Welcome to
RhyPiBoMo 2015 Day 14
Kristy Dempsey
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We are in for a Saturday treat today! Yes, in all my exuberance to find our excellent guest bloggers, I added one blogger too many to squeeze all the posts into weekdays. So today our Saturday treat is from Kristy Dempsey, an author that I hope to meet in person this summer at the LA SCBWI Conference! I love all of her books but I must let you know that her all-time biggest fan is my friend Jackie Wellington who lobbied hi and low for A DANCE LIKE STARLIGHT by Kristy and award-winning illustrator Floyd Cooper (his Website)
to be on that darn Caldecott list!
I agree Jackie!
Kristy is a huge advocate of rhyme as well and she is the perfect blogger to share how strongly she feels about this topic!
I am honored to introduce
Kristy Dempsey.
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Why Rhyme?
I am an obstinate rhymer.
I know what they say:
Editors shy away from rhyme.
Rhyme is difficult to edit.
It’s hard to do well.
There’s too much bad rhyme.
And on, and on, right?
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I’ve heard those reasons and from time to time I’ve allowed them to discourage me from writing in rhyme. Since there are so many aspects of submitting and publishing that are out of my control, I should probably try to avoid giving editors any extra reasons to reject my manuscripts, shouldn’t I?
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But then I remember my first-born child with eyes the color of muscadines that sparkled when we read books in rhyme. When she was six months old, we moved to Belo Horizonte, Brazil. She grew up hearing and speaking two languages, sometimes mixing words from the two. She was drawn to rhyming words no matter what language she was speaking. She giggled when I spoke to her in rhyme. She repeated rhyming pairs under her breath as I chanted nursery rhymes. She pointed to the rhyming words in a book well before she knew how to read by listening to the phrasing, watching me and perceiving that the next rhyming word would come at the end of the line. These were key building blocks in the foundation of her love for reading, for words and for self-expression in her communication.
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Rhyme is an integral part of a child’s natural inquiry into how to use and find joy in language.
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One of the first books that became a favorite to us was a simple paperback purchased from a Scholastic flyer. My daughter learned to count AND to rhyme with this book. To be honest, the meter is not perfect and the reader stops to count on each page breaking up the flow of the rhyming. But this just serves to highlight each rhyming couplet. It was during a reading of this book that I first heard my daughter repeating the rhyming pairs under her breath after I read each couplet. She was 18 months old.
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Later, after having similar reading and giggling experiences with her younger brother and sister, I took a job as the librarian of the American School in our city. It was then that I began to be more intentional about including rhyme as an integral part of every child’s education. With my own children, we had just been having fun responding to their own joy of the language. But with my students, I began to recognize key aspects of rhyming books that contribute to positive literacy learning experiences.
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(How did this change my writing? I’m not positive it did change the nuts and bolts of how I write in rhyme, but it did make me an obstinate rhymer. Kids need rhyming books so we MUST keep writing rhyming books that are good enough to convince editors!)
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Here are some key aspects of rhyme that have convinced me of its necessary role in a child’s development (and the reason I pay such close attention to these details in my writing):
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1. Rhythm and repetition
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Inherent in any good rhyming story is a rhythm of language that is almost contagious. There will be other posts during RyPiBoMo that discuss how to do meter well. But what I want to discuss here is what good meter does for the beginning reader/listener of a rhyming story. It creates a sense expectation and confidence. There will be a familiar/similar sound that falls on that beat in 3, 2, 1… there! The child knows what to listen for after a couple of lines, after the beat and structure become internalized.
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One book that has made this obvious for me is Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle. Almost from the first time my little ones hear this book, they are predicting the rhyming words for me as I read it aloud.
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Little Blue Truck
came down the road.
“Beep!” said Blue
to the big green toad.
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Of course, my students are using the rhythm of the story to build their expectation for when that second rhyming word will fall. And they are also looking at the illustrations for clues at to what that word will be. Which all goes hand in hand with the second aspect of rhyme I wanted to mention.
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2. Context
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Acclaimed author and teacher Mem Fox says, “If children cannot learn the skill of predicting what’s going to come next in language, they cannot learn to read.”
