Posted in Alz Assoc Aloha Chapter, Alzheimer's Association, Caregiving, On writing chldren's books, our children, Uncategorized, Wordsworth Dances the Waltz, tagged Wordsworth Dances the Waltz on August 3, 2019| 3 Comments »
Wordsworth is now in Germany with Teresa and her grandson.
Teresa was a first grader in my Jackson ,Michigan class years ago.
Some quotes from Teresa…on how Wordsworth is making a difference.
I am in Germany visiting my 4.5 year old grandson Henry. We had a long car trip today, so we read Wordsworth Dances the Waltz, which I had brought along to share.
I got a little choked up reading parts of it, thinking of my own mom sitting in the nursing home room by herself most days. The story is beautifully written and illustrated. It is the first Wordsworth book we have read. I read it aloud in the car, so everyone heard the story, although only Henry and I saw the pictures.
Henry learned what a poet was, but I remember Wordsworth the Poet explains what a poet is much better than Me! Henry was very curious about the children doing Karate. He also counted 1-2-3 each time it came up in the story. Of course, being a dancer, I counted 1-2-3 to the proper waltz beat. I told him I would teach him how to dance the Waltz when we get back to Berlin!
While riding in the car, we then played the Wordsworth’s Rubber Band game with the clouds. Henry has a vivid imagination!
This past week we spent a lot of time touring Bavaria and castles and going on hikes in the woods. Henry protected us from dragons and wild animals with his wooden sword (or a stick if we left the sword in the car). It was nice to see him so interested in everything around him, whether it be informational signs with animal footprints or tree leaves, new playground structures, patterns on the pavement stones, or learning to read a map.
Henry told me he wanted to read the other Wordsworth books too. I have a good idea now for his Christmas gift!
Your gift of writing has had an enormous impact all over the world, to all ages, and all types of people. You are a gift to all of us, as you encourage us to look inside of ourselves and find love, grace, imagination and creativity. Thank you. ❤️ Teresa
I taught her well, didn’t I? This came in later from Teresa:
I told Henry that you taught me to read. And then later you taught me to be a poet too, by trying to write like Frances did in her poems. And then, even later, you taught me to understand what it’s like to be a caregiver, to grieve, to love so much your heart breaks, and to simply let life go at it’s own pace. You’ve never stopped teaching me! ❤️ Teresa
Posted in Book Reviews, Children's literature, My Books, On writing chldren's books, our children, Uncategorized, Wordsworth Dances the Waltz, Wordsworth the Poet, Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer, Wordsworth, It's In Your Pocket, tagged books reviews by children on July 3, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Thank you, Cameron, Lex and Cooper for your review of my Wordsworth books.
Folks, the three brothers Cameron and Lex are 13 and Cooper is 21 months. They each received a letter of thanks from Wordsworth and me, mailed in three separate envelopes.
I plan to read their letters to the lecture I’m giving this month on Wordsworth and children’s literature in my effort to show the difference between children’s books and literature. What makes it literature? These boys know.
Posted in Children's literature, Gold Country Writers, My Books, My Rants About Something, On writing chldren's books, Uncategorized, Writers, tagged children's books, Gold Country Writers, Poetry on July 1, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Alzheimer's Association, My Books, On writing chldren's books, our children, Uncategorized, Watermark Publishing, Wordsworth Dances the Waltz, Wordsworth the Poet, Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer, Wordsworth, It's In Your Pocket, tagged Alzheimer's Assoc, Wordsworth Dances the Waltz, Wordsworth the Poet, Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer, Wordsworth, It's In Your Pocket on March 26, 2019| 1 Comment »
To Wordsworth the Poet fans, please check him out at his own FB page. He’s complaining that no one goes there much. In today’s post, he is complaining how he was not flown first class from Sacramento to Honolulu to Hilo. He also explains how he was created. He’s getting pretty verbal, now that he’s so well-sought by his fans in Hawaii. Do you know Maui has now invited him over to visit their schools to teach them about Alzheimer’s and memory loss? No, I was not invited.
https://www.facebook.com/WordsworthThePoet?fref=ts
Posted in Legacy of Humanity, My Rants About Something, On writing chldren's books, our children, Parenting, Racism, Uncategorized on March 11, 2016| 2 Comments »
In today’s front page of our paper, a story of how kids from a public school here were called Asian racist names during a basketball game.
This is not the first time these girls were taunted with racial slurs…being yelled “Soy Sauce!” Go Back to Fiji!”, “Small Eyes!”, “You’re Ugly!”
A Japanese father who was there told the Bee on-line, how his grandfather was interned, his father was in the Army during WWII so their children wouldn’t
be treated with such indignities. I wrote the following to the authors of this story. Whether they will publish or not is a ?.
Dear Ms. Locke and Mr. Lindelof
My gratitude to you for the story in the Bee this morning.
Would be you be able to direct this to Letters to the Editor?
Do you think unkindness and inhumane behavior that have been so carefully or so carelessly taught in these youngsters can be unlearned?
When I was in high school, these students drove us Japanese girls to use scotch tape to make our eyes look bigger for that ” Caucasian double eyes look” to avoid
taunts of “Jap” and “Slant Eyes”. I am saddened and furious that these youngsters have not gone away and are still here in El Dorado Hills.
Posted in Alzheimer's Disease, Book Reviews, Caregiving, Elder Care, My Books, On writing chldren's books, our children, Uncategorized, tagged Alzheimer's Association, Hawaii Herald, Karleen Chinen, Kevin Kawamoto, Wordsworth Dances the Waltz on September 24, 2013| Leave a Comment »
![Look, I am in the Hawaii Herald newspaper! Mr. Kevin Kawamoto wrote a very nice article about my book, WORDSWORTH DANCES THE WALTZ, in their special Alzheimer's issue. Thank you, Mr. Kawamoto & Hawaii Herald! (Psst: if you want a coupon code for 40% off when you buy books from @[71673657848:274:Watermark Publishing], go get a copy of the Herald!)](https://scontent-a-pao.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/p261x260/1231372_10151914741385281_1872255987_n.jpg)
Posted in education, My Books, On writing chldren's books, Students in classrooms, Uncategorized, tagged Being Japanese, Kapoho: Memoir of a Modern Pompeii, Suzume No Gakko, Wordsworth Dances the Waltz, Wordsworth the Poet, Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer on July 19, 2013| 3 Comments »
The Suzume No Gakko Summer School in San Jose
invited me to speak to their students in grades 1 – 6, on being an author. It was to captive audiences that I shared stories on how my Wordsworth books were written. But when Wordsworth made a surprise visit, the stage became all his.
Wordsworth was pretty excited and it looks like he shaved off his whiskers that morning. One alert first grader brought it to his attention.
Wordsworth promised to dance the waltz with everyone at his next visit.
Frances Kakugawa's Blog 