A Beautiful Earth Day Compilation of Poems with Nancy Tupper Ling

Nancy Tupper-Ling Talks with BookWorthy About Her Poetry Compilation Bless This Earth with June Cotner and Others

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This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity but reflects the full conversation from the BookWorthy Podcast. Grab a cup of coffee, listen, and read along. This post does contain affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

Valerie - Welcome to Bookworthy! Today, we're talking with Nancy Tupper-Ling about Bless the Earth, a collection of poems for children that encourages them to celebrate and care for our world. This book is co-edited with bestselling anthologist, June Cotner. Bless the Earth showcases the miracle of our planet through beautiful imagery and delightful poetry. It calls on people of all ages to cherish our wonderful world. Welcome to Bookworthy, Nancy!

Nancy - Thank you so much! I'm excited to meet you.

Valerie - It’s a pleasure! I love how technology connects us with people we might never meet face-to-face. But first, let’s tackle the random question of the week. Since fall is upon us, do you prefer apple cider or pumpkin spice lattes?

Nancy - I'm in New England too, so I would say pumpkin spice lattes! It's surprising, but I had a switch at some point in life.

Valerie - Really? That’s interesting! Many people I've interviewed from the Northeast love apple cider. I guess it makes sense with all the apple trees up there. Down here in the South, we have to import our apples due to the heat.

Nancy - I need to send you some!

Valerie - Please do! We don't get the good stuff down here. But pumpkin spice lattes mark the start of fall for us. When they hit the stores, we know it’s finally fall. We try to wait until September, but we don’t really feel it until November. So much fun! Now, Nancy, tell us a bit about your book, Bless the Earth.

Nancy - Yes, they start showing up around July, right? Thank you! This is my fourth book with June Cotner, who is my mentor. At one point, she asked if I wanted to write books with her, which was amazing! This collection features poems from both living and deceased poets. Most contributors are alive and bring fresh voices to the book. It’s really for children and families to appreciate the wonders of the Earth we live on.

Valerie - It’s a beautiful collection! I love the variety of poetry. The illustrations are amazing too! I know my kids would sit and stare at them while I read the poems. Poetry seems to come in and out of fashion. What do you think drives poetry to have these seasonal trends?

Nancy - That’s a good question! We have younger poets now, and I think more teachers feel comfortable teaching poetry. Parents are also getting involved in the classroom. For a while, people were hesitant to teach poetry, often limiting it to just one week in April. Now, there are fun poems too! Not everything is serious or dark; there are joyful poems as well. You can find the kind of poetry you enjoy reading, which is great.

Valerie - It’s neat to see more poets emerging. Poetry is becoming popular again. While many children's books contain poetry, I love that your book focuses on various types, all celebrating the glory of creation. What inspired you to make this the focal point of the book?

Nancy - The proposal began because June had previously published an adult book called Earth Blessings. She wanted to create something for kids to help them appreciate nature. I have more of a children's writing background, so we combined our strengths.

We divided the chapters thoughtfully. One chapter focuses on dreaming dreams for the world and caring for it, while another highlights animals big and small. Kids love animals, so that was essential. Once we fleshed out the chapters, the book took shape.

Valerie - That’s fascinating! How does God speak to you through nature?

Nancy - Definitely through walks in nature. I’m sure you feel it too. When I walk, I find myself praising God for the wonders, big and small, that I see. As a poet or writer, I notice things that others might overlook. For example, look at that Queen Anne's lace! It’s amazing how it was created. The intricacies are stunning. I hope that answers your question!

Valerie - Yes! Romans 1:20 talks about how all creation declares who God is. Taking time to appreciate nature is so important. Even spending time in the garden reveals bizarre little creatures that God cares about.

Nancy - Yes, my oldest is fearful of slugs, but they have their purpose too!

Valerie - Exactly! You mentioned Queen Anne's lace, which we have a lot of around us. It’s fun to show kids that even though it’s a weed, it’s still beautiful. I tell them a weed is just a plant that hasn’t found its place yet. It’s cute to see kids think differently about it.

Nancy - Aww, I love that! That’s a great way to put it.

Valerie - It’s fun because there are some really beautiful weeds—just not in my grass! What do you hope to communicate to kids through this book, Nancy?

Nancy - I think the subtitle helps a lot. It’s a collection of poetry for children in celebration and care for our world. The aspect of stewardship is crucial. Sometimes we forget that we’re not just here to rush from one appointment to the next.

We need to take time to appreciate the wonders around us. Whether through gardening, nature walks, or caring for something in our town, it’s all important. I believe poems are powerful pieces of literature. They can evoke emotions about caring in ways that essays might not.

Valerie - Poetry does have the power to convey deep truths or emotions in a small moment. For kids, who often move fast, poetry can connect with them in a way that’s rich yet accessible. You can read it quickly and think, “This is sweet,” but then sit with it longer and realize it’s something to ponder deeply. That’s what I love about poetry.

Nancy - You said it so well! I love it! I need to take notes!

Valerie - Me too! Nancy, do you have any resources that accompany this compilation?

