It’s easy to rhyme.
It’s really easy to rhyme badly.
It’s nearly impossible to rhyme beautifully.
If you have a brilliant idea and think you should write it
in rhyme, attempt to talk yourself out of it. I am not trying to tell you not
to rhyme because I think you are incapable.
I know you are. Rhyming is easy—kindergarteners do it. What is difficult about a rhyming picture
book is the meter. How’s that for earth
shattering paradigm shifting news? Rhyme is easy, meter is hard. But, think about picture books—it’s not
enough that you can read it out loud. It has to be read out loud by a stranger
without you saying in his ear, “no, the accent goes on that word/syllable…” A rhymed
picture book has absolutely no wiggle room. It has to be spot-on,
letter-perfect brilliant-- or it fails completely.
Ask yourself these questions:
·
Can this story be told without rhyme? Can it be told just as effectively—or more
so—in prose?
·
Will it benefit from having the space to breathe
on its own?
·
Are you moving the plot around just to
accommodate the rhyme-- will its voice be better off without using the rhyming
words? Are those words cumbersome to the
story?
·
Is the rhyme a crutch holding up a story unable
to stand on its own? Is it too slight?
Now, try writing your story in prose.
If you choose rhyme, then it is your obligation to make sure
the rhyme and the story are balanced.
·
Figure out which parts of the story are only
there to serve the rhyme.
·
Never mangle your sentences to fit the rhyme.
·
Don’t try to squeeze your story into a rhyming
format.
·
Choose your words as carefully as you would in a
non-rhyming picture book. It’s not ok to
use we, see, tree, and with glee at the end of half the lines
of a book.
·
Making up a word is fun sometimes. But remember,
there was only one Dr. Seuss.
·
Do not set yourself up with a complicated rhyme
scheme that you can’t carry it throughout.
·
Your story, not the rhyme, needs to be primary.
Jamberry by
Bruce Degan: Delicious word play make
this book one-of-a-kind.
“Clickberry!
Clackberry! Pick me a blackberry!”
Circus Train
by Jennifer Cole Judd, illustrated by Melanie Matthews: Deceptively simple, with perfect rhymes that
are never the same old ordinary expected ones. The beginning and end are the
same which gives it a perfect arc and I dare you to read it aloud without
escalating your voice as the circus gets into full swing.
“Elephants
dancing. Poodles prancing. Tumbling, twirling, flags unfurling.”
Stick and Stone
by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld:
This shows you what you can do with very few words in a rhyming concept
book. Often with only one or two words
on a page this is a study in ‘less is more.’
“Stick. Stone. Lonely.
Alone. A zero. A one. Alone is no fun.”
The Library
by Sarah Stewart, illustrated by David Small: This is a longer story text which relies on a
bouncy rhyme that could go wrong at any moment because of its length, but never
does.
“Elizabeth Brown
entered the world, dropping straight down from the sky. Elizabeth Brown entered the world, skinny,
nearsighted, and shy.”
Jessie Bear What Will You Wear by Nancy White Carlstrom, illustrated by Bruce Degan: Fun and word-perfect with a great repeating refrain
that breaks up the rhyme.
“I’ll wear my
pants, My pants that dance, My pants that dance in the morning.”
Water Is Water
by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Jason Chin: This text contains both internal
and end-of-line rhymes. Line breaks and page turns brilliantly inform the read
aloud.
“Whirl. Swirl. Watch it curl by. Steam is steam unless… it cools high.”
An Invitation tothe Butterfly Ball by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Jane Breskin Zalben: sets up the rhyme scheme right up front and
delivers on it on every page. The child
listener will know the refrain by page three and be able to ‘read’ along.
“Knock. Knock. Who’s
come to call? An invitation to the Butterfly Ball. One little mouse in great
distress, looks all over for a floor length dress. If she can’t find one
smaller than small, then she can’t go to the Butterfly Ball.”
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague: Simple and
short with obvious kid-friendly rhymes that allow for the child listener to
guess the next word or line:
“Does a dinosaur stomp
his feet on the floor/ and shout, ‘I want to hear one book more!’ Does a
dinosaur ROAR?”
