A great book is a homing device For navigating paradise. A good book somehow makes you care About the comfort of a chair. A bad book owes to many trees A forest of apologies.

I have always believed that poems beg to be read aloud, even if the reader is in a world all her own.

The laureateship [of U.S. Children's Poet] has brought me a couple of appealing contracts, including my first anthology, the 200-poem The National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry.Apart from the increased travel, I won't let anything interfere with writing poetry.

Poetry is frosted fire.

I won't be sad too often, If they bury me in the library With bookworms in my coffin.

The Ladybug wears no disguises. She is just what she advertises. A speckled spectacle of spring, A fashion statement on the wing.... A miniature orange kite. A tiny dot-to-dot delight.

Spotted Park Bench I am a park bench. Ordinary words cannot express my thoughts on birds.

Poetry is the tunnel at the end of the light.

Poetry is perfect verbs hunting for elusive nouns.

Chocolate mustache is from a line in the book. It's my favorite title (chosen by me), so I'm pleased that Never Spit was tossed.

Please bury me in the library With a dozen long-stemmed proses