Cameron Kids would like to thank Pádraig Ó Tuama of the poetry podcast PoetryUnbound for introducing us to the poem “Book of Genesis,” which inspired this book.
“To my daughter Mathilda Folade: may your beautiful and pure soul always guide you, and LET the light shine within and out your curious eyes. —D.E.
The original title of the poem featured in this book is “Book of Genesis,” from the poetry collection ThereIsanAngerThatMoves by Kei Miller (Carcanet Press; Manchester, United Kingdom; 2007).
Text copyright © 2023 Kei Miller. Published by permission of Carcanet Press Limited. Illustrations copyright © 2023 Diana Ejaita
Book design by Melissa Nelson Greenberg
Published in 2023 by CAMERON + COMPANY, a division of ABRAMS. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.
ISBN: 978-1-951836-45-0 Printed
in China 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
KIDS is an imprint of CAMERON + COMPANY
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CAMERON
CAMERON
Petaluma,
Let
A Poem about POSSIBILITY
by Kei Miller
illustrated by Diana Ejaita
Suppose there was a book full only of the word,
let–
from whose clipped sound all things began: fir and firmament,
feather,
the first whale—
and suppose we could scroll through its pages every day to find and pronounce a Let meant only for us—
we would stumble through the streets with open books, eyes crossed from too much reading;
we would speak in auto-rhyme,
the world would echo itself—
and still we’d continue in rounds, saying
let and let and let
until even silent dreams had been allowed.
Suppose there was a book full only of the word, let—from whose clipped sound all things began: fir and firmament, feather, the first whale—and suppose we could scroll through its pages every day to find and pronounce a Let meant only for us— we would stumble through the streets with open books, eyes crossed from too much reading; we would speak in auto-rhyme, the world would echo itself—and still we’d continue in rounds, saying let and let and let until even silent dreams had been allowed.
ABOUT THE POEM
Let is an adaptation of a poem called “Book of Genesis” by poet Kei Miller.
The poet of the book of Genesis says the word let—“Let there be . . .”—and creates a brand-new world. The poem “Book of Genesis” wonders about the possibility of a book full only of the word, let—and imagines a whole new world—a world in which everyone has the freedom to realize one‚s dreams.
What is your let? What would your book be about? What gives you wonder and a sense of possibility?
ABOUT THE POET
Kei Miller is an award-winning essayist, novelist, and poet. In addition to writing, he is a professor of English and creative writing and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He divides his time between Jamaica and the United Kingdom.
About the Art
The powerful illustrations in this book were created by artist Diana Ejaita. On making the art for this book, she says, “The poem carried the colors and forms in expanding, generous directions and spaces that I never thought such a short word could have made possible.”
About the Artist
Diana Ejaita is an author, illustrator, and textile designer based in Berlin, Germany. Born in Italy her work is inspired by her Nigerian heritage and her love of central African culture and aesthetic. This is her first picture book with Cameron Kids.
