This is the last day of April and alas, the last day that I will be sharing picture book poetry.  But never fear!  I will return with more next year.  Today’s final poem selection is meant to send our hearts and poetic minds flying off into the year ahead.

“Fly with Me” is a gorgeous celebration of birds.  It is not strictly a collection of poetry so it’s not quite like the other books I’ve shared this month.  BUT it does have poems sprinkled throughout and I would be remiss to not share about this gorgeous book.  Jane Yolen and her three literary children (Heidi E.Y. Stemple, Adam Stemple, and Jason Stemple) all collaborate together with National Geographic to bring this stunning book about birds together.

It has nonfiction matter, songs, poems, stories, and the most stunning pictures of birds I think I’ve ever seen.  It starts with a section of nonfiction matter about what makes a bird a bird, and then moves into ancient history of birds, highlights the birds of every state, birdsong, photographing birds, migration, endangered birds, bird records (think Guinness world records here), birds in the arts, bird legends and ends with birds in your backyard.  It is quite comprehensive!  And there are some birds I’d never heard of before that I will definitely be researching more on later as well.

I loved quite a few of the poems sprinkled throughout the text, but the one I picked came from the last section about birds in your backyard.  I admit that I’m constantly delighted by the birds I see all around me in my city.  Chickadees, nuthatches, waxwings, magpies, bluejays, swallows, eagles, and even ravens have all made me stop what I’m doing and pay attention.  They are constant reminders of the nature that surrounds us no matter where we are and I love to see and hear them.  Except when they poop on my car.  That annoys me to no end.  BUT even that isn’t enough to banish my love of the little guys.  My husband has set up a bird feeder right outside our living room window and I love to watch the birds that stop by to grab a seed or two.  SO, I picked this poem to share to end poetry month on.  May the delicate wings of these words fly your soul into another poetic year ahead my dear readers.