From the Top of a Grain Elevator

by Barbara Kathleen Nickel

Shortlisted for the CLA Book of the Year for Children, award-winning poet and playwright Barbara Nickel returns to her Prairie roots in a beautiful collection of seasonal poems that chart, with a bird's-eye view of the western landscape, nature's glorious playground. Following the slough cycle and the gradual metamorphosis of the land itself, Nickel animates both nature and the children who love to revel in its altered terrains. Nickel's experimental verses are perfectly complemented by Kathy Thiessen's black-and-white etchings, making this ideal for any young Canadian--Prairie-dweller, would-be poet, or otherwise.

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Barbara Kathleen Nickel (born June 22, 1966 Saskatoon, Sasketchewan) is a Canadian poet.

She was raised in Rosthern, Saskatchewan. She graduated from Goshen College, and University of British Columbia with an M.F.A. She was the poetry editor of Prism International.

She moved to St.John's, Newfoundland, then back to British Columbia. She was on a panel at the 2005 Association of Writers & Writing Programs conference.

Nickel has won awards for her poems, including the Malahat Review's Long Poem Contest and the Pat Lowther Memorial Award.