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Rhyme helps to scaffold this skill by not only allowing students to predict a word based on the context within a phrase but to pair a word with a sound they have already heard in a previous line.
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So how does this idea of context affect us as writers? When writing rhyming books for young children, let’s pay attention to word pairs that will allow students good prediction opportunities. It is much easier for students to anticipate the rhyming of “road” and “toad” in Little Blue Truck than it would be to guess a less concrete example like “by” and “why”. When we increase the opportunity for prediction via context, we’re helping build more confident readers.
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And this idea of a more confident reader takes me to . . .
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3. Joy
I don’t know about you, but I’m in this business for the readers. There is nothing more important to me than that book in the hands of a child, in the hands of a reader, and hopefully a reader with a look of joy or wonder or understanding on his or her face. There is nothing that compares to that moment. I’ve seen those looks on the faces of my students as we share the same experiences I had with my own children, reading, rhyming, giggling, chanting and connecting, not only to one another, but to words and the joy they elicit. I couldn’t let RyPiBoMo go by without reminding us of the reasons rhyming books are so important. And I would love to leave you with a collage of pictures of those faces that hold your rhyming books in their hands, that take such joy in the way you weave words, that read your stories and get caught up in the way you’ve used language. But since I can’t share their pictures here, let me introduce you to some rhyming books that have brought joy to us over the past year. Let’s give them even more, okay?
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About Kristy:
Kristy Dempsey grew up in a Tennessee holler, became a teenager in a small South Carolina town and went to college thinking she would become something that would take her far, far away from hollers and small towns. She became many different “somethings,” the most recent of which has her a continent away from home working as a teacher and a librarian in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, a bustling city of 4 million people. Ironically she often finds herself writing about home and small towns, brave choices, family relationships and all the things she misses most from her childhood. She is the author of Me with You (Philomel), Mini Racer (Bloomsbury), Surfer Chick (Abrams) and the recent A Dance Like Starlight (Philomel), a 2015 ALA Notable Book, Junior Library Guild Selection with starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist.
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Kristy’s Website
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Buy Me and You Buy Mini Racer
Buy Surfer Chick Buy A Dance Like Starlight
RhyPiBoMo 2015 Optional Writing Prompt: 14
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This is NOT part of the pledge. It is an option for a writing exercise for those interested. You will not publically share this as part of RhyPiBoMo but may keep a journal of your writing this month for your own review.
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Today’s writing prompt is to write a rhyming poem called WHY RHYME?
For example:
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WHY RHYME?
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“Don’t write in rhyme!”
All the “writer folks” say.
“It’s silly, it’s less than, it’s corny, passe’.”
“No one will buy it. They’ll rip it to shreds.
And all those who write it are daft in their heads!”
“But, wait…why not try it, I say with a grin.”
I wink as I smile and I say it again.
“If you don’t try it then you’ll never know
if you’ve got what it takes to make your words glow.”
When writing in rhyme there’s a magical flair
that stirs from within,
then “ZIP-ZAPS”
out to the ends of your hair.
You float off your seat and then swivel in space
because writing in rhyme requires rhapsodic grace.
All writers of rhyme know just what I mean.
If you don’t write in rhyme, you are missing this scene.
When all that you’ve put on the page starts to dance
like a ballet at dusk with a hypnotic trance.
The feeling I feel as ovations occur
is permission I need to write what…
I prefer.
© 2015 Angie Karcher
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Rhyming Party!
What’s a Rhyming Party you ask?
It’s a party in our RhyPiBoMo Facebook group where I quiz the attendees about past blog post information and all involved
MUST…respond in rhyme!
It’s silly, fast-paced fun and one lucky partier will win
a Scholarship for my Writing in Rhyme to WOW! Class!!!
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Golden Quill Poetry Contest
The Golden Quill Poetry Contest is open for submissions.
The deadline is April 25th midnight Central Time.
And…did I mention the prizes?
1st place – A Manuscript Critique by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
2nd place – A Scholarship for Non-Fiction Archeology by Kristen Fulton
3rd place – A Scholarship for Pacing Picture Books to WOW! Class by Agent Jodell Sadler
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PLEASE make sure you read the contest rules and follow them exactly. Unfortunately, due to the number of poems we will receive, a poem will be disqualified if it does not follow the guidelines exactly. This is only fair to those who did follow the rules and is good practice for us as writers because editors expect those guidelines to be followed to the letter.
