Category: News

That Doesn’t Sound Right to Me

When you read poems, you will sometimes come across things that don’t sound right to you. Often, this is because people pronounce some words differently depending on where they grew up. The writer of the poem may have grown up somewhere that they pronounce things a little differently than you do.

Probably the most well-known example is the word “tomato.” In Britain, this word is pronounced “toe-MAH-toe,” whereas in America it is pronounced “toe-MAY-toe.”

Similarly, “pajamas” is pronounced “puh-JAW-muhz” (rhymes with “llamas”) in Britain, but can be pronounced either “puh-JAM-uhz” (rhymes with “panoramas”) or “puh-JAW-muhz” in America. And, in America, “dance” rhymes with “France,” while in Britain “dance” is often pronounced “dahns.”

I once wrote a poem for a publisher in India where I rhymed “face” with “vase.” (In America, these two words rhyme with one another.) My publisher was very confused because in India, as well as Britain and much of the world, “vase” is pronounced “vahz” (rhymes with “jaws”).

When I read poems by British authors, sometimes I am surprised by their rhyme choices. For example, I recently saw “speedier” rhymed with “media” because Brits often do not pronounce the r’s at the ends of words.

A New Look for Poetry4kids

After many, many years with the same look, a look that was beginning to get a little long in the tooth, I have completely redesigned the look of Poetry4kids.com. It was a big project that took most of the summer, and it’s something I’ve been wanting to do for years.

In addition to a more modern look and easier-to-navigate menus, the new Poetry4kids is also mobile-friendly, adapting to any display size, from desktop to tablet to mobile phone. And, to make sure your visit to Poetry4kids is always secure, I have added an SSL certificate to the website, and updated our Privacy Policy and cookies notifications to be in compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation.

Of course, as with all big projects, there’s still some cleanup to do. Over the coming weeks I will be going through the site’s many hundreds of pages to ensure that everything is working just as it should.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear your feedback. Like what you see? Can’t find something you’re looking for? Come across something that isn’t working? Please drop me a line and let me know.

Video – My Brother Ate My Smartphone

Here’s another video of a funny poem from my book My Cat Knows Karate. This one is called “My Brother Ate My Smartphone” and it’s about a boy who swallows a smartphone and suddenly becomes the smartest kid on the planet.

In a way, this poem is like a movie I saw when I was young. It was called, “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes” and it was about a college student who became a genius after an accident involving his school’s computer. Of course, this could never really happen, so please don’t eat your brother’s phone. Instead, just enjoy the poem and maybe a few more while you’re at it!

Video – My Cat Knows Karate

Here’s a video of me reciting the title poem from my book, My Cat Knows Karate. This new book has a number of poems about pets, animals, and sports, and this poem brings all three ideas together into a single poem.

I have always liked the idea of animals doing sports. So much so that I wrote an entire book of poems about it, The Tighty-Whitey Spider. And, if you like this poem, you might also enjoy my poem, “My Puppy Punched Me in the Eye” from my book My Hippo Has the Hiccups.

New Book: My Cat Knows Karate

I’m very excited to announce the publication of my newest book, My Cat Knows Karate. This collection includes seventy new poems about goofy gadgets, kooky characters, funny families, absurd situations. Beautifully illustrated by Rafael Domingos, My Cat Knows Karate is chock-full of the ridiculous rhymes, wacky wordplay, preposterous punchlines, and guaranteed giggles that kids love to read.

My Cat Knows Karate is available now from Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle formats. The book should be available from other booksellers, including Barnes & Noble and your local independent bookseller in about a week.

Words and Phrases that Rhyme with Themselves

Sometimes when you’re writing a rhyming poem, you may want to include a word or phrase that rhymes with itself, such as itsy-bitsy or super-duper. Also called “close rhymes,” these are what are known as “reduplicated” words or phrases. “Reduplication” is the term for words or phrases that are created by repeating sounds. Here is a list of rhyming reduplicated words and phrases that may come in handy to you sometime.

