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Nate the Creative

I’m Nate the Creative
and here’s what I do:
I wake up each day and
create something new.

I might bake a pickle
and skyscraper pie.
I might take a nickel
and teach it to fly.

I might paint a picture
of checkerboard cheese,
or fashion a statue
from typewriter keys.

Or dream up a dance
where you stand very still,
or buy all of France
with a nine-dollar bill.

So look all you want
but you won’t ever see
a person on earth
as creative as me.

Tomorrow, I might make
a hat out of you.
I’m Nate the Creative.
It’s just what I do.

Today is the birthday of my newest book, Bigfoot Is Missing!, co-authored with former Children’s Poet Laureate, J. Patrick Lewis. Pat and I had a terrific time researching cryptids (creatures whose existence has not yet been proven) from around the world and writing the poems for this collection. And we were thrilled at the selection of Minalima Design to illustrate the book.

Minalima, the design team of Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima, are perhaps most well-known for creating the graphic props — such as posters, newspapers, maps, etc. — for the Harry Potter films, making them a perfect choice for this “mischievous and slighly edgy” collection of poems about the creatures of shadowy myth and fearsome legend.

Bigfoot, the Mongolian Death Worm, and the Loch Ness Monster are among the many creatures you will find within the pages of this large picture book. Don’t be surprised if you have to look twice—the poems in this book are disguised as street signs, newspaper headlines, graffiti, milk cartons, and more!

Publisher’s Weekly gives Bigfoot Is Missing! a starred review, saying, “These brief, playful poems will whet readers’ appetites to learn more about bunyips, luscas, and Mongolian death worms. Luckily, endpages supply legends and details about these and other creatures, including where they can—or rather can’t—be found.”

Here are links to a few of the rave reviews for Bigfoot Is Missing!

Also, the publisher, Chronicle Books, has a Poetry Picture Book Teacher Guide here with Common Core connections for Bigfoot Is Missing! and several other poetry books.

Candy Love

Chocolate assortments
and little pink hearts.
Hershey’s Kiss Roses
and sour SweeTarts.

All of these candies
arrived with some cards,
sending me mushy
romantic regards.

Valentine’s Day,
what a troublesome date.
Don’t like the cards,
but the candy is great!

How to Write a Traditional Nursery Rhyme

Humpty Dumpty

Some of the best known children’s poetry in the English language are the “nursery rhymes” of Mother Goose. Though no one knows for certain if Mother Goose was a real person, her rhymes have been popular with young children since the 1600’s. Some of the most popular Mother Goose rhymes include “Humpty Dumpty,” “Hey, Diddle Diddle,” “Little Bo Peep,” “Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater,” and many others. In fact, Mother Goose is credited with writing several hundred nursery rhymes.

But did you know that Mother Goose isn’t the only writer of nursery rhymes? “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” was written by an English woman named Jane Taylor. Many of the short nonsense poems of Edward Lear would qualify as nursery rhymes. And some, such as “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider” are “traditional,” meaning we don’t know who wrote them.

In the past few decades, a number of children’s poets have also begun writing new nursery rhymes. For example, Canadian poet Dennis Lee has authored a number of books, including Alligator Pie, Jelly Belly, and Bubblegum Delicious, that are filled with new nursery rhymes. American poet Jack Prelutsky followed suit with books such as Ride a Purple Pelican, Beneath a Blue Umbrella, and The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders.

Many authors have even started writing funny “fractured” nursery rhymes, taking well-known Mother Goose poems and updating them with humor and modern ideas.

In fact, even you can write your own new nursery rhymes, and it’s not that hard. All you need is a pencil, a piece of paper, a little time, and your imagination.

My Cow Bess

I’d like to introduce you to my cow.
Her name is Bess.
She has a special talent that
I know you’d never guess.

She’s fond of eating chocolate
which I feed her every day.
The chocolate makes her happy so
she starts to swing and sway.

She jiggles and she joggles.
She wiggles and she whirls.
She boogies and she bounces.
She taps and twists and twirls.

She shivers and she shudders.
She quivers and she quakes.
I feed her chocolate candy and
she gives me chocolate shakes.

Autumn Is the Time of Year

Autumn is the time of year
when changes start to happen here.
The days grow short. It’s cold outside.
The birds fly south. The squirrels hide.
The leaves fall off of all the trees.
The garden pond begins to freeze.
Another summer’s left behind.
It’s winter soon, but I don’t mind.
For autumn is the time when I
begin to dream of pumpkin pie.

My Baby Brother’s Birthday

My baby brother’s birthday
was a fabulous affair.
The birthday cake was in his lap.
The frosting in his hair.

He threw the ice cream at the walls;
it splattered on the rug.
And then he dumped his apple juice
in mommy’s coffee mug.

He tore the wrapping paper off
of all his brand new toys,
then pounded them to see which ones
would make the loudest noise.

We’ve never had a party that
was such fantastic fun.
I guess they’re simply better
when your brother’s turning one.

When Chemists Die, They Barium

When chemists die, they barium.
Dead kings get throne away.
Magicians simply disappear.
Dog catchers go astray.

When chauffeurs pass, they lose their drive.
Dead ranchers get deranged.
Composers simply decompose,
while bankers are unchanged.

It’s said that swimmers have a stroke.
Mechanics are retired.
The end for human cannonballs
is often when they’re fired.

Librarians, they just check out.
Shoemakers get the boot.
Old cows just kick the bucket, and
dead owls don’t give a hoot.

When travel agents go
they take a permanent vacation,
and dead cartoonists end up
in suspended animation.

My Family’s Fond of Gadgets

My family’s fond of gadgets
and new technology.
My mother likes her radio.
My father likes TV.

My sister likes to dance around
the house with headphones on.
My brother plays on his PC
until the break of dawn.

The baby has a smartphone
and a touchscreen-tablet too.
If we had pets, I’m sure
that even they would have a few.

We chat with instant messaging.
We email and we text.
We’re always looking forward
to the gadget we’ll get next.

The power went out recently.
That day was like no other.
Our screens went blank and, strange but true,
we talked to one another.

Glurp the Purple Alien

I’m Glurp, the purple alien.
I come from outer space.
I have a purple body.
I have a purple face.
I use my purple tentacles
to dine on purple food.
The treats I find the tastiest
are purely purple-hued.
I’ll eat a purple burger.
I’ll slurp a purple shake.
I’ll feast on purple pickles and
partake of purple cake.
I’ll nosh on purple noodles.
I’ll feast on purple fries.
I’ll munch on purple macaroons
and purple pizza pies.
I haven’t seen your planet,
but, if I ever do,
you’d better not wear purple.
I might just dine on you.

What are you looking for?