I thought long and hard about this. I talked to my husband, my critique group, and some close friends to get their input. Many ideas were suggested, debated, and revised. I finally chose Polliwog on Safari for several reasons:
- It's catchy.
- It conjures up a funny image for many people. Perhaps a polliwog (tadpole) riding a camel, or a polliwog sitting on the roof of landrover.
- It's memorable (I hope).
- In many ways, it captures who I am.
- It suggests multiple possiblites.
Polliwogs (also known as tadpoles) are amphibians, therefore they live in in different habitats at different times. As tadpoles, they live entirely in water. Then, with time, food, and the right conditions, those tadpoles change into froglets and ultimately frogs that can leave the water and go up on land. All frogs go through this same basic metamorphosis. Polliwogs are not fully formed, rather they are still growing, developing, and changing. My hope is that kids (adults, too, of course) can be a bit like these ampbibians. They might be most comfortable in a particular situation or location, but I hope they will grow and change as they try new locations. I hope they'll muck about and explore natural places. - For many of us in the US and Europe, the word safari suggests the savanna in East Africa-a different continent with different cultures. Further, the idea of a safari suggest a willingness to take risks and expand your view of the world- to go where adventure takes you. For me, the juxtapostions of those two- polliwogs and savanna- suggests getting out of our natural habitat to see what we can see and who we can meet. My hope is that we will grow and change in the process.
You list novels you've been reading on your side bar. Why don't you list picture books?
Honestly, I read hundreds of picture books a year (Just ask our librarians...Sometimes they call me to ask that I please clear out my holds because they're taking up too much space in our tiny-yet totally awesome- little library). If I listed all of them, the list would become unwieldy. Instead, I list any Middle Grade, Young Adult, or Adult book I read. Being listed on my side bar isn't necessarily a glowing endorsement, though I never list a book I did not enjoy, at least on some level. At a reader's request, I've now started a "Suggested Books" page which includes my favorite picture books. I also have Pinterest Boards which display many of my favorite titles (I'm continually adding to these, so check back often).
Why don't you post your children's names on your blog? As they get older, I may choose to change that policy, but for now, I prefer to leave their names out for privacy and safety.
Why don't you post your children's names on your blog? As they get older, I may choose to change that policy, but for now, I prefer to leave their names out for privacy and safety.
