Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Writing from the Inside Out. . . It's a Book Birthday and Giveaway!!!

Dear Readers,

Today is an extraordinary day, because it's a BOOK BIRTHDAY for our friend, Patricia Thomas and her new book, GREEN BEAN! GREEN BEAN! Her publisher, Dawn Publications, www.dawnpub.com is generously donating 3 copies of the book for the birthday giveaway and Pat will autograph and personalize for the winners. Thank you, Dawn Pub and thank you, Pat! (Details for the giveaway at end of the post!)

I really love this book! It's a perfect read for spring fever. I've already purchased the book and a packet of seeds to start my own garden of GREEN BEANS!  

Author: Patricia Thomas
Illustrator: Trina L. Hunner

A freckled-faced young gardener opens a packet of seeds. And the magic begins! Crisp verses take the reader through the growing season—from a sprout peeking out, to a curlicue catching dew, to a vine twining on a line, until finally . . . GREEN BEANS! It’s time to harvest a full season of garden knowledge and experience. Along the way the young gardener discovers a nook to read a book in the shade of growing beans. Trina’s watercolors match the mood of a garden, and in the backmatter Patricia provides life cycle science and related vocabulary, instructions on growing your own green beans, and a variety of fun things for children to do. This book is sure to encourage young gardeners to put their toes in the soil and perhaps even read a book in a garden nook.
Educators: Download free activities based on this book!


Writing from the Inside Out. . . Author Patricia Thomas shares insights about her writing process, influences, and inspirations. . .

Two topics that will always catch and hold my attention are the beauty of poetry and the wonder of nature’s marvelous life cycle. At first glance, it would seem these subjects are at wide ranging ends of conversational topics, but actually they are uniquely related. Especially for me.

My strongest connection is uniquely personal. That connection is my father, who lovingly taught me, among many things, an appreciation for poetry along with an appreciation for nature. He was a teacher…and a farmer. It has always seemed to me that growing up on a farm, with the guidance of a farmer who was also a teacher was about as good as it could get. 

When I rode to school with Dad, he delighted in teaching me works of poets he loved: Longfellow, Emerson, Whittier, Burns, Riley, and so many more. I grew up with a love of words (especially words that rhyme) and appreciation for the majesty of language. 

Every day on the farm brought Dad more teaching opportunities, and he never let the chance pass to teach as we went…names of plants, flowers, trees…ways we depended on them…relationships of one to another…the amazing circle of life contained in a single seed. 

The more I thought about it, the more the connection between poetry and nature that had originally centered around my father expanded for me. I came to realize that not only is poetry the best medium for expressing and understanding feelings about the natural world and our place in it, it is also the best medium for encouraging a love of nature in new generations. 

Children who grow up with poetry…who listen to the music of the language and may be enchanted by the word pictures learn to observe their own world more closely. At first, it may be the rhyme of the words that intrigues them, because rhyme, after all, is fun. But later, gradually, they will listen for the rhythm and look for the fresh ideas and word images. When you come right down to it, poetry and nature simply go hand in hand.

In Green Bean! Green Bean! I played with the fun of rhyme:

                               Freckles and speckles/soon a root and a shoot
                               A root and a shoot/and a sprout peeking out…

In Firefly Mountain, I painted pictures with beautiful words to share the unforgettable firefly magic. You could only see the black mountain touching the black sky/and all of it/all of it/all of it Lit from top to bottom/with blinking, winking, twinkling fireflies….

I realize I’ve taken the long way around in explaining what inspired me to write my book about a single speckled bean…and why I chose to write it as a poem. Like Jack of fairytale fame, I knew that little bean had the power to become something spectacular. I also knew that as the seed progressed through its life cycle, one stage would lead to the next, building on the stage before it. So the poetic form I chose to tell the story was cumulative rhyme, which builds story elements one on the other. (Think The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, Gingerbread Man, etc.)

