Poetry, Picture Books, and the Power of Feelings: A Conversation with Rebecca Gardyn Levington

Rebecca Gardyn Levington is a children’s book author, poet and journalist with a particular penchant for penning both playful and poignant picture books and poems – primarily in rhyme. Rebecca’s award-winning poems and articles have appeared in numerous anthologies, newspapers and magazines. Her new picture book, Some Days I’m the Wind, is a calming poem that encourages readers to meet themselves as they are and explore all sides of their emotions and personalities. This is Rebecca’s second title with Barefoot Books; Whatever Comes Tomorrow published in 2023 and is about learning how to deal with worries, no matter what tomorrow brings, and is based on her own struggle with anxiety.

Some Days I’m the Wind explores emotional variety with such grace. What inspired you to use elements of nature as metaphors for our shifting moods? And was the writing process for this book similar to Whatever Comes Tomorrow? Did it start as a poem as well?

Thank you for the kind words! Yes, Some Days I’m the Wind, much like Whatever Comes Tomorrow (and the majority of my books, in fact), started as a poem. During the Covid pandemic years, it was hard for a lot of us writers to feel creative, as everyone was grappling with worried feelings about the unknown. In order to encourage each other to keep creating, some writing friends and I embarked on a Poem-A-Week Challenge in which we took turns picking a word and tasking ourselves to produce a poem inspired by that word. Even after things started returning to “normal,” we continued this practice, and one week in April 2023, the word of the week was “mild.”

As I tend to do, I began by creating a list of words that rhyme with the assigned word, and the first rhyme I thought of was “wild.” In pondering about things that were both “mild” and “wild,” I started thinking about the wind, and how, on some days, the wind is a soft, gentle, pleasant breeze, but on other days, that same wind can turn into a cyclone – forceful and wild! And then, I thought about how I’m like that too! On some days, I am peaceful and mild, but on other days I’m giddy and wild!

From there, I wrote the first two stanzas of what would eventually become Some Days I’m the Wind (Those two first stanzas, by the way, never changed from the initial draft, which is highly unusual for me. Most of my books go through many rounds of revision.)

I ended up writing five sets of stanzas in that first sitting, describing various natural elements and how they can be different on different days. As I wrote, I noticed more and more the connections between each natural element’s “behaviors,” “moods” and “feelings” and our own human behaviors, moods and feelings.

And then, things got even deeper. I started thinking about myself as a child, and how people used to think of me as a quiet, shy person, because often I was. But sometimes I wasn’t quiet at ALL. I loved being silly and telling jokes when I was spending time with friends I loved and trusted. And I definitely wasn’t always shy. In fact, I loved singing and performing on stage! It was at that point that I realized that this could be a book that might connect with young kids, who maybe need a reminder that there aren’t any labels that can define us completely. We can feel and be and act different ways on different days, and that is absolutely 100% normal and okay!

Why do Whatever Comes Tomorrow and Some Days I’m the Wind make such strong companion books? What themes or messages do you see connecting them?

I think there are two big themes that connect these books. First is the idea that there are no “bad” feelings. In Some Days I’m the Wind, I intentionally mixed up the order of the stanzas so that there wasn’t any pattern to the way the emotions were presented. I didn’t want kids to think that one side of the page presented the “good” feeling, while the other side presented the “bad.” All feelings are good feelings because they help us better understand ourselves and what we need in a particular moment.

Similarly, whenever I read Whatever Comes Tomorrow to kids at school visits, I remind them that, much like the butterflies that appear on every page of that book, worried feelings are useful and beautiful. They are not “bad” feelings. They are there to try to protect us from disappointment and hurt by warning us about situations they think will be too hard for us to handle.

The second theme that I think connects these two books is the concept that our feelings are temporary. In Whatever Comes Tomorrow , I remind kids: “And when tomorrow disappears, becoming yesterday, you’ll know for sure you can endure, whatever comes your way.” In Some Days I’m the Wind, I remind kids “And just like the wind, or the sun, or the sea, on some days I’m some ways, but all days, I’m me.” It is really the same sentiment. Our emotions do not define us. We feel our feelings, but we aren’t controlled by them. We have the ability to learn from the uncomfortable feelings and allow them to help us change and grow.

What advice do you have for other writers hoping to create stories that help children understand and embrace their feelings?

I have found that of all the stories I’ve written, the ones that most resonate with children (and their adults) are the ones that are most personal, the ones that capture the feelings I felt and the experiences I had myself as a child. So, my advice to other writers would be to not think at all about how your stories will “help” the children who may read them, but rather to think about YOURSELF as a child and what would have helped YOU better “understand and embrace your own feelings.” Mine your memories for those authentic moments where you grappled with either difficult or joyful emotions. What was happening? Where were you? Who was with you? Why did you feel the way you felt? What do you wish had happened differently? What emotions do you wish you had been able to feel or express in that moment? What stopped you? Etc.

I think, as writers, the deeper we are able to dive into our own emotions and the more honest we are with sharing our own experiences, the more we connect to young readers. We have to remember that we too were once children. I still feel all the same feelings of worry and anxiety, joy and wonder, disappointment and heartache that I did as a child. Just because we grow up, doesn’t mean we grow out of our feelings. When writing picture books for kids, it’s important to always remember and tap into that.

Calling educators & caregivers!

Are you looking for more ways to engage with Some Days I’m the Wind? Bring the book to life at home or in the classroom with our free resources! Download the discussion guide and coloring sheet.

About the Author

About the Book