Happy Birthday, Beverly Cleary!

...and happy D.E.A.R. day to the rest of us. For the official hub bub, visit Reading Rockets and Ramona Quimby. Unofficially, you can join me in celebrating Mrs. Quimby's birthday by setting aside some time to drop everything and read today.

Here's an idea: combine D.E.A.R. day with National Poetry Month and read a book of poems together. I suggest Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Eric Beddows (Haper Trophy, 2004; ISBN 0064460932). It's a perfect day in NJ for this book: spring has arrived with all of its creeping, crawling critters. Joyful noise celebrates these little creatures, nature, poetry, and reading together with lyrical poems that beg to be read aloud - even performed.

Enjoy the day! (And don't forget to have some birthday cake in Mrs. Cleary
s honor.) :-)