Full disclosure here: to make Green Bean! Green Bean! more readable and avoid too much repetition, I opted for a sort of abbreviated cumulative style, repeating an element only once before proceeding to the next adventure in the plant’s life.
A bunch comes for lunch? No way they can stay!/ No way they can stay. Now a hoe to help grow.
Incidentally, this word repetition can also be a classroom aid, helping increase students’ phonological awareness, an important consideration in learning reading in early grades. In fact, lesson plans and teachers’ handouts to utilize language and other aspects of the story, including science and math are available free on the Dawn Publications website. Also, special sections in the back of the book offer a fresh variety of activities and additional information for kids as well as parents and teachers…ideas that also help to link language, literature, science, and the marvels of nature.


Education today often regards poetry and literature as frivolous, choosing, rather, to focus on science/technology/math. Not that there’s anything wrong with that STEM emphasis, but we need to remember that while it took science to get us to the moon, it is poetry that will help us understand why we went there.





Author Patricia Thomas
Patricia Thomas grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania where she learned the delight of summers spent barefoot and hands digging in garden dirt. From her teacher parents, she also learned the joy of books, reading, poetry, and rhyme. The gardening part paid off when profits from 4-H tomato projects helped finance tuition at Penn State University. She married her PSU sweetheart, became a copywriter/editor, raised a family, and discovered she was a children’s writer. Today, nearly 45 years later, her first book, Stand Back, Said the Elephant, “I’m Going to Sneeze!” still sends kids around the world into gales of laughter. Her books, stories, and articles cover wide-ranging poetic and prose styles. She has presented workshops, writing courses, lectures, and teacher-education seminars.


                     Meet the illustrator: Trina Hunner

Illustrator Trina Hunner
Trina’s tried growing green beans there, but hasn’t had much success—beans just don’t grow well under the tall pines that surround their home. Trina has illustrated two other books for Dawn Publications: Molly’s Organic Farm, about life on the farm as experienced by a lovable orange cat, and On Kiki’s Reef, about a green sea turtle and the amazing creatures who share her coral reef. When not creating vibrant watercolor paintings, Trina enjoys biking to the elementary school where she teaches, skiing in the mountains near her home, and playing with her trio of lovable pets. To see more of Trina’s artwork you can visit her website at www.trinahunner.com



I can't wait to start my green bean garden! In the back of the book are instructions on just how to do that. If you can't wait for the winners to be announced next Tuesday, March 22, order a copy now from Dawn Publications: www.dawnpub.com On Sale Now at 25% Off!

If you're like me, you'll want several to put in Easter Baskets for your budding gardeners!

Thank you, dear friends, for stopping by to celebrate Patricia Thomas's BOOK BIRTHDAY for GREEN BEAN! GREEN BEAN! Thank you, Patricia Thomas for sharing your wonderful knowledge about nature and poetry with all of us! 

Here's how to enter the drawing for a chance to win: All you have to do to enter is leave a comment about the post. Tweet and you'll get an extra chance. Join my blog and you'll get two more chances in the random.org drawing!












25 comments:

  1. I love the link between poetry and nature! My mother shared her love of poetry with me. She was only ten when her first poem was published. And it was about a tree!

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    1. Thanks for sharing, Kathy. Both my parents loved to quote poetry and both loved to garden. Like Pat Thomas, it was my father who taught us about nature and the names of trees and flowers. Your name is entered for a chance to win GREEN BEAN! GREEN BEAN!

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  2. I love Dawn publishing and I love that book. I've submitted to them before and I think I have an idea for another manuscript to submit to them. Her father with all his words of wisdom out in the garden reminds me of Grandpa Walton and all the info about nature he handed down to his grandkids on the show. Congratulations and good luck on her new book!

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    1. I hadn't thought of it, Janet, but you're right about the Waltons. Thanks for stopping by to celebrate with Pat! Your name is entered for a chance to win a copy of GREEN BEAN! GREEN BEAN!

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  3. Congratulations, Pat! I have grandkids who are young gardeners and I know they'd like your book. I especially liked the last line of your essay: " . . .while it took science to get us to the moon, it is poetry that will help us understand why we went there." Lovely!

