If you are in New York City this weekend, I will be reading at several locations on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20. Please join me at any of the following events, all of which are free and open to the public:

Time for Kids is featuring an interview with me called Words to Laugh By in their April 3, 2009 issue. We had a chance to chat about all sorts of things, including my new book My Hippo Has the Hiccups, my school visit programs, why I write poetry, and lots more.

If you read the article online, you can even hear several of the poems from My Hippo Has the Hiccups.

In addition to the feature article, Time for Kids is running a poetry writing contest. The winner will receive a free online author visit from me as well as an autographed copy of my new book. Runners up will each receive autographed books.

I'm running out the door, so I have to make this quick, but I wanted to let everyone know that there is a long interview with yours truly, and a review of My Hippo Has the Hiccups on the wonderful kid lit blog The Miss Rumphius Effect.

Click here to read it.

And hooray for National Poetry Month! Don't forget to check out Greg Pincus' Gottabook blog, which starts off the month with a new poem from Jack Prelutsky.

This is just too funny. Because National Poetry Month is starting tomorrow, and because I have a new book of funny poems, My Hippo Has the Hiccups, the three silly chicks over at the Three Silly Chicks blog, decided to interview me.

I'm only sorry to say that I didn't give them very many serious answers. But can you blame me? They didn't ask me very many serious questions. Instead they asked questions such as "Clown vs. Mime Deathmatch. Pick your winner." So I gave them equally goofy answers.

So, if you'd like to read a particularly warped interview with me, just head on over to Three Silly Chicks.

Wow. I couldn't be more tickled. Diane R. Chen who writes the "Practically Perfect" blog on the School Library Journal website has reviewed My Hippo Has the Hiccups: And Other Poems I Totally Made Up and she seems to love it.

Among other things, she said, "I strongly recommend My Hippo Has the Hiccups for every elementary classroom and library collection" and " I hope you will rush to the website and immediately order this book."

Click here to read the review for yourself. Or click here to find out more about My Hippo Has the Hiccups.

With National Poetry Month just around the corner, a number of really amazing children's poetry projects have been announced for April.

First off is Gregory Pincus' incredible 30 Days / 30 Poets" Project. Somehow Greg managed to convince 30 well-known children's poets to each submit a previously unpublished poem to his project. Over the course of the month, he will post one poem every day, each from a different poet, on his blog Gottabook. Beginning April 1, check in every day to read brand new poems from children's poet laureates Mary Ann Hoberman and Jack Prelutsky, as well as new works from such poetic luminaries as Jane Yolen, Nikki Giovanni, Jon Scieszka, and many, many more.

As if that weren't amazing enough, Tricia Stohr-Hunt will be posting interviews with 36 popular children's poets -- one each day, and two every friday -- on her wonderful children's literature and poetry blog The Miss Rumphius Effect. Her interview project is called Poetry Makers is a must-read this April. Click here to find out more about the Poetry Makers project, including which poets were interviewed and on which days their interviews will appear on The Miss Rumphius Effect.

And, during the month of April, Sylvia Vardell will be reviewing a different children's poetry book every day on her Poetry for Childen blog. I can't wait to see what book recommendations Sylvia has up her poetic sleeves.

With all of these wonderful blog projects, I expect this is going to be the most fun National Poetry Month ever for kids, so please join all of us in celebrating by sharing a poem with the kids in your life and the people you love.

For those of you that are curious about what I get up to on a daily basis, and want to keep track of when I'm writing, where I'm visiting schools and libraries, or just hear the latest up-to-the-minute information about my books and poems, you can now follow me on the micro-blogging service Twitter.

If you just want to see what I'm up to, you don't have to sign up for Twitter. Just go to http://twitter.com/poetry4kids, or click on the Where's Kenn link on the left side of this website, and look at the section called "What's Kenn Doing?"

If you have a Twitter account, and want to add me to the list of people you follow, my Twitter ID is poetry4kids.

This sure was fun! Kids' musician Eric Herman and I were recently interviewed on public radio station KPBX by Carlos Alden, the host of the kids' music show The Nacho Celtic Hour.

On October 8, 2008, the Poetry Foundation named Mary Ann Hoberman as America's new Children's Poet Laureate.

Mary Ann Hoberman will serve as the nation’s second Children’s Poet Laureate: Consultant in Children’s Poetry to the Poetry Foundation for a two-year tenure. The award, which includes a $25,000 cash prize, aims to raise awareness that children have a natural receptivity to poetry and are its most appreciative audience, especially when poems are written specifically for them. “Generations of readers who first discovered poetry in the books of Mary Ann Hoberman remember it not as a dry textbook encounter but as a moment of joyous play. Her poems tease young minds even as they please young ears with rhythm and rhyme. We honor her for a lifetime of writing poetry of lasting value for young readers,” said John Barr, president of the Poetry Foundation, in making the appointment.

If you are in Omaha, Nebraska, please stop by The Bookworm at 8702 Pacific St between 6pm and 8pm on Wednesday, October 15, 2009. I will be at the store autographing books that evening and would love to meet you in person.

I will be signing copies of my newest books, and hopefully reading some poetry as well. I look forward to seeing you there!