Scat's Where It's at on Poetry Friday

My friend, Charm City poet Shirley Brewer, turned me on to a great book recently. The author is poet and educator Muriel Weinstein.

A jazz-dancing, bubble-gum blowing cutie in polka dot tights says, "The swingy music jumps inside my body, rolls riffs on my tongue, and tootles to my toes."

But when she falls asleep, the music doesn't stop. In her dreams, the little girl is visited by the master of scat, Louis Armstrong.

Satchmo and his protege riff on bubble gum, "oooba lee COOOO, oooba lee BAT, blow me a bubble in bubble gum SCAT."

And first-time children's author Weinstein riffs on the shape of the pink bubble, coming up with fabulous metaphors,

oooo-blee booo-blee jippitty joon
wobbly bubble's a lilac moon
butterfly's cocoon
baboon's nose
hippo's toes

When the dream-bubble bursts with a bang, our scat singer wakes up. Louis Armstrong is gone, but she takes her skills to the playground and double dutches in jazzy rhyme.

This is a great book for teaching wordplay.

Weinstein's second  book is due out soon. It's a chapter book bio of Louis Armstrong's early years, Play, Louis, Play.

Stop by later for an interview with Weinstein. We'll talk about her new book, how Armstrong became her muse, and what it's like to become a successful author late in life.

Happy Poetry Friday!  Today's host is The Miss Rumphius Effect. Enjoy :-)