Slice of Life Story Challenge #18 - Bayou Song

Bayou Song:: Creative Explorations of the South Louisiana Landscape by Margaret Simon;Anna Cantrell;Henry Cancienne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
bookshelves: 2018-book, animals, mentor-text-for-writing, creative-nonfiction, plants, nature, birds, poetry, writing-connections, writers-workshop, setting, nonfiction, home 

I bought this beautiful little book by Margaret Simon because I know her through blogging and presenting at NCTE, and I know how much she loves the place where she lives, South Louisiana. She is a talented poet. It's the perfect writing workshop companion in that it invites young writers to try out various types of poetic forms and figurative language. There is also an invitation to sketch after each invitation to write. Kids will love learning about the animals, birds, and plants of the bayou as well since there is descriptive information about them throughout. This book can be an integral part of a unit on literary nonfiction as well. It would also be useful for exploring a setting for a fictional narrative or memoir. Or just enjoy it! Beautiful photographs and charming illustrations accompany the text. Highly recommended!

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Writing invitation (Margaret includes these after each of her poems, so this is one of hers): Think of your favorite place in nature.  What is always there for you?  Write a poem using the repeated line, "There is always..."


THERE IS ALWAYS

There is always
a sunrise
glowing pink and gold above the blackened treeline
behind the back bank
of Landen Lake.

There is always
a pair
of geese floating silently
in the morning,
meditating before dawn.

There is always
a turtle
sunning itself on a rock
slipping surprised into the water
when I walk by.

 

I'll let my Mom's watercolor be my invitation to sketch the lake!