Welcome, Everyone!
There’s a new bear in town—or should we say in the garden?
Learn more about the Secrets of the Sunflowers in Patsy’s new children’s book…
Sunny Bear and the Secrets of the Sunflowers!
From reciting poetry and singing lullabies with my Grandmother as a child, to listening to my Great Aunts and Uncles share their comedic stories, to growing up in a family that loved to write and listen to music, I had all the literacy experiences in my “toolbox” to help me integrate these same elements of literacy into my classroom as a teacher. I was fortunate to see the complete spectrum of writing from teaching Kindergarten through grade six over a thirty-three year span. It was amazing to see how the process evolved: labeling a Kindergartner’s first picture with a word or sentence, to sixth grade students forming a thesis statement and proving it with evidence. And intertwined throughout every grade was poetry, in all its forms.
“Oh, there once was a puffin
In the shape of a muffin…” (from 100 Best Poems by Florence Page Jacques)
This was the first poem my Grandmother insisted I memorize. It is still with me today!
Rhyming is such a great strategy when teaching kids to read. And it’s fun on your tongue… (Ok, too much? Ha!)
It is no wonder that after retiring from teaching, that all the elements came together for me in writing. First, a comedic memoir, “Love, Lutefisk, and Lemon Zest Sneakers” that outlines my hilarious and calamitous adventures growing up, and with my own kids, to an endearing little bear who comes out of hiding to teach kids about the benefits of growing sunflowers in my most recent picture book, “Sunny Bear and the Secrets of Sunflowers.” And it’s all in rhyme, of course!
Meanwhile, in between writing, I have discovered another passion: growing flowers. Teddy Bear Sunflowers have become my obsession and focus. It’s my happy place.
I hope you find your own happy place, but pause every now and then to laugh out loud and to say a rhyme—even a silly rhyme—even a nonsense rhyme– in your head or even out loud, if you are brave enough.
