In honor of the holiday just 6 short days away, I'm sharing a poem in the spirit of the season.
I love the 1987 publication Halloween ABC, written by Eve Merriam and illustrated by Lane Smith. However, I must say that I am even fonder of the 2002 revised and retitled edition Spooky ABC. Besides the absolutely pitch-perfect poems and illustrations, one of the most interesting things about the book is the section at the end entitled "The Awful Truth Behind The Making Of Spooky ABC." In it, Lane Smith describes how the first book and revised edition came about. This section also includes images that were created for the first book, but ultimately dropped because Merriam's poems suggested other illustrations. For example, vampire was lost to viper, tree to trap, and cat to crawler. (I do LOVE the cat illustration, as well as the one for invisible. I wish you could see them!)
Today I'm sharing the poem for the letter Z.
Zero
by Eve Merriam
Round blank
Round blank
Only bubbles
mark where it sank.
What was the secret,
what was the prize?
Nothing but hollow
holes for eyes.
Where did it come from,
and where did it go?
No one alive
will ever know.
I love the 1987 publication Halloween ABC, written by Eve Merriam and illustrated by Lane Smith. However, I must say that I am even fonder of the 2002 revised and retitled edition Spooky ABC. Besides the absolutely pitch-perfect poems and illustrations, one of the most interesting things about the book is the section at the end entitled "The Awful Truth Behind The Making Of Spooky ABC." In it, Lane Smith describes how the first book and revised edition came about. This section also includes images that were created for the first book, but ultimately dropped because Merriam's poems suggested other illustrations. For example, vampire was lost to viper, tree to trap, and cat to crawler. (I do LOVE the cat illustration, as well as the one for invisible. I wish you could see them!)Today I'm sharing the poem for the letter Z.
Zero
by Eve Merriam
Round blank
Round blank
Only bubbles
mark where it sank.
What was the secret,
what was the prize?
Nothing but hollow
holes for eyes.
Where did it come from,
and where did it go?
No one alive
will ever know.
Check out other poetic things being shared today at Live Your Poem. Wish Irene a happy 1000th post while you're there. Happy Poetry Friday all!
This is my absolute FAVORITE Halloween book of all time (1987 version). Sounds like I need to get the 2002 version!!
ReplyDeletePS -- Love hearing your voice again on PFs! Will you be at NCTE this year? I'd love to catch up!!
ReplyDeleteSadly, no NCTE. We put my mom in a nursing home just last month and I am regularly traveling back and forth to NY through this transition. I'm hopeful for next year though!
DeleteI love Eve Merriam's poems, and will have to look for this book. I don't know it, and I wish I did! Thanks for the one poem!
ReplyDeleteI am a huge Lane Smith fan but didn't know about this book! I am so thrilled to know about this - and it's perfect for our current bimonthly theme too! Will have to hunt for this book in our libraries. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDelete