Marilyn Singer

I’m the Big One Now!

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A Thousand Things More

A picture of me

when I was just three,

dancing across the floor.

Still got the same nose,

still strike the same pose,

but I now know a thousand things more.

Hair! Animal Fur, Wool, and More

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Were you a hairy baby?  When you were born, did you have a head full of curls or straight locks?  Or were you as bald as a melon?

How about before you were born?  Were you hairy then?

Yes!  Whether or not you had hair on your head, before you were born, you a had a mustache.  That mustache spread all over your body, turning into fine hair known as lanugo.  It combined with a waxy coating to protect your skin from the fluid you were floating in.  Lanugo usually disappears before babies are born, but sometimes it takes a few days or even weeks before it disappears completely.

As you got older, you grew other kinds of hair, some of it finer and some of it thicker.  It means one important thing:  you are a mammal!

Who Are You Calling Weird?

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INTRODUCTION

A big-eyed lemur with magical fingers. A very smelly bird that climbs trees with its claws. A roly-poly, scaly creature that isn’t a snake. A duck-billed, egg-laying critter that isn’t a bird.

Are these animals in fairy tales? Are they invented by writers or mad scientists? Nope. These bizarre beasts are just as real as you are. Although they may seem strange to you, there’s a reason for each one’s peculiar features or behavior. So, come along, if you dare, on a trip into the weird and wonderful.

Explore rivers and oceans, grasslands and rain forests, swamps and deserts. Climb up to the tallest treetops and dig down into hidden burrows. Swim in the sparkling sunlight, and dive into the darkest depths of the oceans to meet these marvelous animals. You’ll find out who they are and why they look and act the way they do. Get ready to be amazed at just how practical and fantastic the natural world can be!

Tallulah’s Ice Skates

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Tallulah loved ballet class.  But today she was glad when her lesson was finished.  Bluegill Pond was frozen over at last, and she and her friend, Kacie, were going skating!

Kacie was better at tap than Tallulah.  Tallulah was better at ballet.  But I’m sure we’re both great at skating, she said to herself, smoothing down her red velvet skirt.  After all, skating’s a lot like dancing.  Her skirt wasn’t quite as special as her tutu, but it would twirl beautifully when she did her perfect spin—which she planned to do that very day.  If we practice enough, we might even get to be in an ice show.

“Are you ready already?” asked her brother, Beckett.

“Yes!” Tallulah said.  “Let’s go!”

 

 

 

Have You Heard About Lady Bird?

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First Ladies

We know Eleanor Roosevelt, Abigail Adams,

but what about those other madams–

the many First Ladies of our nation

who held that most demanding station

from our country’s uncertain conception

right up to the present day.

Those women who knew how to host a reception,

how much or how little to say.

The ones who welcomed public life,

or chose to hide away.

Who fought for causes on their own,

or preferred to stay behind the throne.

How many have we read about or even recall?

Julia Tyler? Florence Harding?

It’s time to meet them all.

Every Month Is A New Year

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THE YEAR TURNS

We choose the date.

From the earth’s movement,

from the moon’s phases,

these clocks and calendars

we create.

Together

in parks and squares,

in temples and houses–

watching

the year

turn,

we

celebrate.

 

TURNING THE YEAR

Celebrate!

We

turn

the year,

watching

in temples and houses,

in parks and squares.

Together

we create

these clocks and calendars

from the moon’s phases,

from the earth’s movement.

We choose the date.

Celebrating National Poetry Month with Marilyn Singer

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As the inventor of reverso poetry and the author of numerous books of poems, Marilyn Singer is a poster child for National Poetry Month. “Usually, when April rolls around, I get to celebrate poetry by doing interviews, Skype visits with schools, and sometimes bookstore appearances,” the award-winning author and poet says.

Singer has been writing poetry since third grade. Often she will recite one of her first poems, “My Ocean Fright,” when making presentations. “I think that even with its problematic grammar, it gives an indication of some of my early interests in language, humor, love of animals, and imagination.” That love of language, nature, and imagination grew as the years passed, and Singer became an English teacher in order to share her appreciation of language with young people.

Read the entire interview here.

Worlds Awaiting, BYU Radio Interview, PT. 2

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“Tallulah decided she’d better pay attention.

She watched closely.

She turned her feet and curved her hands near her hips in first position.

She bent her knees in a plié. She did it perfectly.

I am an excellent ballerina, she thought.”

Hundreds of children know and love this story about Tallulah, a young ballet student, although, it may be new to you. Today we’ll acquaint ourselves with the author of the book series, “Tallulah.” Her name is Marilyn Singer.  She’s known for touching a variety of subjects in her books – from animals to schools to aliens! She has also invented a thing-a-ma-jig that she calls a “reverso” poem. Singer is the winner of the 2015 National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry. She has over 100 books to her credit.

Listen to the interview here.