"After Dark" Blog Tour & Giveaway

Welcome to the 2nd Stop on the After Dark Blog Tour!

Today, I am delighted to present David L. Harrison's imaginative book to readers
and offer a book giveaway.  

Have you ever thought about what happens in the outside world of animals after dark? Lately, my family has been following the antics of three feral cats in our neighborhood. Reading David L. Harrison's beautifully written children's book, After Dark-Poems About Nocturnal Animals, has given me insight into the world of animals who are awake while humans sleep.  

As you can see by the above book cover, this book offers a delightful look at animals living in the wild. David Harrison masterfully weaves a story about the nocturnal world of animals through a series of poems while illustrator Stephanie Laberis offers vivid images to capture a nighttime awakening. Each page of the book builds on the other to intrigue children, adds to their background knowledge of nocturnal animals, and sparks interest in blending poetry with science.

I thank David, Word Song, and Boyds Mill Press & Kane for offering this type of reading experience for young readers. Within the pages of the book and the back cover, you will find twenty-two descriptive, lyrical poems, two interesting fact pages, and an array of artwork that pops out from a dark-night scene. After Dark is a wonderful book to spark a child's imagination while focusing on information about nighttime animals. 

Giveaway News:
Readers within the United States can enter a drawing to win David L. Harrison's latest book by commenting about the book in the space below. You can also use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Linkedin as your platform to share your thoughts. Please add my Twitter handle, cvarsalona or Facebook name, Carol Varsalona, so I can be sure to enter your name in the raffle drawing. As Kathy Temean says in her February 11th blog post  that was the first stop on the #After DarkBlogTour, "Sharing on Facebook, Twitter, reblogging really helps spread the word for a new book." 

The deadline for commenting is February 16th at 8 pm EST.

Quick Peek Inside The Book:
Curious children may wonder what happens at nighttime after they are tucked in bed. Nocturnal animals awaken. In After Dark, poet David L. Harrison and Illustrator Stephanie Laberis bring the world of selected nocturnal animals to life. We see animals being mischievous, playful, or on the prowl for food within twenty-two descriptive, lyrical poems. In addition, there are two interesting fact pages to broaden children's knowledge base of nocturnal animals. Laberis' artwork pops out from darkened night scenes, introducing readers to the amazing world of nocturnal animals.  

On the back cover, David Harrison features a raccoon whom he calls an escape artist. In a whimsical way, the raccoon is shown pilfering food and hiding. I can relate to Harrison's description of the raccoon. This nighttime creature has been spotted in my neighborhood for years. Each time a crafty rascal is spotted, he quickly returns to his home in the sewer system with his food loot. Before he reaches his destination, he topples over garbage pails leaving a mess for humans.

My Burning Questions for Author/Poet David L. Harrison:
Because I am curious about the why behind writing a children's book via the lens of poetry, I asked David L. Harrison, "How did you conjure up such an inventive collection of poems about what happens in the quiet of night?

The tone of a book needs to be set with the first words and maintained consistently throughout. And after I finish my work the artist must find that same groove and stay in it. My mood here, what I was feeling and wanting to convey to young readers, is that after dark is a busy time for wildlife. Creatures of the night open their eyes, sniff the air, and venture forth from nests, dens, and tunnels to begin their evening’s activities. The same is true of many kinds of insects, spiders, and scorpions. No matter where we live our nights are populated by a bustling community of creatures, many of them seldom observed by humans, especially young humans with early bedtimes. 

My approach was to show my respect for the individual creatures I chose to include and to fit my words to their own particular lifestyle. For the wolf I focused on a cub. You wild thing./You bouncy pup,/roughhousing/with your siblings. The cougar Pads on soft,/silent feet./Leaves few clues/to where he’s been. The screech owl, who doesn’t bother to build a nest, advises, Don’t waste effort/with twigs and thatch./They’re only eggs./They’re going to hatch. The slug poem needed to sound like a slug with its slow, sticky gait.  Along a path of slime/you softly flow. The firefly blinks around the yard looking for love.  Firefly flashes/polka dot the lawn./Blinker off…/Blinker on.

While dabbling in different poetic formats myself, I inquired, "Are all the poems in your book based on a specific format?"

Poetry ranges from doggerel to sublime. At its worst it should be shot on sight. At its best it protects our language and reminds writer and reader that every word has meaning and only the right one will do for the purpose at hand. Now and then when I finish a poem that works I sit back and brag on myself. I nod and smile and say, “That’s really good, Harrison. Way to go!” Most of the time that doesn’t happen. And some of the time I throw out the work and start again. In the end I wind up with a collection of offerings for my reader that include numerous poetic devices put there to make his or her experience more enjoyable and meaningful. I like interior rhyme, near rhyme, free verse, traditional formats -- couplets, triplets, ballads -- but sometimes I find myself in unknown (to me) territory when I’m looking for a unique way to express what I want to say. At such times I’m not sure if I’ve just invented a new form or stumbled across an existing one unknown to me. Either way, if it works, I go with it. 

In a Hurry is an example of a poem that will engage children with its rhyming format

and a title that is appropriately visualized through Laberis' illustration.

I encourage my 2 1/2-year-old granddaughter who loves books to talk about a book after a read aloud, so I asked David, "What would you like my little reader to take away from your fanciful collection of animal poems?  

Your granddaughter is going to love the pictures. Stephanie (Steph) Laberis is a gifted artist who also develops characters for animation. I hope your little one will follow the general gist of the poems though a fuller understanding may have to wait until she’s a bit older. Each time she hears the words, a little more of their meaning will be clearer. The wolf cub might grow up to be a leader. The raccoon looks adorable, but she is a sly old thief. We have much to learn from our fellow creatures so the younger we start thinking about them the better.

About the Author:

David L. Harrison, prolific poet and children's book author, stated in the Reader - The Journal of the Arkansas Reading Association, "Authors think: reader, reader, reader. How can I entice my reader to giggle? Think? Feel? Turn the page." The book, After Dark, Poems About Nocturnal Animals does this. Any child who loves to read will eagerly want to turn each page.

I look forward to sharing David L. Harrison's book, After Dark, with my granddaughter. I will travel to Virginia next week with the book in hand. After a read aloud of After Dark, Sierra will most likely point to each illustration and retell the story about the nocturnal animals she sees. Reading with a grandchild is special. 

Thank you for joining me for a sneak preview of David L. Harrison's After Dark. This book will provide children with the opportunity to engage in the act of reading while building a wealth of information and language.

Please follow the #AfterDarkBookTour. Many of the blog tour spots provide an opportunity to win a copy of After Dark like I am offering tonight. You have until Sunday, February 16 at 8 pm EST to enter the giveaway.  Be sure to include my handle or name when responding on social media so that you will be included in the raffle for a copy of the book.

Keep reading, #BooksMatter!

It's almost time for the Poetry Friday Roundup at Teacher Dance. Thank you to a wonderful writing colleague and poet, Linda Baie, for hosting. Enjoy all the poetic goodness awaiting you at Linda's blog site!