A Girl Becoming
Written by Joy Harjo
Illustrated by Mercedes McDonald
Recognizing that coming-of-age can be one of the most confusing stages in a person's life, Harjo composed For a Girl Becoming as a gift for her first grandchild as she moved from childhood to womanhood. Not just for children, this ritual poem-song speaks to that part of each of us who still stands at the door of becoming.
University of Arizona Press
The Good Luck Cat
Written by Joy Harjo
Illustrated by Paul Lee
As Woogie gets into one mishap after another, everyone starts to worry.
Can a good luck cat's good luck run out?
Poetry Speaks to Children
Read by Joy Harjo and 51 other poets
Illustrated by Paul Lee
In the tradition of Poetry Speaks, the anthology named a Best Book of 2002 by School Library Journal, and praised by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer as "a volume to delight longtime lovers of poetry and to spark new love for poetry, especially among the young," Sourcebooks MediaFusion is proud to introduce the joy of the written and spoken word in Poetry Speaks to Children.
Like all good children’s books, this one will appeal to adults; it speaks to girls and women at all stages of becoming.” Its words bestow blessing. It offers understanding. Its language is love. A delightful gift for a girl at any stage of becoming a woman. Read More
What's a book that incorporates American Indian themes and published in Arizona doing on a local book list? You may wonder. Joy Harjo is the answer. The part-time Honolulu resident authored this book, which dispenses wistful advice to girls on the precipice of leaving childhood with thoughtful illustrations set to evoke the mood of the lesson at hand.
—FROM STAR BULLETIN
Reviews & Interviews
New Mexico Magazine April 2010
About For A Girl Becoming
The first children's book from an acclaimed poet whose honors include the American Book Award and the William Carlos Williams Award.
Celebrates the special relationship between a young girl and her cat.
A modern Native American story from a member of the Muskogee-Creek tribe.
Hardcover/Harcourt Brace
Parents, educators, librarians, and poetry enthusiasts have wondered for years how to get children really interested in poetry. Until now, there hasn't been a collection of poems and poets that spoke directly to that elusive audience. Poetry Speaks to Children cracks through that barrier by packaging the best poems by the best authors along with a CD-making the engrossing and often mischievous verses come alive in the voices of many of the creators.
Poetry Speaks to Children reaches into the world of poetry and pulls out the elements children love: rhyme, rhythm, fun and, every once in a while, a little mischief.
More than 90 poems, for children ages six and up, celebrate the written word and feature a star-studded lineup of beloved poets, including Eagle Poem by Joy Harjo
Hardcover/Grades 3-8
Moonbeam Children’s Book Award Winner!
For a Girl Becoming earned a Silver Medal in the 2010 Moonbeam Children's Book Award in the Multicultural Picture Book category.
The Moonbeam Awards, sponsored by the Independent Publishers Association, are intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary children's books and their creators, and to celebrate children's books and life-long reading. Each year's entries are judged by expert panels of youth educators, librarians, booksellers, and book reviewers of all ages. This year's awards attracted more than 800 entries. Medals were awarded to a diverse group of authors, illustrators, and publishers from 34 U.S. states, 5 Canadian provinces, and 2 countries overseas. Many of the award-winning books encourage children to be generous and compassionate, to stand up to bullies, and to believe in fulfilling their dreams. The diversity of the winning publishers proves that promoting childhood literacy knows no boundaries.
For more information and to see a complete list of winners, visit http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1386