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    1. Thanks for joining the Book Birthday Celebration, Pat Brisson. That last line is wonderful, isn't it?

      Your name is entered for a chance to win one of the copies of Green Bean! Green Bean! I know you would love sharing the book with them.

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  4. Congratulations to Patricia and Trina on such a lovely book.
    Patricia's writing-from-the-inside-out story about growing up on and farm and how her dad inspired and nurtured her love for words and nature is fascinating.
    Thanks, Clara, for this wonderful post.

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    1. So pleased you came to the book celebration, Donna! Pat's post about her father and growing up on the farm resonated with me.

      Your name is entered for a chance to win one of the copies of Green Bean! Green Bean!

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  5. Oh, how I think I would enjoy chatting over some tea with Patricia. I never had anyone in my life (even teachers) passionate about poetry. However, I do appreciate it.

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    1. Thanks so much for stopping by for the Book Birthday, Annette! Bet the post reminded you of the Little House stories. Having tea with Pat would be fun!

      Your name is entered for a chance to win a copy of Green Bean! Green Bean!

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  6. Would love to win this for one of my grands. Just tweeted too.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by the party, Carol! Your grandkids would love this book and so would you.

      Your name gets entered twice for a chance to win a copy of Green Bean! Green Bean!

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  7. I think gardening, poetry, and children are a natural combination. This book looks lovely. Thank you for sharing memories of your father and a bit of your process.

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    1. Thanks for joining the celebration, Jilanne! Poetry, children, and gardening--suddenly I feel young again. :-)

      Your name is entered for a chance to win a copy of Green Bean! Green Bean!

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  8. Wonderful post, Pat. I live on a farm and agree that nature and poetry mix even more that PB&J. I have never heard of Dawn Publishing. Your book looks fabulous. It is so lovely to meet you. I will be buying your books. Thanks so much for featuring her, Clara. :-)

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    1. It's the country life for me, although once upon a time I was a farm girl, too, Robyn. Thanks for joining the party. You'd love Firefly Mountain!

      Your name is entered for a chance to win a copy of Green Bean! Green Bean!

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  9. I really enjoyed this post. I remember growing up and picking green beans in the family plot out back of our church...returning home to wash, snap and store. Thank you for sharing this book with us and allowing us to get to know the author and illustrator more. :)

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    1. Alexandra, Picking green beans with my mother and helping her snap them is a great memory of mine from childhood. Our memories connect us, don't they? Thank you for sharing.

      Your name is entered for a chance to win a copy of Green Bean! Green Bean!

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  10. I love rhyme! Your book looks adorable, Ms. Thomas, and as a teacher I agree with you completely that we don't spend enough time on poetry & literature (or on anything creative, in general....especially where kids create things without using a computer to do it!)

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    1. Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Tracey! You're great at rhyming, too. Looking forward to sharing your talent here soon!

      Your name is entered for a chance to win Green Bean! Green Bean!

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  11. THANKS FOR JOINING THE BLOG, TERESA SCHAEFER! YOUR NAME IS ENTERED TWICE FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A COPY OF GREEN BEAN! GREEN BEAN!

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  12. Congrats, Pat! Loved the rhyme scheme you chose and yet you kept the manuscript so tight. I'm sure kids and teachers around the country will love Green Bean! Green Bean!

    I'll bet even the witch from :Into the Woods" would like it. In her words, "Beans, Beans, nothing but beans!" :)

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Gayle. I got a chuckle over your witch comment.

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  13. Thank you, Clara - for hosting Pat's new book - Green Bean! Green Bean! I loved Pat's comments about her dad and the last line is worth repeating - "while it took science to get us to the moon, it is poetry that will help us understand why we went there." Man oh man - can Pat Thomas write, or what? Lovely book - and always good to learn a little bit about cumulative style - even abbreviated. Thank you Clara and Pat.

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    1. Lindsay, You're spot on about Pat. She is a keeper. And that last line is definitely memorable: ". . .while it took science to get us to the moon, it is poetry that will help us understand why we went there."

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