Additionally, here are brilliant examples of books that
could have easily been written in rhyme but found their own amazing voice
without it:
Vampirina Ballerina
by Anne Marie Pace, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Maya Was Grumpy
by Courtney Pippen-Mathur
Worm Loves Worm
by J.J. Austrian, illustrated by Mike Curato
Heidi is giving away one of her books OR a picture book critique at the conclusion of ReFoReMo! To be eligible, please comment on this post and make efforts to read mentor text regularly.
Heidi didn’t want to be a writer when she grew up. In fact, after she graduated from college, she became a probation officer in Florida. It wasn’t until she was 28 years old that she gave in and joined the family business, publishing her first short story in a book called Famous Writers and Their Kids Write Spooky Stories. The famous writer was her mom, author Jane Yolen. Since then, she has published more than twenty books and numerous short stories and poems, mostly for children. Some of those books are rhyming picture books including You Nest Here With Me, Pretty Princess Pig, and Not All Princesses Dress In Pink. Heidi and her mom both live on a big old farm with two houses, three barns, a couple cats, and a whole lot of books.
Wonderful post. Many good take-aways, too. Here are two of my favorites:
ReplyDelete"Rhyme is easy, meter is hard."
"Your story, not the rhyme, needs to be primary."
Thank you Heidi, this is a terrificly useful post.
Haha! I was just telling my critique group last week that rhyme is the easy part. It's getting the meter right that's hard. Thank you for the lesson on writing in rhyme and your list of mentor texts.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, Heidi. Such excellent advice and warning about the difficulty of meter. I adore your example books and appreciate the three "outliers" you provided. Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteHeidi, wonderful thought provoking ideas about meter. Twisting and twirling sentences to rhyme hurts the PB manuscript. Great examples to study for rhyming and non-rhyming.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post!
Good advice! Meter is definitely the hard part 😂
ReplyDeleteThanks for the insight! Good post Heidi!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy well-done rhyming texts, but have been hesitant to try. I'm motivated to give it try for the discipline of the task and still focus on story. Thanks for your posting.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your insights. Rhyme is easy. Meter is hard.
ReplyDeleteI love this whole selection and have many of them in my own collection...now if I could write one myself! :)
ReplyDeleteI'll return to the post again... I'm sure! I get it in my mind that some concepts are funnier in rhyme and for some reason, when I try to take them out of the structure, well, it makes me unhappy. I'm going to tear it apart again! (100x is the charm, right?) :) Thanks for sharing your suggestions with us!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Heidi! Thank you for giving us examples of books where rhyming works … I totally agree that: "Rhyme is easy, meter is hard." I love that you also listed books that could have been written in rhyme but weren’t and where "Your story, not the rhyme, needs to be primary."
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post. I especially like your examples of books that could have been written in rhyme but were not... totally agree.
ReplyDeleteThese books are such a joy to read aloud! Thank you for the tips to keep in mind when writing a PB story - rhyming or not.
ReplyDeleteLove this insightful post. Everyone who attempts rhyme needs to read this. Thank you, Heidi.
ReplyDeleteThanks for these honest cautions about writing in rhyme balanced with the "it's possible to do it well" excellent examples of books. Thanks, Heidi.
ReplyDeleteGreat examples, Heidi, and I appreciate the cautions for rhyming/not rhyming. I am not a rhymer and I know it. I sure do appreciate a great rhyme, though. TY.
ReplyDeleteHave made note of the titles I didn't know, Heidi.
ReplyDeleteAnd am always happy to see familiar loves.
Vampirina Ballerina makes the kids I read it to -dance!
Great post.
Jan
Such great insights. I'm in awe of people who can do this well. It is really really hard.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Heidi!
ReplyDeleteHi, Heidi! Thanks for the awesome list of books and the great post. I love rhyming books, but I am terrified to write them, still I just finished my 18th draft of a story that seemed to be begging for some rhyme. I sprinkled it here and there, and now I'm waiting for a critique. Yup. I have no idea how that will go.
ReplyDeleteI remember learning meter in my Latin classes. But in Latin you can move words anywhere... not so much in English!
ReplyDeleteAwe...Jessie Bear was my son's favorite. I can still say the whole thing by heart and he's 23! Thanks for your informative post.
ReplyDeleteMy first books were by Dr. Seuss, so I love rhyming books. Thanks for posting this wonderful list of rhyming books. I love reading them, but hesitate at writing them.