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Contest Rules:
First and Last name included in the body of the email at the top left
Email address included in the body of the email at the top left
Phone number – top left
Space down 5 spaces
The Theme is: Freedom
Title of poem – centered with no by line or name here
8 line limit
Must be a rhyming poem
You will be judged on clever title, rhyme scheme, rhythm, scansion, perfect rhyming words, internal rhyme, alliteration, consonance, assonance, onomatopoeia, and clever ending.
Email poems to Angiekarcherrpbm@gmail.com
by April 25th midnight central time
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Do you enjoy writing rhyming picture books?
Do you find rhyme challenging?
Do you want to pep up your prose with poetic techniques?
Then this is the class for you!
Writing in Rhyme to WOW! is a 4 week course,
M-F with daily lessons, writing prompts, rhyme journaling, creating tools you will use, group poetry readings, webinars and critique groups, and a one-on-one webinar critique with Angie.
Each class begins on the first Monday of the month and the weekly group webinars are on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. Central Standard Time, (Chicago Time) or at a time that best suits the group due to time zones of those involved.
There is only 1 spot left in May!
I am beginning to sign people up for June and July!
If you register now for June or July, I will give you the $99.00 price!
Contact Angie with questions.
Sign up now before the classes are full!
Click here for more information!
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Need a critique?
Angie is now offering
rhyming picture book and poetry manuscript critiques.
She offers a One Time critique or a Twice Look critique.
See the tab above or click here for more information.
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RhyPiBoMo Gift Shop is Open!
http://www.cafepress.com/rhypibomogiftshop
Please stop by and see what’s available this year. There are notebooks, mugs, buttons and more. All proceeds will go to WE NEED DIVERSE BOOKS!
Thank you Tanja Bauerle for these gorgeous images!!!
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Official RhyPiBoMo 2015 Registration ended on April 8th.
If you are not officially registered you will not be able to participate in the Golden Quill Poetry Contest, in Rhyming Critique Groups or will not be eligible for daily prizes.
To see if you registered in time go to the Master Registration List on the drop down menu under the RhyPiBoMo Blog tab above.
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Angie Karcher 
I’ve always loved reading rhyming stories to my children. The sheer joy in their faces was awesome. And having them jump in and supply the rhyming word was such fun. Thanks for reminding me of the importance of rhyming picture books!
Kristi Veitenheimer -sorry I forgot to post my name, lol!
Thanks, Kristi! There’s nothing that beats that moment of light in a reader’s eyes, is there?
Yes! to Kristy’s validation of the importance of rhyming.
Hear, Hear, Let’s all cheer the importance of rhyme! 🙂
Thank you, Kristy, for sharing your reasons for rhyme, especially when I read, then smile inside and out. – Judy Rubin
Thank you, Judy. I love celebrating the joy of rhyme.
Zainab Khan
Thanks for reminding me how important rhyme is for kids.
It’s important for us to remember who we’re writing for!
Same thing at our house–my kids always loved and gravitated towards the rhyming books. And they enjoy predicting what rhyme will come next. Thanks for a great post, Kristy!
Thank you, Rebecca. Rhyme is timeless!
Despite all the pitfalls, there is still “something” about rhyme (done well), and I think the third point sums it up beautifully. It’s simply joyful, in a way that prose can rarely achieve. Thanks for posting!
– Al Lane
Thanks, Al. I do think rhyme sets the stage for continued enjoyment of words throughout life.
Mona Pease
I love rhyme and love that you “crooned” to your kids, Kristy. Rhyme is fun and easy to croon or sing.
Kids don’t worry as much about “good” rhyme as we do! Thanks.
Thanks, Mona! My students giggle at how often I sing to them in rhyme.
Caroline Twomey-I love reading rhyme to my two boys, especially funny rhyme! It just lights up their little faces and makes me laugh out loud with joy. Thank you for a lovely post Kirsty.
Thanks, Caroline. I love imagining your boys’ faces light up. Such joy!