abracadabra
ants’ pants
argle-bargle
argy-bargy
artsy-fartsy
backpack
backtrack
bandstand
bed head
bee’s knees
big rig
bigwig
blackjack
blame game
blues clues
bolo
boo-hoo
boogie-woogie
boot scoot
bowwow
boy toy
brain drain
bucket truck
chick-flick
chilly willy
chip dip
chock-a-block
chop shop
chug-a-lug
chunky monkey
claptrap
clean green
cookbook
crop top
cuddly-wuddly
cutie patootie
deadhead
ding-a-ling
ditch witch
double bubble
double trouble
downtown
drop crop
drop-top
dry fly
easy cheese
easy-peasey
eency-weency
even-steven
fair and square
fancy nancy
fancy-schmancy
fat cat
fender-bender
fiddle diddle
fight or flight
fit bit
flyby
fomo
fright night
fuddy-duddy
fun in the sun
fun run
funny money
fuzzy-wuzzy
gal pal
go low
go pro
go slow
great state
green bean
ground round
handstand
handy-dandy
hanky-panky
harum-scarum
heart smart
heebie-jeebies
helter skelter
heyday
hi-fi
higgledy-piggledy
high and dry
high fly
hinky dinky
hippy-dippy
hobby lobby
hobnob
hobo
hocus-pocus
hoddy-noddy
hodgepodge
hoi polloi
hoity-toity
hokey-pokey
holy cannoli
holy moly
hong kong
hoodoo
hooley-dooley
hot pot
hotshot
hotspot
hotsy-totsy
hubbub
huffing and puffing
hugger-mugger
hulu
humdrum
humpty dumpty
hurdy-gurdy
hurly-burly
hurry-scurry
hustle and bustle
itsy-bitsy
itty-bitty
jeepers creepers
jelly belly
jet set
kowtow
laffy taffy
lardy-dardy
lean and mean
lite brite
loosey-goosey
lovey-dovey
low and slow
low blow
low-flow
mai tai
maintain
make or break
mars bars
mayday
melee
mellow yellow
might makes right
mojo
mudblood
mukluk
mumbo-jumbo
namby-pamby
name game
naysay
neato burrito
night-light
night-night
nighty-night
nitty-gritty
nitwit
no-go
no pain, no gain
no-show
nutter butter
oingo boingo
okey dokey
one-ton
out and about
pall mall
payday
pedal to the metal
pell-mell
phony-baloney
pickwick
picnic
pie in the sky
piggly wiggly
plain jane
polo
pooper scooper
pop-top
powwow
prime-time
pump and dump
quick pick
quiet riot
quite a sight
ragtag
rat-tat
rat-a-tat
razzle-dazzle
razzmatazz
reese’s pieces
righty tighty
ring ding
rinky-dink
roly-poly
rom-com
rootin’ tootin’
rough and tough
rough stuff
scat cat
shake and bake
shock jock
shoe goo
shout out
silly-willy
single mingle
sky high
slim jim
sloppy copy
slow-mo
snack pack
snail mail
snow blow
soho
solo
space case
space race
spruce goose
steak ‘n shake
steer clear
stop and shop
study buddy
stun gun
sump pump
super-duper
surf and turf
tee-hee
teen scene
teenie-weenie
teensy-weensy
tepee
tex-mex
thin skin
tighty-whitey
tinky winky
tohubohu
top crop
tramp stamp
true blue
turkey jerky
tutti frutti
TV
undone
use it or lose it
voodoo
wall ball
walkie-talkie
waylay
wear and tear
white flight
white knight
wi-fi
willy-nilly
wing-ding
without a doubt
wonton
word nerd
yolo
yoo-hoo

Reduplicated Sentences

In addition to the above list of reduplicated words and phrases, there are also a number of common reduplicated idioms or catchphrases in English. Here are some of the most well known.

After a while, crocodile
Easy peasy, lemon squeezy
No muss, no fuss
No way, José
Not I said the fly
Not me said the flea
Okie dokie, artichokey
See you later, alligator
Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey
Winner, winner, chicken dinner

Non-Rhyming Reduplicated Words and Phrases

Some reduplicated words and phrases don’t quite rhyme because they contain different vowel sounds, such as ping-pong or zigzag. Technically, these are known as “ablaut reduplications.” Here is a list of reduplicated words and phrases that don’t rhyme.

bric-a-brac
chit-chat
clip-clop
crinkum-crankum
criss-cross
dig dug
dilly-dally
ding-dong
fiddle faddle
flimflam
flip-flop
harum-scarum
hee-haw
hip hop
jibber-jabber
jingle-jangle
king kong
kit kat
kitty cat
knickknack / nicknack
mishmash
ping-pong
pitter-patter
riffraff
seesaw
shilly-shally
shipshape
singsong
skimble-scamble
splish splash
teeny tiny
teetertotter
thingum-thangum
tic-tac
tick-tock
ticky-tacky
tip-top
tittle-tattle
trinkum-trankum
wibble-wobble
wiggle-waggle
winky dink
wishy-washy
zigzag

Exact Reduplications

Some reduplicated words and phrases repeat the exact same word or syllable, either for emphasis, continuity, or to create a rhythmic effect. These are called “exact reduplications.” Unlike rhyming reduplications like itsy-bitsy or non-rhyming ones like ping-pong, exact reduplications simply double the word without alteration, as in “through and through” or “step by step.” Often, these phrases reinforce meaning by emphasizing repetition or progression. Here is a list of exact reduplications that you may find useful in your writing.

