A Good Morning for Giddo by Dahlia Constantine and Irene Latham

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference for Roundup.

I invite you to check out your Tuesday 2-Minute Writing Tip 23 "3 More Mindset Shifts for Writers." You can find it and all the episodes in the series at my YouTube channel. More episodes coming!

Also: have you heard this call for funny poems? If you haven't yet met Eric Peterson, let me assure you that he's a good guy with a big heart and a love of children's poetry! Here's the flyer for his Open Call, and you can find out more at his website sillysociety.org.

Now for some book news! In addition to For the Win: Poems Celebrating Phenomenal Athletes, the third curated-by-Latham/Waters poetry anthology, I have another picture book collaboration coming this spring: A Good Morning for Giddo, written by Dahlia Hamza Constantine and Irene Latham, illustrations by Basma Hosam, coming from Nancy Paulsen Books/ Penguin Random House on April 7, 2026.

("Giddo" is how many Egyptian families refer to a grandfather.) The first review has dropped, from Kirkus, and it's a lovely one:

"Constantine and Latham weave a tale that teaches the values of compassion and the importance of slowing down to enjoy the simple pleasures, while simultaneously offering an exploration of the ancient Egyptian arts of calligraphy, abalone inlay, and tentmaking. A special highlight is the theme of language as a cultural touchstone, where even a greeting like “Good morning with roses and jasmine” is a small act of kindness and care. Hosam’s bold and colorful illustrations capture the hustle and bustle of Old Cairo market’s narrow, winding streets. A joyous celebration of Egyptian art and culture and special family bonds."

Dahlia Constantine & Irene Latham

Dahlia and I met when we both served on the NCTE Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children committee. We bonded over books and so many other things...and then we wrote a book together. Pre-order links are live! More on this adventure very soon.

Today's ArtSpeak: WOMEN features (again!) Mary Cassatt! I wrote after her last week, and I found a second piece that wouldn't let me go. And it's fitting, as Somaya, the little girl in A Good Morning for Giddo, loves to stitch! BUT not every girl loves stitching as much as Somaya...so I wrote another version for the anti-sewing kid... :) Thanks so much for reading. 

The Crochet Lesson

Mama says
stitching
helps
when you
are wanting,
wishing

but all
I am wanting,
wishing
right now
is an end
to this
ridiculous
finger-twist
stitching.

- Irene Latham

The Crochet Lesson

Mama says
stitching
helps
when you
are wanting,
wishing

but what
could I possibly
be wanting,
wishing
when Mama
is sitting
with me—just 

me!
simply listening
and stitching?

- Irene Latham