Poetry Friday - Sharing a Joy-filled Number

            Poetry Friday's party today is at Michelle Heidenrich Barnes' Today's Little Ditty. She has a special guest this week, Nikki Grimes, who is sharing about her new book, Southwest Sunrise, a gorgeous picture book illustrated by Wendell Minor. 


       

        I love life's serendipity. Even in this topsy-turvy world in which we now live, it happens. Irene Latham's recent poetry book published last month is titled Nine, A Book of Nonet Poems, illustrated by Amy Huntington. And, my granddaughter Imogene's birthday is July 29th, when she will be, you guessed it, NINE! Shh! Don't tell anyone that this book will be one of her birthday gifts!

           I was quite excited when I heard about Irene's new book coming out. Can you tell? So I'd like to share some of it with you in a "nine-ish" kind of way. Here are NINE things that I love about this new book: 

1. It's emotional! Read the poems about a runt cat perhaps using up its 'Nine Lives' but being saved at last "as small hands reach, cuddle" or read "The Little Rock Nine" that remembers those brave children who arrived ready to integrate an all-white school where they symbolize "One more brick toward/equality," After, you'll know how much Irene cares about all parts of life!
2. It's divergent! Irene has created poems that cover topics from "Dreaming with Pluto" to "Game Night". 
3. It's frivolous! Irene takes a step back from more concrete topics to celebrate "The Poem on Page 9" - "No/poem/dazzle-shines/like this one!" And, Amy Huntington's double-page spread illustration demonstrates that frivolity with a diverse crowd gathered together by a star-studded nine.
4. It shows potential! As readers read Irene's poems and enjoy Amy's imaginative pictures, they will begin to remember their own favorite numbers, perhaps begin writing a favorite number book of their own?
5. It's connected! A favorite number + poem topics of science and history + art make a grand circle of friends. The poem "Apollo 9" integrates all the areas: "Spider and Gumdrop floated in space–"
6. It's addictive! Amy takes one poem, the "Nine-Banded Armadillo" which "dances by moonlight" and places a tiny armadillo somewhere on nearly every page. I loved this added attraction and couldn't stop looking for it after I noticed.
7. It's fictional! One can imagine a place called "Cloud Nine" and Irene's words do that for readers: "Like a bubble, you rise and rise".
8. It's scholarly! The poem, "Nonagon" defines a shape new to readers, "Almost a decagon,/but not. Can you picture it?" The illustrations show that shape in a nest, sweetly home to robins and their babies.
9. It's marvelous! With examples above, the fact that Irene has written nineteen nonets for this new book and Amy has included a thread throughout that follows a sister (turning nine) and her younger brother through all the nines defines a grand adventure indeed!

         Did you notice all my adjectives are nine letters? I think I've become a "nine" fan.

         At the beginning, the nonet poem form is explained and then accompanied by its own poem! Also, Irene includes notes at the back giving some extra information about the subjects of each poem! 

          Congratulations, Irene, for this new and exciting book!