ReplyDeleteI don't write in rhyme, but I sure do love to read rhyming picture books!
ReplyDeleteSometimes, you just hear that rhyme. Other times, it's inadvertent. Thanks for showing us the ones that work.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny how easy it is to rhyme yet how difficult it is to write a decent rhyming picture book? I don't dare try, but I can appreciate when it's well done such as these. Stick and Stone is one of my new favorites- the story is so adorable that I forgot all about the rhyming. I think that says a lot about how invested I got in characters that are a rock and a stick!
ReplyDeleteTrying to write in rhyme is not for me but I enjoy reading a rhyming PB out loud to kiddos. It feels like a song. Lucky you, Heidi, to have such a wonderful mentor mother.
ReplyDeleteJust what I needed for a rhyming story I had shelved. Thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteWonderful inspiration on the importance of verse in children's picture books. Thank you for sharing these mentor texts.
ReplyDeleteCarole Calladine
Wonderful post and advice. Thanks so much Heidi.
ReplyDeleteGreat list! I will stick to appreciating great rhyme and writing my PBs in prose :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the post. Very helpful even though I don't write in rhyme!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Heidi!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I have a story that thinks it HAS to be in rhyme, so I've got it in "timeout" until it grows up a little. ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Heidi, for the tips and examples for great rhyme and meter.
ReplyDeleteI admire writers who can rhyme and wish I could. I enjoyed your recommendations, Heidi. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI agree, it's super hard writing in rhyme for so many reasons. I haven't resorted yet to made up words (hoorah!) but I've come close! Thanks for a great post!
ReplyDeleteI tried writing one story in rhyme and it *is* so hard because of the meter. Thanks for your great suggestions and helpful list of books, Heidi!
ReplyDeleteThis is fantastically helpful. Thanks so much for some great mentor text ideas!
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas! Thanks for your very helpful post.
ReplyDeleteImmediately forwarded to all my crit group pals who are brave enough to work in rhyme -- a much appreciated and to-the-point post Heidi!
ReplyDeleteI loved Stick and Stone. Thank you for the advise, I totally agree with you, that's why I don't even attempt!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Heidi, for this insightful advice and wonderful list of rhyming mentor texts. When my kids were preschoolers, we must've read Jamberry hundreds of times. So fun to read aloud!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the great list of beautifully rhyming picture books and for your advice about having someone else read our rhyming manuscripts aloud.
ReplyDeleteHi Heidi, thanks for this wonderful post! I've been experimenting writing in rhyme and so far I'm loving it. The question, of course, is whether my readers will... Anyway, love this list and hope to find some of these in my local library.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, Heidi. I need to store this somewhere so I can easily refer new poetry writers to it.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that hit home for me: "Are you moving the plot around just to accommodate the rhyme?" YES! This happens so easily. Sometimes I've written three or four stanzas to make a point when, had I written it in prose, I could have done it better in one sentence and not mucked up the pacing.
Wise words. I LOVE rhyme. I LOVE to read rhyme aloud. I CAN NOT RHYME! I WILL NOT RHYME!
ReplyDeleteI love rhyme, and have had some success, but always have to ask myself the questions Heidi posed. I've written hundreds of personal poems for different occasions, but they don't have to adhere to the strict rules that picture books have to abide by. A great post, and can't wait to read each book.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Heidi! Excellent advice and excellent choice of books.
ReplyDeleteThanks for these suggestions. I also recommend Julia Donaldson for rhyme. Room on the Broom is one of her best.
ReplyDeleteI love the succinct way you put it: it's not about the rhyme, it's about the meter. Best explanation of the rhyming issue. Thank you for the samples of rhyming considerations
ReplyDeleteA lot to think about if one is considering writing in rhyme. Thanks you for the mentor texts and great advice!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your advice. "The Library" is one of my favorites due to the phrasing and carefully chosen words.
ReplyDeleteOh, this is sooo something I want to learn more about. I want to learn to rhyme well, but am a bit timid to try because they say it has to be so SPOT on. I plan to study, study, study. Thank you for the great list of mentor texts!
ReplyDeleteI love the title suggestions of books that could have been rhyme but prose worked better instead. Thank you Heidi!
ReplyDeleteGreat advice! I love rhyming picture books and would love to write them successfully, but meter...
