Welcome to Poetry Friday!
Today I’m celebrating the release of Issue 7 from Little Thoughts Press, Fabulous Facts. I am grateful to have a poem included in this publication and to have the opportunity to share it with all of you.
When my grandson was much smaller, he greeted every day exuberantly. Rain, wind, snow, sun – it didn’t matter. To him, every day was a beautiful day. My poem started out as an idea for a picture book with information about each animal mentioned. I never quite finished it. So, when the opportunity to submit to Little Thoughts Press occurred, I rewrote some of the stanzas and shortened the back matter information to read as a fun fact about each animal. Here is the poem as it appears in Fabulous Facts minus the fun facts which are included as a Did You Know? box in the publication.
It’s a Beautiful Day!
by Rose Cappelli
When days are warm and the sun is high,
When earth lies under a cloudless sky
Let’s run and climb and picnic and play—
It’s a beautiful day!
When clouds turn grey growing fatter and fatter,
When raindrops on houses and hills pitter-patter
Don’t worry just scurry your way down the road—
It’s a beautiful day…for a toad.
When water is vapor that stays in the air,
When everything’s damp from your skin to your hair
While not the best day for dining al fresco—
It’s a beautiful day…for a gecko.
When soil starts to crack and grasses feel dusty,
When rivers and creek beds are crusty and musty
Find a cool pool and go with the flow—
It’s a beautiful day…for a rhino.
When geese are gone and chilly winds blow,
When the sun stays low and sleet turns to snow
When you’re buried in bed like a big brown bear—
It’s a beautiful day…for a snowshoe hare.
When wind turns your cheeks from pink to red
When gusts steal your hat right off your head
When play is now inside since outside is null—
It’s a beautiful day…for a seagull.
Some days are sunny, some breezy, some wet,
Some days are those we just wish to forget.
But no matter the weather you see on display
There is something for which…
It’s a beautiful day!
©2024RoseCappelli
To read more from this publication, you can download a pdf of the entire issue or order a print copy here.
Linda has the roundup today at Teacher Dance where she contemplates choice and change. Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry goodness. And thanks for stopping by.
Imagine the Possibilities 
I do wish this poem had made it to a picture book. I can imagine it so well and think my grands would love to read it. I’m happy, though, that it is out in the world of publishing. This is a new to me press. I hope you had a positive experience. Getting to published is a road I am traveling that is not so easy.
I love the rhyme and the ellipsis to the animals. So clever!
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Thanks, Margaret. I will probably go back to it at some point and continue to try it as a picture book. Picture book publication is even harder!
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I’m so glad this landed in Little Thoughts Press, Rose! So many little grands will hear this and delight in the animals.
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Thanks, Patricia!
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Congratulations, Rose!! A beautiful poem and a beautiful day indeed! Though it’s quite rainy and grumbly in these parts…March’s lion announcing her presence…xo
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Love this, Rose! The rhythm and rhyme carries me along and your choice of animals (yay for rhino getting some love) is a delight. Congratulations! 🙂
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It is simply fabulous, Rose! I, too, can see it as a picture book, but a poem in Little Thoughts Press will also reach and delight many! Congratulations!
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What a delightful poem, Rose – and such a lovely way of looking at challenges, including the weather 🙂
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What a great idea and the poem is wonderful! The whole idea of perspective is such a good one for littles. And, the positive line, “it’s a beautiful day” is a wonderful message. I think this really IS a picture book. The possibilities for photos or illustrations to go with your great lines are rich!
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Wow, Rose, congratulations, and thanks for introducing me to Little Thoughts. I love the concept for this piece and I agree it deserves a wider reach as its own book. It is both novel and true that there’s always someone for whom it’s a beautiful day. (Rhinos and seagulls agree.)
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Thank you all! I’m grateful for all of the encouragement here. You’ve convinced me to continue to work on it as a picture book.
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Here’s another vote for this to become a picture book! It is all kinds of fantastic!
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Love the poem, agree with everyone else it should be a picture book! Congrats on its inclusion in the Fabulous Facts issue. 🙂
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Congratulations, Rose–love the beautiful day structure. And yep, I also hope you go back to this someday and polish it into a picture book!
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Rose, congratulations! It is a beautiful day to be published in that sweet journal. I’m glad you are encouraged to work on the picture book version of the poem.
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What a fun poem. And a beautiful approach to life! Congratulations on your publication.
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So fun! And if you ever expand it in to a picture book, you already have the page turns figured out. 🙂 Congratulations on your publication!!!
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Thanks, Marcie!
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Congratulations on your It’s a Beautiful Day poem being published! I agree with everyone that your poem already sounds like a PB with all its images, rhythm, rhyme, repetition, and messages. I also haven’t heard of this publisher, but I’m excited you have your poem published in it. I love your choices of animals that don’t have a lot of recognition in PBs.
Have you thought about having it critiqued by somebody in the industry before you submit? When we went to Highlights, did you have Georgia or Rebecca to mentor you? Possibly, one of them would help with a fee or Irene Latham, or Charles Waters, who you also have met at Highlights. Are you a member of Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators? I have been a member on and off over the years. They have very good conferences where you can meet agents, authors, and editors. I am a member again and noticed they revamped their website. Here’s a link to their website.
https://www.scbwi.org/
Thank you for sharing your exciting news, your inspiration, and a link to your poem.
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Thank you, Gail. Yes, I am a member of SCBWI as well as a few other writing groups. I’ve been writing picture books for several years and have been actively querying both agents and editors for about six years. I had one manuscript go to acquisitions, but it was eventually declined. I’m still at it, though, and have lately been leaning in more to my poetry. Thanks for the encouragement!
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