words gone wild

In her newest poetry collection, words gone wild, d. ellis phelps takes readers on a wonderful rollercoaster of sound: poetry full of rhyme, alliteration, assonance, consonance, repetition, and onomatopoeia. It's a fun romp through fields full of insects, birds, and amphibians, with young children in tow, and keen perceptions by the maternal speaker of the poems who clearly cares deeply for the natural world and our experiences of it. Dedicated to her grandchildren and inspired by the tradition of Shel Silverstein's Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends, phelps' poetry collection will delight children and adults alike.

-Jane Beal, Ph.D., poet and author of Sanctuary, Rising, and Song of the Selkie

In lively rhythms and rhymes that young children love, d. ellis phelps' words gone wild is a whimsical, engaging collection. In poems that celebrate mud pies, cats, and mothers, there are clever solutions for sibling squabbles as well as a warning about the magic spell of a puppy's breath. Any child would love to end the day listening to the poem "soon I must go to bed" with its soft and lyrical images of setting sun and rising moon, a mud hen, and a toad. With children spending more and more time on screens, words gone wild will entice a child outdoors and to activate their own wild imagination.

-Mobi Warren, retired K-12 teacher, author of Thread and Nectar and The Bee Maker, a novel for middle-grade readers

When Emily Dickinson said, "Blessed are they that play," she could have been referring to d. ellis phelps, with her delectable collection words gone wild, which is chock-full of tantalizing sounds and images. Dedicated to her grandchildren, the poems of this book will delight any spirit of any age!

-Wendy Barker, author of Gloss and many other collections