ReplyDeleteAwesome post! Thanks for the mentor text suggestions.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of having someone read a rhyming manuscript cold! Great post. Thanks Heidi.
ReplyDeleteThank you Heidi! You give us great advice and a great list of mentor texts!
ReplyDeleteIt really is hard to write well in rhyme. Hats off to the authors that make it look easy.
ReplyDeleteLike your list of mentor texts. Jamberry is always fun to read-aloud.
ReplyDeleteIt's so tempting to write in rhyme, but it is soooooo very, very hard to do and do it well.
ReplyDeleteI don't gravitate toward rhyme when I write, but whenever I read mentor texts with well-written rhyme, or when I read them to my elementary students, I'm struck by how powerful and satisfying they are. I love the inclusion of less traditional rhyming texts in your list. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHeidi thanks for sharing great examples of rhyming picture books that work!
ReplyDeleteThank you Heidi. My favorite line "Your story, not the rhyme, needs to be primary."
ReplyDeleteI don't posses the rhyming gene, but enjoy reading great examples of rhyming picture books. Thanks for the recommendations.
ReplyDeleteMeter is really hard and I seem to be meter deaf, lol :-D
ReplyDeleteThanks for your advice and for sharing these terrific mentor texts!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness. What a helpful post on rhyme! Thank you. I will definitely be printing this one out for reference.
ReplyDeleteThese books were so fun to read. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWriting in rhyme is so difficult and some people can make it seem effortless. I'm loving pouring over some of these unfamiliar books!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, can I just say, I am SO honored to have my book among the wonderful books on list--I can't believe it! Thank you, Heidi, for a great round up and discussion on rhyme...I think this post just made my whole year! <3
ReplyDeleteJennifer, I use your book anytime I discuss rhyme. It's absolutely perfect--I love to read it aloud to classes of adults!
DeleteThank you for taking the time to share your tips with us. I couldn’t agree more that rhyming is the easy part, but meter, that takes true talent! I smiled when I read your advice, “If you have a brilliant idea and think you should write it in rhyme, attempt to talk yourself out of it.”
ReplyDeleteThe combination of meter, rhyme, and page turns in Water is Water is delightful. And what a sweet surprise Jesse Bear (Bare in the bathtub spread: ha!) was!
ReplyDeleteExcellent post!!!!! I am so excited to see my crit. partner's Circus Train on your list!
ReplyDeleteProbation officer? I enjoy hearing the path others took to the book industry. I have an accounting degree. Imaginations are not welcome in that field! :)
ReplyDeleteSome great suggestions here. Have a,few manuscripts that I need to let someone read aloud. Thanks for the great post!
ReplyDeleteSome authors just make it so easy. Thanks for reminding us that it's not!
ReplyDeleteThanks Heidi...for so much useful information! I love that suggestion about "handing" a manuscript over to new eyes...w/ not hints...just take notes. Great tips! I have read a few of your suggested picture books, but am looking foward to reading the others!
ReplyDeleteThis was great, Heidi! Thank you! As someone who loves to write in rhyme, but struggles terribly with meter, I appreciated your suggestions. One of these days I'll get it right!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts about rhyme. Rhyme is so much fun when it's done well. I was especially happy to see Jamberry on your list, as that was a favorite book when my daughters--now in their 20's--were little. I ordered a new copy, because the old one had been loved to death.
ReplyDeleteThank you Heidi for reminding me not to try it. Picture books are hard enough to write without adding the difficulty of meter and rhyme. Though I do love reading a well written rhyming story.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading these rhyming stories. I admire a well-metered rhyme. So hard to pull off! Great post with good advice. Thanks, Heidi.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun to read some old favorites and new ones with your cautionary words in mind!
ReplyDeleteGreat post and suggestions. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the questions you included to ask ourselves, in order to see if rhyme is what will work best for our story or not. This one especially stuck out to me, and will keep it in mind as I write: "it is your obligation to make sure the rhyme and the story are balanced." THANK YOU!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post. The comparison of strong rhyming books with great books that don't rhyme was informative. I've never tried to rhyme in a picture book, but I never would have thought about meter. Very helpful.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated your post. I want to read and study the books you mentioned. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post Heidi. I totally agree that story comes first. So far I haven't written any rhyming stories (none of my story ideas so far seemed to need this). However a few years ago I decided I needed to learn meter. So I bought a bunch of poetry books and started writing poems, paying particular attention to meter. I am starting to "get it" - Highlights High Five even picked up one of my poems. Yahoo! It takes a lot of practice to write good meter. It also makes word choice trickier. But meter can be learned and like all writing - it can be revised. So if your story really needs it, you can learn to do it. Studying great rhyming picture books is a good way to learn - so thanks for the book recommendations!
