My Poet

In this dreamy introduction to the art and craft of writing, late Newbery Medalist MacLachlan follows fair-haired child Lucy and her summertime neighbor, a gray-haired older woman—“my poet”—through a seaside town and environs as Lucy, her own notebook and pen in tow, tries to discover how the poet finds her words. “Does the sand whisper to her?” Lucy wonders as they navigate the beach with the poet’s dogs. “Do the roses sing words?” The twosome’s gentle relationship—their pale coloring and clothing echo each other—is tenderly rendered in Hill’s (Be Strong) muted gouache illustrations, as are the atmospheric landscapes: windswept beaches with fenced-in dunes and wild rugosa rose bushes, woods bordering marshes, and modest cottages. Lucy’s quiet joy in learning to find her own words, encouraged by the poet, is uplifting for anyone who has engaged in creative process. This inviting book reads as an ode to the late poet Mary Oliver, the Cape, and new undertakings. An author’s note explains that the text is inspired by Oliver, with whom she sometimes crossed paths on Cape Cod. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. Illustrator’s agent: Anne Moore Armstrong, Bright Agency. (Sept.)