Meet the Rhyme Doctors
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Eileen MeyerBorn and raised in the state nicknamed "The Land of Lincoln", Eileen wrote about a much admired president in her award-winning book, The Superlative A. Lincoln: Poems About Our 16th President (Silver Medal, Florida Book Awards-Older Children's Literature, 2019; Illinois READS 2019 & 2020 Selection). This project also received attention at the 2015 SCBWI-LA Conference where it earned the "Most Promising Picture Book Award." Eileen started out writing poems for children's magazines such as Highlight's High Five, Carus Publishing's LadyBug, and others. Her other rhyming picture books include Ballpark! and Sweet Dreams, Wild Animals! A Story of Sleep. Stop by www.eileenmeyerbooks.com and find her on X @Writer_Meyer or Instagram.
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Michelle SchaubMichelle is the award-winning author of the poetry collections Leafy Landmarks: Travels with Trees, Fresh-Picked Poetry: A Day at the Farmers’ Market (2017 Cybils Poetry Award Finalist, 2018 Growing Good Kids Award, and 2019 Northern Lights Book Award) and Finding Treasure: A Collection of Collections (2020 NCTE Notable Poetry Book.) Her rhyming picture books include Dream Big, Little Scientist and Kindness is a Kite String (2022 Illinois Reads Selection.) Michelle’s poems appear in several anthologies, including A World Full of Poems and Hop To It: Poems to Get You Moving. Honing her experience as a language arts teacher, Michelle shares ways to use poetry in the classroom on her blog POETRY BOOST, www.poetryboost.com. Find out more about Michelle at www.michelleschaub.com or follow her on X @Schaubwrites or Instagram.
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Patricia TohtPatricia Toht once owned a children's bookstore before turning a love selling books into a love of writing books for kids. Her first book, the poetry collection All Aboard the London Bus, grew out of fondness for the city she and her family called home for years. Her rhyming holiday books, Pick a Pine Tree and Pick a Pumpkin, received starred reviews and have been translated into multiple languages. Pick a Pumpkin was an Illinois READS title and an Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom Book. Dress Like a Girl was praised as "empowering" and "uplifting" for young girls. She also contributes poetry to magazines like Highlights and Ladybug. Visit her website at www.patriciatoht.com or follow her on X @PatriciaToht or Instagram.
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Committed to learning their craft, over the years The Rhyme Doctors have attended many courses to further develop their poetry skills. Members have attended multi-day workshops led by celebrated poets including Heidi Bee Roemer, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Alice Schertle, and David Harrison. They’ve frequented conferences and webinars, learning from accomplished authors such as Jill Esbaum, Beth Ferry, Liz Garton Scanlon, Pat Zietlow Miller and more. Studying mentor texts, reading widely, and discussing the components of effective rhyming and lyrical picture books have also contributed to their knowledge base.
Together The Rhyme Doctors have published twelve rhyming or lyrical picture books, with seven more scheduled for publication in coming years. They’ve seen five poetry collections hit the shelves and are delighted that dozens and dozens of their poems have been featured in magazines and anthologies. To fine tune early drafts of individual poems and picture books that were accepted for publication, they have relied upon the same detailed critique process that they are excited to offer YOU! The docs firmly believe that . . .
Revision is one of the exquisite pleasures of writing.
--Bernard Malamud
Together The Rhyme Doctors have published twelve rhyming or lyrical picture books, with seven more scheduled for publication in coming years. They’ve seen five poetry collections hit the shelves and are delighted that dozens and dozens of their poems have been featured in magazines and anthologies. To fine tune early drafts of individual poems and picture books that were accepted for publication, they have relied upon the same detailed critique process that they are excited to offer YOU! The docs firmly believe that . . .
Revision is one of the exquisite pleasures of writing.
--Bernard Malamud
