No ifs, ands, or buts about it: An Alma Berrow still-life sculpture grabs your attention, makes you smile, enables you to see the mundane detritus of everyday life in a new way.
Who’d have ever imagined that ashtrays and cigarette butts could be so intriguing? Or that whatever is left over or left behind, when immortalized in ceramics, is strong enough to have its own thought-provoking narrative? Thanks to Berrow’s creations, inconsequential items we ordinarily dismiss — pistachio shells, note scraps, coins, even moldy lemons — demand we take a second look.
Based in London, Berrow (b. 1992) initially studied Fashion and Textiles at Falmouth University, then spent the next ten years or so working in various creative industries (Pastry Chef, Artist Assistant, Creative Youth Worker, Hospitality). It wasn’t until the 2020 lockdown, when she relocated to Dorset, that she began experimenting with ceramics in her mother’s studio. Her first pieces included small boxes with little body parts on them, a lighter and matches, and of course, cigarette stubs (the ashtrays came later).
Picture this: light rain and cloudy skies, then suddenly the sun breaks through. A rainbow! We’re surprised and delighted at this rare gift. Whether we then picture a pot of gold or dream of a once-in-a-lullaby land where bluebirds fly, it’s pure magic!
We’re probably most familiar with celestial rainbows, but they also appear in other shapes and forms in some unexpected places. These are gloriously celebrated in A Universe of Rainbows: Multicolored Poems for a Multicolored World (Eerdmans BFYR, 2025), a brand new anthology compiled by author-poet Matt Forrest Esenwine with illustrations by Jamey Christoph.
The book features 20 stellar poets, including many from our Poetry Friday community: Irene Latham, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, Charles Waters, Laura Purdie Salas, Janet Wong, and Matt himself (who contributed five poems).
The 22 poems in the collection, written in a variety of poetic forms including free verse, haiku, and pantoum, are presented in five categories:
Rainbows of Light
Rainbow Waters
Living Rainbows
Rainbows of Rock
Rainbows Beyond
Each poem explores a distinct rainbow type and is accompanied by a scientific sidebar of fascinating tidbits. In Rainbows of Light, we see how a rainbow can transform cursed rain into a joyful surprise, and are playfully introduced to Sun Dogs and Pilot’s Glories, before becoming enchanted by a moonbow in southern Africa. We are then reminded of our ability to make our own rainbows with gems and crystals.
THE SATURDAY OF NO by Nikki Grimes
Saturday morning raindrops pelt the slate rooftop, tap out a message I don't want to hear: No sunshine. No clear blue. No hopscotch. No soccer. No softball. No skip rope.
Nope.
There goes my perfect day! Bear-like, I growl about the fun I'll miss. My nose against the windowpane, I curse the rain, then -- wait! I catch the storm's apology: sun-drenched strips of color arch across the sky --
A rainbow! Oh! My!
With Rainbow Waters, we are transported from two hot springs in Yellowstone National Park (the colors of the Morning Glory Pool and the Grand Prismatic Spring emanate from heat-loving bacteria living at different depths), to the Fly Geyser in Nevada (algae in the water flourishing in moist, hot environments colors the rocks), to the Caño Cristales in Colombia (“River of Five Colors” blooming with aquatic weeds). Amazing!
1. April Come She Will: Nothing lifts the spirit and fills the heart with hope like Spring. Flower buds on trees, daffodils abloom, enchanting greening of the land.
Enjoy some of UK artist Lucy Grossmith’s lovely paintings which showcase the delicate beauty of nature in exquisite detail.
Lucy grew up in the Lincolnshire countryside and now lives and works in Suffolk, England. She’s always been surrounded and inspired by nature and enjoys walking outdoors, where she sketches and makes mental notes of flora, fauna, colors, textures, and weather conditions – all ingredients for her work.
She paints with acrylics on canvas or textured paper, focusing on gardens, wildlife, countryside, and coastal landscapes. I like the soft, feminine feel to her pictures and immersing myself in her idyllic scenes which seem to say, relax and stay awhile. 🙂
It’s time once again to read, write, share, and simply indulge your love for poetry in every way. I’m happy to be back rounding everyone up this year and look forward to checking in with all of you throughout April.
New to National Poetry Month and wondering about ways to celebrate? Visit the NPM webpage at The Academy of American Poets (poets.org) for a cool list of activities, initiatives and resources. You can learn about Poem in Your Pocket Day (April 10), sign up for Poem-a-Day to receive poems in your inbox, and review 30 Ways to Celebrate NPM online, at home, in the classroom, or at readings/events near you. Do as much, or as little, as you please. Just enjoy!
The 2025 poster features an excerpt from “Gate A-4”, a poem by former Young People’s Poet Laureate and Academy Chancellor Naomi Shihab Nye, as well as artwork by New York Times-bestselling author and illustrator Christy Mandin.
Mandin was selected by Scholastic—the global children’s publishing, education, and media company—to create the artwork for this year’s poster as part of a National Poetry Month collaboration with the Academy of American Poets.
A lesson plan featuring Nye’s poem is available through the Academy’s Teach This Poem newsletter. Sign up for Teach This Poem to receive this additional educational resource and bring the poster to life for National Poetry Month. You can download a free PDF of this poster here.
Now, here’s a list of what some kidlit bloggers are doing. If you’re also celebrating National Poetry Month with a special project or blog event, or know of anyone else who is, please email me at: readermail (at) jamakimrattigan (dot) com, so I can add the information to this Roundup. Thanks, and have a beautiful, inspiring, uplifting, productive, and memorable April!
Tall stacks of Oreos, mountains of donuts and macarons, balloon dogs eating pizza and hot dogs. Not necessarily the first things that come to mind when describing still life art.
Yet for contemporary realist painter Robert C. Jackson, delectable, nostalgic and surprising subjects are often on the menu. Goodbye predictable tabletops, fruit bowls, ho-hum vases of flowers. Hello soda crates, laughing watermelons, vintage toys. Jackson has turned the still life genre on its head and is obviously having a lot of fun doing it.
Bob Jackson in his Kennett Square studio.
Jackson (b.1964, Kinston, NC) moved to Delaware with his family when he was about 11. He was always good at drawing, but never thought of art as a profession. Instead, he graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in Electrical Engineering. In his senior year, his girlfriend (and future wife) gave him a set of oil paints for Christmas.
Not having the slightest idea what to do with them, he enrolled in an introductory art class and soon discovered how much he loved painting. Although he did consider a masters degree in painting, Electrical Engineering prevailed as the more practical choice.
Jama's Alphabet Soup 