ReplyDeleteI love rhyme...love to read it and love to write it, but I so agree that it is so difficult. All the better for enjoying the best of the best as are the examples you provided in the mentor texts. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great advice! Rhyming PBs are probably not my thing, but I love reading ones that are done well.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this great post, Heidi! I haven't attempted any rhyming PBs yet but you've included some great advice and mentor texts that I'll be saving for future reference.
ReplyDeleteI love this: "Making up a word is fun sometimes. But remember, there was only one Dr. Seuss." Excellent advice! Thanks! Liz Tipping
ReplyDeleteThanks, Heidi, for the suggested readings on this topic! These mentor texts couple nicely with the notes I took on this very topic from your Mom's seminar at this year's SCBWI conference in New York. I appreciate your added insights as well, because my brain defaults to rhyme, and I'm challenging myself to work more in prose this year. So far, I'm pleased with my success, and how I've been using your Mom's (and your) tips to improve my existing books' revisions. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post and the recommended texts. Thank you for sharing about a topic that seems to challenge so many of us!
ReplyDeleteOh, that elusive culprit that everyone wants to capture. Great mentor texts!
ReplyDeleteI love reading rhyming picture books. Can't wait to read your suggested mentor texts.
ReplyDeleteI'm always amazed by a good rhyming picture book. Thanks for the recommendations!
ReplyDeleteWonderfully informative and smile-inducing advice. I particularly enjoyed this gem, "It’s not ok to use we, see, tree, and with glee at the end of half the lines of a book" and the gentle reminder that there was only one Dr. Seuss.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for including the great mentor texts. My now-adult kids adored Jamberry when they were young, and we enjoyed reading it, again and again and again...
Great advice on rhyme! Thanks, Heidi.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a good post with terrific examples. As a kindergarten teacher I know how right you are when you say rhyme is easy, meter is hard.
ReplyDeleteGreat info about rhyming! Thank you! It is difficult to rhyme well. I shall take this to heart and consider my stories and the potential for telling them in rhyme - or not!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Heidi, for this excellent post and the examples you gave. Great advice with many takeaways!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteGreat tips and books to study, Heidi. Thanks!
Thank you so much for the challenge to think about the relationship between rhyme and meter. As a percussionist who is new to writing, I'm very interested in this list and your assessment of these titles.
ReplyDeleteThanks Heidi! I am writing a book in rhyme and you raise some excellent points for me to ponder as I write it. It's not easy to have the meter remain consistent throughout the story.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Heidi!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Heidi, for these great example books showing impeccable rhyme. As a kid, I was in love with "An Invitation to the Butterfly Ball"! Sweet memories.
ReplyDelete"How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" by Jane Yolen is a gem and illustrator, Mark Teague, does a magnificent job with the pictures.
ReplyDeleteWonderful tips on rhyming and mentor texts! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteRhyme is easy. Meter is hard.
ReplyDeleteThat is so true!
Thanks for a great post. I like the book examples and see one I wasn't aware of. Now I need to check it out.
Great advice from a master. Thanks, Heidi!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Heidi! Great post - and really wonderful and fun books to read. I love Jamberry, Jesse Bear... from back when I read them to my kids! Our library copies are loved to death - the mark of a truly good book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of these great rhyming pointers, Heidi!!
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried a rhyming story yet. Thanks for the tips.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post! Rhyming picture books are illustrated poems, and I agree with you that getting the meter right is a challenge. As is keeping the text from being annoyingly singsong. Thanks also for your suggestions of books that could have rhymed, but didn't.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI love making poems with a net, but only when the making is warranted. Thanks for an insightful post!
ReplyDeleteAll day, I apologized to my husband, "It's Heidi's fault. I can't stop rhyming."
