that could describe how nature feels on your fingertips or how it makes you feel inside. Does it make a sound when the wind blows or when rain falls? List those words.
Do any of the words rhyme? Or could you find synonyms that might rhyme? Try to write or sing aloud a few lines to describe your experience with nature.
If you prefer, draw a picture of yourself in nature and how it makes you feel.
Imagine all the inspiration that can grow inside of you.
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