A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt-Landon and Penny

Posted on by Penny Parker Klostermann
Ants may rule the hill, but they don’t rule here! Art by Landon (Click to Enlarge)
Ants may rule the hill, but they don’t rule here! Art by Landon (Click to Enlarge)

Hello, Great Readers of our series! Just In case you haven’t visited before, let me tell you a little about A Great Nephew and A Great Aunt. My great nephew, Landon (a sixth-grader) and I (his great aunt) collaborate. I write a poem which he illustrates. We started this collaboration in the fall of 2014 and have had so much fun with it that we decided to invite others along. Landon and I will continue to have a new episode on the second Friday of each month. The other Fridays are filling up quickly with guests. I have created a page on my website to view all the episodes of A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt. Click HERE to visit the page and enjoy past episodes.

Since it’s a second Friday, Landon and I are up! Today is a special post for me because I’m featuring my poem that is published in the Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations. There are several Poetry Friday Anthologies and they are wonderful. Not only do they include a ton of amazing poetry by a variety of amazing poets, but I believe they’re a must-have tool for teachers sharing poetry with students.poetry friday celebrations

So is there a particular reason that I’m sharing my poem today? Why, yes, there is! 😀 Did you know that November 16th is a day to celebrate buttons? That’s just three days from now. And it just so happens that my poem was written for National Button Day. And it just so happens that Landon did an amazing job of capturing the mood with his illustration. I’m not surprised because he sure has that knack.

The Poem

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The Art

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Art by Landon

Today I have a little bit extra. Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell are the brains behind the Poetry Friday Anthologies. They created an adorable graphic for National Button Day and I get to share it here today.klostermann buttons jpeg copy

Thanks so much for joining us today. I appreciate all of you who read this series. Oh! For those of you wondering . . . yes, Landon did include his secret hidden object in his art for today’s episode. See you next week for more collaboration 🙂

If you’d like to celebrate buttons for a few more minutes, Jama Rattigan featured my poem on her blog and the post is delightful! You can find it right HERE.

Thanks to Bridget Magee for hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup at wee words for wee ones. If you’d like to know more about Poetry Friday, click HERE for an explanation by Renee LaTulippe.poetry friday button

38 thoughts on “A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt-Landon and Penny”

  1. Hi, Penny, thanks for sharing your fun poem and Landon’s adorable drawing. We are so thrilled to include your poem in THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY. As a button aficionado, I am particularly pleased to see buttons celebrated in your wonderful poem! Plus, it’s fun to connect with a fellow Texan, too! 🙂
    Sylvia

    Liked by 1 person

  2. So happy to see your fun poem featured alongside Landon’s adorable drawing! Thank YOU for creating this wonderful poem for THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR CELEBRATIONS. As a fellow button aficionado, I am so glad to see buttons get this attention! Plus, I love meeting a fellow Texan! Hope we can meet in person soon!
    Sylvia

    Liked by 1 person

  3. My grandma had a button tin, filled with various buttons she had collected over the years. I used to run my hands through the tin…smooth, cool textures met a soothing sound as buttons dispersed against the tin. I love this collaboration and Landon’s picture made me think of a favorite children’s book, too: Corduroy. Great work, Penny and Landon!

    Liked by 1 person

  10. This was such a great poem!! I love Landon’s illustrations that go along. My mother used to keep a huge collection of buttons in an old candy jar when I was growing up. She always used them when inevitably one of me, or my 6 siblings would lose a button. My favorites were the ones she used when she knitted a baby sweater…rattles, teddy bears, pearls…such fond memories your poem has elicited for me. Congratulations on your publication. And I went over to Jama’s site, you weren’t kidding, that was some celebration of your poem and National Button Day!!

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    1. Thanks for coming by, Jean. When I saw that Button Day was open for the anthology I knew right away I wanted to attempt a poem for the publication. My memories were similar to yours—but I had only 3 siblings. Mom was always needed replacement buttons . . . thus the shiny buttons in a jar.
      Glad you enjoyed Jama’s post. If you don’t already follow her blog, you should sign up. Each and every post is a treat.

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  12. Can you hear me squealing with delight? LOVE Landon’s drawing with the teddy and secret object that he snuck in there. And the special graphic is brilliant!!! Cuteness overload!! You know how much I love your poem — it’s wonderful to read it again here and be reminded that Monday is National Button Day. 🙂

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  13. Love it, Penny. I feel honored to have seen “Button Day” before it was published. Love the colorful illustration Sylvia had done to celebrate National Button Day and also Landon’s bear missing its button eye. I see the tip of a sharpened pencil sticking out near a bedpost. Just saying . . . might be the hidden object!

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  15. I know that in Canada there are button clubs that have gone on for generations. Love the poem with that ‘teddy-hug ones’ & Landon’s teddy bear ‘wink’, & all the rest too. Landon is getting better & better at his secret hidden object. It makes my imagination run wild. Do I really ‘see’ it, or is it something I’m creating? Much fun all around!

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  16. Didn’t know there was a button day. Fun poem and I especially like your last line “Buttons wink goodnight.” Excellent illustration, Brandon. Can’t find the hidden item. Is Button the teddy’s name? The wink looks like a lost button from a well-used teddy bear.

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    1. Now that you know about National Button Day, you have a reason to celebrate on the 16th 😀 Maybe with cake or your favorite cookies. I hadn’t named the bear but your suggestion is perfect. Now he has a name. Thanks for coming by, Pat.

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