ReplyDelete(Also, curious. Do you get extra mentor points for being mentioned in an acknowledgement?)
For everyone who commented, please know, I have read them all. I am humbled by the time you all took to let me know that my post was helpful or meaningful in some way. Thank you all!
ReplyDeleteWhen beautiful rhyme and sweet stories create the dance for a picture book, I feel all giddy with joy! It is not my area of talent, so I appreciate it all the more. Thanks also for the good summaries of high-quality mentor pieces written in rhyme!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great post, Heidi. I was especially intrigued by the books that could have been written in rhyme but weren't. I really hadn't looked at books that way. I usually think the other way around (written in rhyme but narrative would have been better). I was surprised I hadn't read, The Butterfly Ball, since it was published about the time I graduated from an undergrad KidLit course–dinosaur days. I will have to add that to my Yolen shelf. I'm happy to say I have the books mentioned in your bio. :) Great post!
ReplyDeleteThe best advice on rhyming and meter by Heidi Stemple. I note many outstanding titles.
ReplyDelete~Suzy Leopold
Thank you for these rhyming book recommendations. I also appreciate that you included books that could have been written in rhyme, but had amazing voice without it. I am trying to rewrite a couple of manuscripts into prose, so I appreciate your suggestions for mentor texts.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Heidi! It seems to me that it's not a question of "to rhyme or not to rhyme" — there's a lot of music in well-written stories — playing rhythms & sounds — I like to think of it as if I'm writing on two levels — one is the basic story and all its elements; then there's the musical "score" which can play with or against what's going on in the story —
ReplyDeleteJesse Bear and Jamberry...I can still say them by heart even though my children are teenagers. Thanks for the great examples!
ReplyDeleteHave someone else read your story cold - yes, that's the way to get to the scary truth of what's working and what isn't.
ReplyDeletePrinting this! Thank you for your insight!
ReplyDeleteLove your advice, and books you've noted. Thanks so much, Heidi! 🌼
ReplyDeleteHeidi,
ReplyDeletei love your questions and will print them out to use as I revise once more my manuscripts.
sue
Loved reading aloud Jamberry and Jesse Bear when I was teaching. Such great examples!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great list of books! Perfect examples! Don't know if I'm cut out for rhyming but I definitely want to try. Thank you for this wonderful post, Heidi!
ReplyDeleteSuch good insights! I'm not a rhymer or big fan of rhyming books, but you reminded me how GOOD it can be when it's done well.
ReplyDeleteThanks Heidi for your words of wisdom regarding writing rhyme; these mentor texts all look lovely. Looking forward to reading the ones I haven't already read.
ReplyDeletePerfect blog post for me to read with what I was working on today! Thanks Heidi!
ReplyDeleteThanks Heidi for providing some great rhyming mentor texts.
ReplyDeleteThanks for both the writing tips and the helpful mentor list!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the rhyming advice. Meter is definitely hard! I've been afraid to even try to rhyme! I'll keep reading and studying and maybe one day...
ReplyDeleteThis post was for me. I love writing in rhyme. But, you are right. It is hard to get the meter just right. I think I'll check out these books and see just how they do it.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post, Heidi! I love your advice not to use we, see, tree and with glee as last words in every sentence! Thanks for great mentor texts too!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Heidi, for the important information in this post. Meter is my biggest issue in rhyme. I prefer infusing lyrical language in my prose and writing free verse poetry instead!
ReplyDeleteThank you for such excellent advice, Heidi. I love to write in rhyme, but I've resisted doing so for quite awhile. I used to think that if the story came to me in rhyme, that I had to write it that way. Now I'm trying to write it in prose and see if afterwards it still demands to be in rhyme. Usually the answer is "No!"
ReplyDeleteGreat post Heidi, thank you! So nice to see Jessie Bear What Will You Wear? on the list. Read this to my preschool students MANY years ago and lovely to see it again. Brings back fond memories. Thank you for the insights and information.
ReplyDeleteI have a story about a bush dance in outback Australia and have tried desperately NOT to rhyme it - but that animals keep bouncing around rhyming.
ReplyDeleteI definitely recognize a few rhyming favorites on that list! Thanks for including books that could have chosen to rhyme - but didn't.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great post. Like others I appreciated your list of books that could have rhymed but didn't.
