I love this school. The scientific inquiry. The diversity. The joy of learning. It felt like the most wonderful educational family I have encountered and I miss them already! Extraordinary librarian Suzanne Fox, who I’d met when she worked at another school, invited me. I also had the pleasure of making friends with librarian Frances Martindale. Her reading style is fantastic. If I were doing an audio book, I’d call her to do the voice. Head of School Ralph Wales was so supportive and welcoming. This private school is serious about their mandate to bring racial and cultural diversity into their school. They have faculty and students of many backgrounds. Their library books and major projects are chosen to open children’s eyes to the possibilities for themselves and the world.  They embrace science even at the youngest ages. The Kindergarteners, preschoolers, and I had some  brain-expanding science talks.  I just want to hang out at Gordon. The atmosphere is that joyful and stimulating.

Jeff and I just returned from a 4,600 mile roadtrip to research at desert sites (White Sands, Painted Desert, Meteor Crater). I gave two programs at the spectacular Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden. I also spoke at a conference for early childhood teachers coordinated by Jennifer Haggart of the Early Childhood Consortium of the Omaha Area. Rockin’ awesome folks in Omaha and I learned a lot from Isabel Baker and Peg Callahan, who were  presenting all sorts of new young books. Thanks to M. Susan McWilliams of the Omaha Literacy Partnership, University of Nebraska, who helped provide support and facilities.

Meanwhile, I have finished the photos for Go, Go, Grapes: a Fruit Chant. (Due out May 2012) and the layouts I’m seeing are scrumptious.

It’s been a tough year for sea turtles. Strandings of sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico are up and most of those stranded, it seems, were drowned in fishing gear. The Sea Turtle Conservancy and others are pressuring the National Marine Fisheries service to enforce the laws that protect sea turtles, particularly those regarding fishing nets and turtle excluder devices. Letting lawmakers know that we care about sea turtles is more important than ever.

Glad you are embracing the newly illustrated Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out!  For related activities to this book and many others, see Picture Perfect Science Lessons, published by NSTA. The authors, Karen Ansberry and Emily Morgan, are excellent presenters and create dynamite day-long and two-week long science education/literacy workshops.  www.pictureperfect.com.

After a quick reading of the book, a 6-year old spontaneously practices, is able to chant a section, and has made up some dance moves to go with it.   RahRahRadishesOutLoud

Here I teach the new chant to a large group, line-by-line. Rah Rah Radish youngauthorsconf. I teach word-by-word and challenge a group:  Teaching Insect Chant.  Here I perform a high speed version of the Fish Chant End . An older student rhythmically reads Bird, Bird, Bird_ A Chirping Chant.

Rah, Rah, Radishes: A Vegetable Chant is being released by Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster on June 16th, 2011 but can be pre-ordered at  most stores/sites now. Order from your local independent bookstore at IndieBound. I highly recommend that preschools and early child care organizations order from the folks at The Book Vine For Children. They are experts on books for ages 0-6 and they ship nationwide.

Another activity is to divide up into teams and have each act out a stanza of the chant. I wish I had video of what creative teachers did performing Ant, Ant, Ant: An Insect Chant during a recent inservice!

Rah, Rah, Radishes: A Vegetable Chant received a starred review in Kirkus!  It’s impressive what they considered and packed into the witty review.  Rather loved that they called the book a ‘crunch fest for parents and caregivers” and “A winning recipe blending crispy verse and photography.” For the rest, read Kirkus issue May 15, 2011.

http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/april-pulley-sayre/rah-rah-radishes/

I’d already been worrying about childhood obesity because of my work as a visiting author in schools; I see about 17,000 school kids each year. I’ve noticed that some audiences are sluggish, having a tough time brainstorming, asking questions, and responding quickly and creatively. It just seems like they’re not feeling good. These audiences also seem to have the highest numbers of kids struggling with obesity, and the worst time to speak with them is soon after a greasy school lunch.

After watching the BBC show, I wondered, how could these kids change their eating habits? How could they find, choose, or prepare healthy foods such as vegetables if the entire vegetable aisle was a foreign country to them?

I knew from my work, and from my previous chant books, that kids can easily learn new words if they are in a chant form. Then, when kids are out in the world and they see a chant word, they connect with it. Perhaps I could do something in this small way.

Rah, Radishes: A Vegetable Chant (Beach Lane Book/S&S, release June 14, 2011) is about having fun with vegetables—and with delicious words, colors, and shapes. I photographed the book at our local South Bend Farmer’s Market over the course of four years. The farmers are so excited about the book. (They know which carrot or celery is theirs!)

Once kids read the book, I hope they’ll have vegetable names, colors, and shapes in their heads. Perhaps they’ll stop and actually point at a potato, laugh at a rutabaga, try broccoli for the first time.

Of course, this book is just a tiny piece of what needs to be done to help kids have healthier lives. So many people are putting their hearts and hands into the work of providing kids with better food choices. My hope is that folks doing this important work will find the book—and any joy and conversation it sparks—helpful in their efforts.

I’m watching the live streaming at whitehouse.gov of the signing of this important bill. Hurray for all those working to reform school lunches and make them healthier. I’m so glad that Michelle Obama has taken on childhood obesity as a major issue for her work as first lady. As many of you know, I’ve been concerned about this issue for years.Childhood obesity came to my attention because I travel all over the U.S. and see about 15,000 kids each year. Some, alas, are not feeling good. Many seem sluggish and when you don’t feel good, it’s just hard to learn. I can feel it in a school visit audience. I’m not just talking about the largest kids in class. I’m talking about entire communities of kids who seem ill, barely able to function or respond.  That’s why I’m so glad that policy makers, chefs, parents, commuity leaders, farmers, gardeners, and others are banding together to help kids eat better and become more active physically.

My small contribution will be my book Rah, Rah, Radishes: a Vegetable Chant, released June 14, 2011. I’ve been working on this book for four years, trying to get it published. So, I’m excited about it and its sequel, the fruit chant. I’ll be telling the story of this later.

The conference runs Nov 15-19th. 397 sessions from 62 countries!

Check it out! Just select your time zone to see what’s happening.

Sessions are recorded for viewing later, too.

Recently got a peek at my new book, Feb 2011 release: IF YOU’RE HOPPY, illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic, published by Greenwillow. It’s humorous fiction, a read aloud for the very youngest and fun for preschool/K story hour.  Jackie and Greenwillow did an amazing job producing this book; it just feels yummy in some essential way. I’m thrilled.

Monday April 26th, 2-3 p.m. Signing at Henry Holt booth

Tuesday April 27th, 9-10 a.m. Signing at Charlesbridge booth

Thank you to Isabel Baker at the Book Vine, who hosted me at DVAEYC, the Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children, where I spoke last week. (Philadelphia was awesome!) Isabel specializes in children’s books perfect for the youngest students and the educators who work with them. Her business is in Illinois but she ships far and wide.

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