Today’s poem comes from a book I’ve already talked about at least once on my blog in a Simply 7 interview but it’s worth raving over one more time (especially as I get to give away a copy today!).

Poetry should be full of freshness: fresh word choices, fresh ways of looking at things, and fresh ways of approaching the world.  I feel like this was definitely true for Laura Purdie Salas’ “In the Middle of the Night.”  It is a creative approach to thinking about a time of day when a child would NOT be present.  Is that even allowed in picture books?  It breaks one of the major rules!  Yes, it is and yes it does.  Rules are meant to be broken by the writers who can do it as well as Laura does.

This collection of poetry is full of fun, imagination, and word play.  There are two voice poems, acrostic poems, and concrete poems among many others.  There are some very funny and creative perspectives here, but perhaps my favorite poem of all is the one I will share today.  There is one line that made me “ahhh” in admiration at the fresh perspective in this poem:

I never once thought of a tissue like a jellyfish!  That is just one example of Laura’s deceptively simple approach to words in images in this book, but it instantly captured my heart.  And the even more amazing thing is how well the illustration captures that same image!

And now, I also get to give away a copy of that same book.  Today’s winner of “In the Middle of the Night” is:

Sherry Howard!

Congrats Sherry!  Check your email.  And stay tuned for even more dear readers.