Children all over the world love rhyme. Great post!
Exactly! It’s universal!
Pat Haapaniemi:
My children loved rhyming picture books too. And I loved reading those to them just as much!
Rhyming books ARE so much fun to read.
Rebecca Trembula – Enjoyed the article, especially that Mem Fox quote and the reminder about predictable repetition for learning.
Mem Fox is one of my heroes!
Kristy,
A lovely take on writing rhyme. We have a great responsibility in writing for children. Thank you for your post.
Thanks, Deborah! So often in this business I think we lose sight of the end point: THE READER! Let’s focus on them from the beginning!
Thanks for the wonderful post. As I sit here listening to a children’s choir practice with lines of rhyme being sung with with such enthusiasm, I can hear your point loud and clear!
Hooray!
Linda Schueler: What a lovely story about your child whispering the rhyming pairs. Thanks for a great post.
Thank you, Linda. That little whisperer still loves language!
Rita Allmon– Kristy, thanks for reminding us why to write rhyme!
Thanks, Rita! Readers are the most important reason (besides the fact that it is fun!)
Shirley Johnson – Great Post!
Thanks for reading, Shirley!
Elaine Hillson – Thanks for a great post Kristy. I love reading rhyme. It’s the rhyming picture books that I tend to read again and again.
Me too!
Vicki Wilke
No doubt about it – we’ll continue to shout it – and joyfully tout it … rhyming rocks!
Thanks Kristy!
Love it!
This is a fun post. Thank you–I love reading really good rhyming stories. Danielle Hammelef
Thanks, Danielle. I have a deeper love for rhyme since I began working as a librarian.
Thanks for the post, I agree, rhyme is joyful. Katie Gast
Great joy!
Manju Howard: Thank you for this post, Kristy! My biggest take away – “word pairs that will allow students good prediction opportunities.” I had been focused on how the rhyme serves my story, not how the rhyme serves my young reader. Both are important.
Absolutely both are important. At the very least, we should consider our readers. Not every single pair has to be predictable but readers take such joy in anticipating those rhyming words.
Joanne Sher found this post delightful. 🙂 Great tips too. Thanks, Kristy!
Thanks, Joanne!
Wonderful post! Thank you for sharing your love of rhyme, and inspiring us to GO FOR IT. My daughters love rhyme, we often rhyme silly things back and forth. I’m a believer! – Maria Oka
I’m a believer too!
I agree that kids really ADORE rhyme and it’s also fun for adults to read. Loved your post!
Thanks, Kirsti. Rhyme definitely makes for a fun read-aloud.
Lynn Alpert – Thanks for the great post, Kristy! After hearing all the ‘don’t write books in rhyme’ stuff, this is a great reminder for why TO do it!
That’s EXACTLY why I wanted to write this post, Lynn!
Kristy, so many great points here! Thanks for your part in bringing good rhyme and lyrical language to young readers. I adore Surfer Chick and A Dance Like Starlight! Sandy Perlic
Thank you, Sandy! We need more! I teach preschoolers every week who need more and more good rhyme!
Natasha Garnett
Thanks, Kristy.
Let’s bring on the joy.
I am ALL about the joy!
I’m not familiar with some of the books pictured. I’m off to the library to read them!
Kathy, I should have made a collage of hundreds!
Excellent post, Kristy! Kids definitely need rhyming in their corner! Carrie Charley Brown
Thanks, Carrie! It’s such a great way to scaffold literacy learning.
Thank you for the reminders of why we write rhyme. I can’t wait to read your books. Brenda Huante
Thanks, Brenda! So many little reading reasons out there!
Thank you for the validation and dare I say “challenge” to continue writing in rhyme. My children too loved rhyming books, both to anticipate the coming rhyme and eventually to chant both words themselves. Both have grown into amazing adults with a deep appreciate of reading, rhyming, and Shakespeare.
Yay! I hope we all take on the challenge!
Thank you for a great post. I love Little Blue Truck as well. — Annie Bailey
I adore Little Blue Truck (and Alice Schertle, the author!)
What a beautifully written post. I am inspired!
Karen Nordseth Roos
Oh, thank you, Karen!