ReplyDeleteYour epilogue says so much -books that could have been rhymers but chose not to; that's a nice nudge to consider prose.
ReplyDeleteLove Maya was Grumpy!
ReplyDeleteThank you Heidi. As someone whose stories argue about whether they want to be written in rhyme or prose, your blog was really helpful. Great mentor texts - Water is Water is amazing.
ReplyDeleteOff to read a few new rhyming tales (and thank you for reminding me of old favourites... The Library)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great cautionary tale about the perils of poetry writing.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Maria Johnson
Great idea to have someone read a manuscript to the writer - thanks.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Heidi. Great advise laid out so clearly.
ReplyDeleteLove your opening two sentences. So true!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post! Thank you, Heidi!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post! So true: when the meter is off it totally throws the reader off. Good idea to have someone else read it to you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the helpful suggestions. I also enjoyed Maya Was Grumpy as an example of a book written with prose that could easily have been written in rhyme. I love Courtney Pippin-Mathur's use of action words in the book.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Heidi! I will refer to your post whenever I'm trying to persuade a critique partner to rewrite a manuscript to prose. The advice will be much easier to take coming from you!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, thank you!
ReplyDeleteWonderful post. Thank you, Heidi! I love these mentor texts, and also think about The Little Blue Truck, which sounds perfect to my ear.
ReplyDeleteI learned heard at an SCBWI conference this weekend that the story should stand alone--and you might write it also in prose. Once the story is solid, then attempt the rhyme. Your insights and mentors show how to do that next step. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMeter is hard. Thank you for the reminder that if a story doesn't need to be told in rhyme, it shouldn't be told in rhyme.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Great list.
ReplyDeleteRee
Thanks for this great post on writing in rhyme and the terrific mentor texts.
ReplyDeleteThanks for great questions to keep in mind as I write!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post! I truly enjoyed the playful interactions in these quality rhyming books.
ReplyDeleteIt is such a treat to read a beautifully rhymed picture book. Thanks for the wonderful list of mentor texts, Heidi
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the reminder that the story always comes first, not the rhyme, and that the story can't be there simply to serve the rhyme. Thanks for the advice!
ReplyDeleteI love reading and writing rhyme! But yes, it's not the easy option and getting the meter right is so tricky. Thanks for the tips and recommendations!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the great post Heidi! I love the questions you pose.
ReplyDeleteFun recommendations! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to bookmark this post for those times when I decide to experiment with rhyme. Thanks Heidi for very helpful advice!
ReplyDelete"Attempt to talk yourself out of it." Ha, I love it! So true. And if you can't talk yourself out of it, prepare to be perfect.
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of many Dr. Seuss books because of the made-up words. It isn't hard to rhyme/be creative when you make up words. The books listed above do such a nice job of rhyming. The Seven Silly Eaters is another good example of an effective long rhyming book.
ReplyDeleteHeidi, thank you for including a list of "books that could have easily been written in rhyme but found their own amazing voice without it." Very helpful!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your reading list.
ReplyDeleteGood rhyme sounds so pleasing that many newbies think it must be easy to create. Meter is hard! Thank you for wonderful advice, Heidi.
ReplyDeleteUsing these snow days to catch up on my ReFoReMo comments! :) I have not attempted to write in rhyme yet but this is an excellent list of mentor texts. The most recent book on this list I've read to my students is Water is Water. Absolutely gorgeous and lends itself perfectly to a read aloud. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for helpful advices. I have started asking some of the given questions from my rhyming text.
ReplyDeleteThanks for referring The Library, it might just help me pave a path through my rhyming ms since it's a similar type of story...
ReplyDeleteThank you, Heidi, this is an informative post. I've read seven of the books mentioned and love The Library - so do my local librarians.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Heidi--a couple here are new to me. Just put them on reserve:>)
ReplyDeleteYour introduction to writing or not writing poetry was very helpful. Thanks, Heidi
ReplyDeleteThank you for the post and examples! It's so timely for me--to follow an idea, I'm learning more about poetry and meter.
ReplyDeleteI just took a PB poetry workshop and some of this advice was a great addition to what I have been looking at in my own work. Thanks so much for this list of mentor texts... very diverse... but all beautiful books! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteRhyming PB - so hard to do and do well. This is something I will be working on...
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
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