Have You Heard About Lady Bird?: Poems About Our First Ladies by Marilyn Singer; illustrated by Nancy Carpenter The role of First Lady has been defined differently by each woman who’s held it, but all of them left an impact on our nation as partner of the commander in chief. Incisive poetry by Marilyn Singer and energetic art by Nancy Carpenter provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives of women from Martha Washington to Eleanor Roosevelt to Lady Bird Johnson. This book lauds their unique and varied contributions to American history.
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In children’s-YA writing, maintaining an active publishing career is arguably an even bigger challenge than breaking into the field. Reflecting on your personal journey (creatively, career-wise, and your writer-artist’s heart), what bumps did you encounter and how have you managed to defy the odds to achieve continued success?

From the time I was little, I wanted to write—or else, be a dog-kennel owner, but that didn’t seem entirely practical. A writing career didn’t seem entirely practical either.

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As the inventor of reverso poetry and the author of numerous books of poems, Marilyn Singer is a poster child for National Poetry Month. “Usually, when April rolls around, I get to celebrate poetry by doing interviews, Skype visits with schools, and sometimes bookstore appearances,” the award-winning author and poet says.

Singer has been writing poetry since third grade. Often she will recite one of her first poems, “My Ocean Fright,” when making presentations. “I think that even with its problematic grammar, it gives an indication of some of my early interests in language, humor, love of animals, and imagination.” That love of language, nature, and imagination grew as the years passed, and Singer became an English teacher in order to share her appreciation of language with young people.

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“Tallulah decided she’d better pay attention. 

She watched closely. 

She turned her feet and curved her hands near her hips in first position. 

She bent her knees in a plié. She did it perfectly. 

I am an excellent ballerina, she thought.”

Hundreds of children know and love this story about Tallulah, a young ballet student, although, it may be new to you. Today we’ll acquaint ourselves with the author of the book series, “Tallulah.” Her name is Marilyn Singer.  She’s known for touching a variety of subjects in her books – from animals to schools to aliens! She has also invented a thing-a-ma-jig that she calls a “reverso” poem. Singer is the winner of the 2015 National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry. She has over 100 books to her credit.

Listen to the interview here.

Parents, relatives, babysitters: you know the deal. A bedtime story is a favorite part of most kids’ pre-sleep routines. But in order to capture a child’s imagination, as well as teach them a lesson without revving them up so much that they want to leap out from under the covers, requires one to follow a precise recipe.

Brooklyn-based writer, Marilyn Singer, understands the formula better than most. She’s the award-winning author of more than 100 children’s books including “Mirror Mirror,” “City Lullaby,” and the “Tallulah” series, and her books frequently appear on “best” lists by Time Magazine and The New York Times. Singer also provides advice for aspiring children’s books writers on her website. We spoke to Singer over email in order to get some basic bedtime story advice so that any intrepid parents out there who want to concoct some tales for their children and give bedtime a bit more of a personal touch.

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Where does creative inspiration come from? Listen to Marilyn on BYU Radio’s “Worlds Awaiting” talk about her inspiration when creating a book. Known for touching on a variety of subjects – from animals to schools to aliens – she’s also invented a thing-a-ma-jig called a “reverso”poem. Marilyn is the winner of the 2015 National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry. She has over 100 books to her credit. She’s also the creator of five picture books featuring Tallulah, a young ballet student.

Listen to the interview here.