Finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in everything.
— William Shakespeare
Rule-breaking author, Douglas Florian, explores friendship in his new poetry collection, Friends and Foes, Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, 2018. What makes author-illustrator Douglas Florian rule-breaking? His picture book is longer than 32 pages! Unless you’re a debut author seeking publication, you won’t realize how few people get to break that rule.
The most enchanting thing about his book is not the page count, though, it’s the direct way his clever poems portray friendships of all sorts, smiles and warts: good, bad, imaginary, sporty, besties, opposites, cross-cultural, etc.
I also love that so many of his crayon illustrations have redheads. Makes us redheads seem downright normal.
Copyright 2018 Brenda Davis Harsham
Notes: Friendship and music are two things that pump up your immune system and make you feel connected and happy. Combined into a poem, they would be another kind of friendship, not in the book: a musical one. Now it just needs a crayon illustration….
I was all set to mope
when Sylvie and her clarinet,
changed my mind.
Why feel like a dope
when I can play my drum set,
bebop and unwind?
Copyright 2018 Brenda Davis Harsham
cool stuff, lots of joy beaming out of this page )
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a great book. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
POETS WITH RYTHMN MAKE HAPPY DRUMMERS—ESPECIALLY IF THEY CAN SELL THEIR WORKS FOR PUBLICATION!
LikeLiked by 1 person
We march to the beat (poet) of a different tune. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yup-yup-yuppers!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like the poetry, the dance, and the happiness.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a fun book. Thanks for reading my review. 🙂
LikeLike
Reblogged this on Ace Friends & Bloggers News.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Sometimes we need to break the rules to feel right about ourselves.
LikeLike
That’s right. Sometimes we just can’t live in the box.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh wow…you can bebop!!😀👍
LikeLiked by 1 person
Why not? 🙂
LikeLike