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Kristine O’Connell George
By Lee Bennett Hopkins
This dynamic poet never has to look any further than her own backyard for inspiration
"Poems must contain words that are packed with a piece of the poet's heart and soul. It is then when we have poetry. It is then when we have magic."
Kristine O'Connell George was born on May 6, 1954, in Denver, CO. She is a great admirer of teachers; her grandmother taught in a one-room schoolhouse and her mother was a third grade teacher and high school guidance counselor. It was also a teacher friend who introduced her to the world of children's literature.
In 1989, Kristine took a course in children's poetry at the University of California in Los Angeles. The class was taught by the late, renowned poet, Myra Cohn Livingston. For the next eight years, Livingston became Kristine's mentor, and encouraged her to find her own poetic voice.
A dynamic start
In 1997, when Kristine's first book, The Great Frog Race and Other Poems (Clarion) appeared, her career was off to a dynamic start. Hailed by critics, this volume received a bevy of awards, including the Lee Bennett Hopkins/ International Reading Association Promising New Poet Award. She followed this success with Old Elm Speaks: Tree Poems (Clarion, 1998) and Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems (Clarion, 2001).
Her most recent book, Fold Me A Poem (Harcourt, 2005), is a collection of poems about origami and imagination and was inspired when she observed a boy creating origami animals. Masterful, haiku-like gems about peacocks, spring, a snake and a rumpled paper bag all beg to be read and reread.
Kristine lives in Agoura, CA, with her husband, teenage daughter and several pets. Her website, www.kristinegeorge.com was selected by the American Library Association as a "Great Web Site for Kids." And great it is! You can gather further information about her life and work as well as listen to audio clips of her poetry from selected books.
Recommended books
Hummingbird Nest: A Journal of Poems (Harcourt, 2004). The author's journal reveals poetry at its finest after a hummingbird sets up a nest in her backyard.
One Mitten (Clarion, 2004). Ways to use only one mitten are explored in this engaging picture book perfect for young readers.
Lee Bennett Hopkins is a distinguished poet and anthologist. Recent collections include Halloween Howls: An I Can Read Book (HarperCollins, 2005).
May, 2005, Vol.35, No.8