again and again
back to back
better and better
bigger and bigger
bit by bit
blah blah
brick by brick
cancan
closer and closer
dada
day by day
deeper and deeper
dodo
drop by drop
end to end
eye to eye
face to face
farther and farther
faster and faster
gogo
ha ha
hand in hand
hee hee
higher and higher
ho ho
hour by hour
inch by inch
juju
layer by layer
less and less
line by line
little by little
louder and louder
lower and lower
mama
mile after mile
minute by minute
moment by moment
month by month
more and more
muumuu
nana
neck and neck
no-no
note for note
over and over
papa
piece by piece
piri-piri
point by point
second by second
shot for shot
shoulder to shoulder
side by side
slower and slower
smaller and smaller
step by step
stronger and stronger
through and through
time after time
toe to toe
tutu
turn by turn
weaker and weaker
week by week
wonga-wonga
word for word
worse and worse
yadda yadda
year after year

Click here for other lists of rhyming words.

If you know of any reduplications I have missed on these lists, please let me know so I can add them.

Poetry Reading at Barnes & Noble

On September 21, 2016, I did a poetry reading for a small group at Barnes & Noble in Spokane, Washington as part of a local program called “Poetry Rising.” I read a poem from each of my books, including my new anthology, One Minute Till Bedtime.

The folks at Poetry Rising were kind enough to send me this video of the event.

Spring 2017 School Author Visits

Welcome Kenn Nesbitt

“Your presentation was the best we have ever had.”

“You by far surpassed our expectations.”

“Our students are still buzzing about it! The enthusiasm you generated is phenomonal!”

These are just a few comments from schools who have had me visit with their students. If you are considering having an author visit your school, I would love the opportunity to get your students excited about reading and writing.

My school visit calendar is filling up for the spring, but I still have dates available for an author visit to your school, whether in-person or online.

I will be visiting the following cities this spring and still have open days:

January 9-13 – Spokane, WA
February 13-17 – West Texas
February 20-24 – Portland, OR
March 13-17 – Baltimore, MD & Washington, DC
March 27-31 – San Antonio, TX
April 3-7 – Central California
April 17-21 – Connecticut
April 24-27 – Eastern Oregon
May 8-12 – Cedar Rapids, Iowa City & Davenport, IA

If your school is interested in booking an author visit during one of these trips, or any other week this school year, please contact me by filling out the information request form on this page.

You will find my calendar online here. Any dates not otherwise marked are probably available.

I look forward to hearing from you.

New Book: One Minute Till Bedtime

I’m thrilled to announce the release of my newest book, One Minute Till Bedtime. This is the first anthology that I have put together, and it has already received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal, plus it has been selected by Publishers Weekly as a Best Book of 2016.

One Minute Till Bedtime contains over 140 brand-new poems from more than 130 poets from around the world, including such luminaries as Jack Prelutsky, Jane Yolen, Jon Scieszka, Joyce Sidman, Judith Viorst, Lemony Snicket, Marilyn Singer, Nikki Grimes, and many, many others. Each of the poems in this collection–all perfect for bedtime–can be read in about a minute. With seven sections, each with roughly twenty poems, One Minute Till Bedtime holds a full week of 20-minute sleepytime readings.

The beautiful hardcover book is whimsically illustrated by the incomparable Christoph Niemann, whose witty, minimalist drawings compliment and enhance the poems, giving readers even more to ponder as they get ready to dream.

One Minute Till Bedtime is now available in the US wherever books are sold, including:

It is also available for purchase now in Australia:

In the UK, it will be available on December 8, 2016:

Whew!

2016-17 School Author Visits

Kenn Nesbitt Presenting

I hope you had a wonderful summer and are settling into the new school year nicely. With the 2016-17 school year underway, I’m now booking school author visits, both in-person and online.

If your school is looking for a way to inspire your kids to want to read and write, my high-energy poetry writing programs are just the ticket. You don’t need to take my word for it, though. Click here to see what other schools have said about my visits.

Upcoming Visits

You don’t need to wait for me to be in your area to book a visit. I cap my travel expenses, regardless of what it costs me to get there, so it won’t cost you extra if you are the first school in your area to book a visit.

However, here are some of the places I’m already scheduled to be this school year. I still have dates available each of these weeks.

WA, Bellingham – September 26-30, 2016
ID, Bonner’s Ferry – October 10-14, 2016
OR, Portland – October 24-26, 2016
TX, Odessa/Andrews – February 13-17, 2017
TX, San Antonio – March 27-31, 2017
CA, Porterville – April 3-7, 2017

You can view my full event calendar here. Any dates not otherwise marked are probably available for a visit to your school.

More Information

For more information about my programs and fees, simply fill out this form and I will contact you with further details. I look forward to hearing from you!