"Time
by Rebekah Lowell
If you give a tadpole time,
it will change into a frog.
If you give an egg time,
it will hatch into a bird.
If you give a seed time,
it will bloom into a flower.
If you give a caterpillar time,
it will morph into a butterfly.
If you give an acorn time,
it will grow into an oak.
If you give yourself time,
just think what you will do."-
I like to imagine what it might be like in a classroom where this poem was just shared if the teacher asked students to add their own verse to it. When we give kids a chance to build on something they have heard, and give them the time to consider the task, the results are often amazing. It's worth trying!
Poets were asked to contribute a poem for this anthology, all using the word if as a starting point. Some of the poets who made submissions, or had them chosen for them, have had their work published. Others are first-timers. The thirty poems reflect a plethora of ideas and observations; each is given a place in four titled sections: Everyday Magic, The Power of You, Kinfolk and Companions, and Anything is Possible.
The introductory poem is penned by the anthologists. It welcomes readers, and invites them in to consider the possibilities. The following 29 entries explore ideas from learning all about just one bird, to fears that keep young ones awake at night, to using a pencil to write a poem or a smile to invite friendship, to opening windows on a sleepless night for star watching. Listening carefully as the poems are read will encourage thinking about important connections that can be made to them. Many will be read numerous times, and favorites will rise to the surface. What power there is in the word if!
Mixed-media illustrations by Olivia Sua are filled with images that are sure to charm readers and capture their attention for the many details that extend the meaning of the poetry.
"And if means there is no limit
If means forget before
If means all is possible
Because if means the world is yours!"
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