Nancy - Yes! You can access some resources through my website. Penguin Random House, the publisher, has put together some fun poetry exercises. I love acrostic poetry, and they’ve used illustrations from the book to inspire writing. It’s a great exercise to think about words that come to mind when you see different colors.

Valerie - That’s neat! I love the variety of poetry in your book. You have acrostic poems, longer ones, and shorter ones. It’s a fantastic resource for studying different types of poetry. I was pleasantly surprised when I opened it up. Usually, poetry books focus on a poet’s favorite style, but yours includes so many different types. It allows my heart to explore different rhythms and themes. How did you find all the poets who contributed to this book?

Nancy - Right! When you’re busy, it’s nice to find a short poem. June has done about 40 anthologies, so she has a solid list of contributors. We send out a call for submissions. If anyone wants to join our list, let us know!

We collect a certain number of poems for the proposal, maybe around 25, and then ask for more contributors. We include well-known poets like Emily Dickinson and Christina Rossetti, but I love seeing fresh ideas and poems that have never been written before. Some people write simply because they find the topic of Bless the Earth intriguing.

Valerie - That must be both challenging and exciting! Poetry can be a tough medium, with so many rules and forms to follow, even though it’s also a form of expression and art. Has poetry always been easy for you?

Nancy - I’ve worked hard at it. I’ve taken workshops and tried to learn more. Poetry felt like one of my more natural forms, but ironically, my mom is a poet too! Her name is Jean Tupper, and she’s still alive and writing poems at 86. When I was a teenager, I told her I would never write poems because it was her thing. I wanted to write short stories and novels. Then I went to college, and the first thing I started writing was poetry.

Valerie - God has a funny way of guiding us!

Nancy - Yes, exactly! It’s been wonderful to have her support. She’s a great editor too, which strengthens our connection.

Valerie - Very fun! Did you always want to be a writer, Nancy?

Nancy - I think I did. I remember in fourth grade, when they asked what I wanted to do, I said either a veterinarian or an author. Writing seemed to come more easily to me than other subjects, like math.

Valerie - That was on my list too!

Nancy - I encourage everyone to explore workshops. With technology, there are many online resources now. I belong to several helpful writers' groups. For writing children's books, you need to understand page spreads and where to imagine each page will turn. These are things I had to learn along the way.

Valerie - People often think writing children's books is easier than writing a full-length novel. But I like to say that condensing a novel into 32 pages is quite challenging.

Nancy - Yes! Cutting out words is tough. Starting with poetry helped me condense my writing, which has benefited my children's writing too.

Valerie - Very neat! What’s one of the most impactful books in your life, Nancy, other than the Bible?

Nancy - That’s a good question!

Valerie - We can all agree the Bible tops the list!

Nancy - Yes! Are you asking about children's books or adult books?

Valerie - It doesn’t matter!

Nancy - I’m probably strange, but I’ve read Moby Dick four times! I can’t get anyone in my family to read it once, so that tells you how odd I am. Maybe it’s the New England feel; I live not far from New Bedford, which has a whaling history.

Valerie - Holy cow!

Nancy - There’s so much depth in that book about God, rebellion against Him, and pride. It’s like Milton; there’s so much to unpack. I can go back and find new insights each time. My family, however, is not interested!

Valerie - It is a poetic book, but yes, it’s long!

Nancy - Very long! Everyone skips over the seafaring terminology, and I can understand that. I skip some parts too. But Ahab is such a rich character!

Valerie - Yes! What can we expect next from you, Nancy?

Nancy - I have a picture book coming out that started as a poem. It’s called Hearts in My Pocket. It’s about a child navigating a divorce situation in her family and trying to see if love remains while going between homes. I’m surprised this came from me, but I’m excited about it. It handles the situation delicately.

Valerie - That’s a tough topic for kids to understand. I love that you’re stepping into this space to help families navigate the emotions and confusion surrounding divorce. It sounds like a special book. When do you think it will hit the shelves?

Nancy - It’s slated for December of this year. My husband always says, “Please emphasize that we’re not getting a divorce!” We’ve been married for 30 years and are still hanging in there.

Valerie - It’s an important aside! Divorce affects the entire family, not just those involved. It’s both sad and hard. Helping kids understand that love remains is crucial, even amid the ups and downs of divorce. It’s a sweet message because, even in our fallenness, God still loves us.

Nancy - That’s true! Thank you.

Valerie - I’m looking forward to it! I’ll definitely have to pick that one up. Where can people find out more about you and your books?

Nancy - The best place to start is my website, www.nancytupperling.com. You can find links to everything from there.

Valerie - I’ll include that in the show notes for easy access. Thank you so much for joining us today, Nancy!

Nancy - Thank you! It was my pleasure. I loved talking with you, Valerie. Here’s to a pumpkin latte!

Valerie - And thank you for joining Nancy and me on this episode of the Bookworthy podcast. Check the show notes for any books or links we discussed. Let us know in the comments if you prefer apple cider or pumpkin spice lattes. Be sure to like and subscribe so we can discover more great books together.

Happy reading!