Tag: Picture Book biographies

Francis Perkins, a Picture Book Biography and a Limerick.

Welcome to Poetry Friday! We are hosted this week here by Carol at her blog Apples in My Orchard. Thank you, Carol!

You can find out more about Poetry Friday here.

Last week I mentioned listening to children’s author Melissa Stewart’s work shop on picture book biography. She discussed writing about historical figures who are not widely known. To catch a publisher’s eye, the author needs to find something in this past life that still resonates today.

Francis Perkins is not currently widely known. She was nominated by FDR to be the first woman cabinet secretary. She ran the Department of Labor.

She was a compassionate woman who didn’t blame the poor who suffered during the depression as some did. She chose to help them. She was the social justice voice behind the 1935 New Deal legislation.

Francis Perkins, behind FDR

THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE PHOTO: Francis Perkins and Her New Deal for America, is a picture book biography by renowned author Kathleen Krull, Illustrated by the talented Alexandra Bye.

There have always been figures in American history who felt that it is not the responsibility of taxpayers to help the poor. This debate is still going on today. Some continue to believe that if the poor should simply work harder, they wouldn’t be poor.

But Francis Perkins knew that there were “unnecessary hazards to life” and “unnecessary poverty.” The elderly who cannot work are only one example. The New Deal is why Social Security, unemployment insurance, and a minimum wage exist today. It was the beginning of a safety net for Americans and this book is a reminder of the suffering in America that inspired it.

Francis Perkins is relevant today because of her passion for social justice. I am grateful for her service to the country. 

FRANCIS PERKINS' NEW DEAL

There once was a woman named Francis
Who FDR thought would enhance his
Department of Labor,
we SO owe her a favor!
From our bustling coastlines to Kansas. 

© Janice Scully

I AM FARMER: A picture book about a dream come true

Welcome to Poetry Friday! This week Christie is our host HERE at Wandering and Wondering. Thank you for hosting, Christie!

To start off, a shout out to Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell. This afternoon I attended their workshop on poetry anthologies, entitled Anthologies 101. It was inspiring and informative. It was also everything anyone needs to know on how to find submission opportunities, how to begin indie or self publishing, and advice on how to get your poems into the hands of a publisher. Though the workshop was just a beginning and there is much to know, I have a clearer idea how to move forward and I hope get more poems into books.

When I sat down today to decide what to share this week, I pulled from my stack of picture books, I AM FARMER, a 2019 book written by Baptiste and Miranda Paul and gorgeously illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon.

Why this book? First of all, it’s August and I have been getting deliveries of home grown produce from my neighbor. I love carrots, beets and onions that are still covered in soil because they were picked that morning.

In addition to receiving such bounty, this week I listened to Melissa Stewart’s excellent workshop on picture book biographies. She discussed how to choose a topic. This is crucial if you want to publish a picture book biography.

I AM FARMER is an appealing topic to a publisher because, although it’s about an obscure living person, a man named Tantoh Nforba from Cameroon, his life and work is acutely relevant today to people everywhere, including the U.S.. One theme is about respecting the land and protecting water because our lives depend on it. The book also tells a story about a diverse people and a diverse culture not widely known by most people who live in the U.S..

Miranda and Baptiste Paul are both poets and the lyrical writing shows that. The Book begins with a poem:

THIS IS NORTHWESTERN CAMEROON

Green

Wet

Alive

The rainy season has begun.

Check out the colors in Zunon’s illustrations.

We meet Tantoh as a boy who is smart and inquisitive. He will face many obstacles in his life.

At school, he wants to know everything there is to know about farming, though this will not earn him respect. Only the poor are farmers. They call him “Farmer” which is considered disrespectful, but not to him. He persists in his interest. I love this spread which shows his determination.

The page begins: “Tantoh wants to learn more. He wants to learn everything.

And though his intelligence and talent as a farmer are finally recognized, his struggle is to over. His personal encounter with drinking bad water and subsequent illness, shows him the importance of water conservation in his community.

The book begins with ends a short poem, and ends with another, but I won’t spoil it by posting it. I hope this book finds its way into classrooms everywhere to inspire kids to follow their dreams.