“If children cannot learn the skill of predicting what’s going to come next in language, they cannot learn to read.” What an excellent point. So true. And I liked how you explained your other points thoroughly with examples.
Thank you, Linda!
Nadine Cranenburgh: Thanks Kristy for sharing your wisdom and passion. I’m an obstinate rhymer too. Even more so now. It is great to hear kids get a rhythm in their head and even imperfect meter can be entrancing, although I can’t help fixing it as I read sometimes. Looking forward to tracking down some of your books and suggested titles.
Let’s all be obstinate together!
Yes, yes, yes! 95% of my 1st grade class is ESL, but even in the first week of school they could recite a simple poem we learned. (I use poems or songs for anything I want them to remember.) Now 2 months later if I even accidently say the first two words of the poem they launch right into it! I love the challenge of playing with words when writing poetry. It’s fun to write, fun to say, and fun to hear!
THIS, exactly!
Kathy Mazurowski
Rhyme makes the world go round! Joy is a wonderful reason to write in rhyme. Thanks.
Thanks, Kathy. It’s incredible to watch when the author’s own joy of language spills over onto the reader!
Pre-readers just love chiming in on the reading – rhyme makes it so much easier!
Marla Lesage
I love watching pre-readers “reading” to themselves for this very reason. Their sense of rhythm and repetition is innate!
Kids do love rhyme. that’s one reason I love to write it.
Me too. 🙂
I love your reasons to use rhyming books with young children! Wonderful!
Rhyming books are so much more than JUST fun!
Excellent insights into why kids love rhyme and how important it is to the joy of language as well as their own language development and love of reading. Thank you, Kristy. Val McCammon
Thank you, Val! For a child, it’s all about the joy!
Appreciations from Jan Annino to Angie Karcher & Kristy Dempsy.
This article makes me feel as if I’ve been on a South America tour with all the interesting references to Kristy’s life out of the country. I’ve loved reading the picture books of Mem Fox to children but also for my own enrichment, her essays on reading so I feel Kristy & I would have a lot to talk about if we met. And it sounds as if her ballet book should win more major awards.
I have put Alice Schertle’s LITTLE BLUE TRUCK & Kristy’s ME AND YOU on my library list. I read to the littlest ones, K & !st grade, some of them slow learners & I think these titles sound ideal for them.
I love Mem’s book READING MAGIC!
Patricia Toht: Thanks for your advice, Kristy. I love the idea of good prediction opportunities. I hadn’t really thought of end rhymes that way. Gives me another goal to aim for in my rhyme!
It’s something to consider at the very least, Patricia. Not every end rhyme has to be predictable. Sometimes for humor or other reasons, a less predictable pair might be chosen. But in books for young readers, it’s something to think about!
I agree and love that you mention you write for the reader! What child – doesn’t love a jolly, predictable rhyme. Thank you for your advice
Jennifer Huls
Write for the reader! That should be our mantra.
Rachel Hamby
Thanks, Kristy! I’ve read a lot of the wonderful books you included in your post, but it’s nice to see some I still have yet to read.
Sandy Powell — I agree, if we can’t resist writing in rhyme then we should do it, just learn to rhyme well. Love, THE GRUFFALO. It’s one of my favorites.
Thanks, Kristy! I love Surfer Chick–so fun & such great word play. Thanks for the advice!
Maria Gianferrari
Waving to Kristy! So nice to see you here and witness your success!! Lynne Marie Pisano
Cindy Argentine
This post has such reassuring words about the importance of this craft to young readers. Thanks, Kristy. I agree that it is an honor to bring joy to children through books.
Melanie Ellsworth – Kristy, I’m with you – let’s keep writing those rhyming books! Thank you for encouraging us. I agree that rhyming gives children the chance to build confidence. I love WAKING BEAUTY by Leah Wilcox, illustrated by Lydia Monks because it keeps withholding the word “kiss” which kids know is the correct rhyming word to end each stanza, but the prince can’t figure it out. It positions kids to be the experts and know something that the main character doesn’t know, and kids can use context and sound to figure out the rhyme. I look forward to reading your books, Kristy – they are now on my must-read list!