Love, Laughter, and Life

Adventures With a Book Lover


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The Thank You Book by Danna Smith

The Thank You Book

By Danna Smith

Illustrated by Juliana Perdomo

Little Simon, 2022

This adorable board book is just perfect for Thanksgiving AND any other day of the year when we want to express thanks to someone we meet. As you can tell by the cover, this is not a Thanksgiving book, yet I can see how fun it would be to share it with little readers to give them ideas of how to tell (and show) others thank you. As far as the rest of the year, The Thank You Book is just right.

Colorful illustrations and simple text come together in a delightful package. The rhymes roll easily off the tongue, making it fun to read aloud. From the back cover:

Thanking is easy. Thanking is fun. Can you find a way to thank someone? This lovely book shows us all the ways we can be thankful!

I love how we read about not only ways to say thank you with words, but ways to say (and show) thanks in other ways.

So to you, my readers, thank you for stopping by today! I appreciate you!!


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Haiku Moment: beach time mystery

as I walked one day-

random sunbathing surprise

beach time mystery!

dog toy? picnic side?

fallen barbecue baked dish?

couch beach potato

beach time mystery by Angie Quantrell

Grayland Beach State Park, WA


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Fun with Haiku: PEEK-A-BOO HAIKU by Danna Smith

PEEK-A-BOOK HAIKU a lift-the-flap book

Written by Danna Smith

Illustrated by Teagan White

Little Simon (2023)

This adorable board book has it all: board book quality, gorgeous illustrations, perfect little nature-based haiku poems, lift-the-flaps (always a favorite with the young crowd), hide-and-seek animals. PEEK-BOO-HAIKU is written across the seasons, so add that to its charm and discussion possibilities.

I love to write haiku, and Danna is one of the best haiku writers I’ve had to pleasure to interact with. I’ve admired many of her books. PEEK-A-BOO HAIKU is now one of my mentor texts.

PEEK-A-BOO HAIKU will make a wonderful gift for my almost 11-month-old granddaughter. IF I can give it away. Or maybe she gets her own copy.

Haiku + animals + nature + lifting flaps + hide-and-seek + seasons + board book + illustrations. Keeper!


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come fall

come fall, my breath eases

garden chores relax

cozy becomes theme of the day

sweaters resurface from storage

colors vibrate with final goodbyes

crisp air invigorates

dew dampens pant hems and ankles

caws and honks sing seasonal music

rustles dance through dried sunflowers

zinnias fade and go to seed

pumpkins dangle from spent vines

birds fatten, cats fluff, people bundle

tea and scarves and throws

beckon me to breathe,

embrace

all that is autumn

come fall by Angie Quantrell


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Haiku Moment: orangeade

orangeade charges,

contemplates feline mischief

prepares to attack

orangeade by Angie Quantrell

Reeses, Yakima Valley


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Haiku Moment: fall hurrah

garden end begins

sunlight dwindles, weather cools

final fall hurrah

fall hurrah by Angie Quantrell

Yakima Valley


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Haiku Moment: download

screens capture eye spies-

beautiful scenes download to

heart memory storage

download by Angie Quantrell

Marymere Falls, Olympic Peninsula


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Haiku Moment: life nuggets

Olympic Peninsula

rain spheres land

paint themselves green

life nuggets

orbs unite

assume purpose

refresh all

life nuggets by Angie Quantrell

Olympic Peninsula, WA


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Haiku Moment: rainforest floor

rainforest floor

littered with wonder

translucent friend

rainforest floor by Angie Quantrell

Olympic Peninsula, WA


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Haiku Moment: just a shell

just a shell.

but winding a trail?

it’s alive!

just a shell by Angie Quantrell

Ocean Shores, WA