Peggy Archer
Children's Author

I can finally share this beautiful cover for my picture book, THREE LITTLE WITCHES AND THE SPOOKY OLD HOUSE! 

From Hachette Book Group: 

"Three little witches stir up a surprise in this cozy Halloween read aloud for fans of Room on the Broom.

A trio of witches needs a place to brew their magic, and the spooky old house down a dark road looks just right. It's full of hairy scary spiders, musty dusty ghosts, creeeeeeaky floorboards, and shivery curtains. But as the witches work, the house seems to grow warmer and brighter. Just what kind of spell are these little witches casting?

This not-so-spooky story is just right for reading aloud at bedtime, with a surprise ending that celebrates the best type of magic: the kind that's shared with friends."  

Thank you to Gaia Bordicchia for the wonderful illustrations. 

Coming August 11, 2026 from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers! If you want your copy as soon as it comes out you can pre-order now from: 

Hachett Book Group / LBYR 

Amazon

Barnes & Noble 

Target 

I'm thankful for so many reasons this year. 

Here's a page from my picture book, TURKEY SURPRISE. I think the turkey in this book is also very thankful! Check out TURKEY SURPRISE at your local library! And have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. 

Fall is one of my four favorite seasons! I love the beautiful colors and the not-too-hot / not-too-cold weather. 

As a kid it's so much fun jumping in the leaves, building trails and hearing them CRUNCH as we stomp through them. 

A Pile of Leaves was published in Turtle Magazine, one of Children's Better Health magazines, back in the September/October 2010 issue.

Enjoy! And Happy Fall! 

Teachers! Looking for a fresh, creative class project or midterm idea? The 2026 STEAM Powered Poetry Video Contest invites your students to bring a STEAM-themed poem to life by transforming it into a video for younger learners. The contest runs from October 1, 2025 through April 30, 2026.

This year I'm honored that my poem is included in the Poetry Packet, one of 40 poems by a variety of award-winning children's poets. The contest is free, fun, and brimming with opportunities for imagination and collaboration. No entry fee. Cash prizes! Full details: https://steampoweredpoetry.com/contest/

Here's my poem which is included in this year's Poetry Packet:

Shadow

I have a silly sunshine friend

who copies what I do.

Feet to feet, or hand to hand,

he sticks to me like glue! 

At breakfast time he's tall and thin.

At noon he's short and fat.

At dinnertime he grows again, 

but all the time he's flat. 

We have great fun. We jump and run.

We march in our parade.

At hide-and-seek I always win—

I hide out in the shade.  

     Copyright Peggy Archer 2005

Check out some other student videos here! 

Good luck to all!

Celebrating Independence Day with this poem from my book NAME THAT DOG! 

Dial Books for Young Readers / Penguin 2010 

Liberty 

Marching bands, 

Fire trucks, 

Flags held high! 

Barbeques, 

Hot dogs, 

Ice cream, pie. 

Firecrackers, 

Fireworks 

up in the sky. 

Little puppy 

born on the 

Fourth of July! 

     c Peggy Archer 

Here is the Bedtime poem that made it into my picture book, FROM DAWN TO DREAMS, Poems for Busy Babies. 

Candlewick Press 2006  

Rocking 

Rocking in this rocking chair, 

I've grown so sleepy-eyed. 

My momma's singing softly, 

and Teddy's by my side. 

I've got so much to see and do, 

but I'm so warm and snug. 

My momma's singing softly, 

and Teddy needs a hug. 

So I'll just close my eyes a bit--

the things to do will keep--

'cause Momma's singing softly, 

and Teddy's gone to sleep. 

       c Peggy Archer 

Three more days to Poetry Month! Here's one that didn't make it into my picture book, FROM DAWN TO DREAMS (too many bedtime poems!).

NIGHT SONGS

Dewdrops sparkle.
Crickets sing.
Moonbeams blanket
everything.
Breezes whisper.
Shadows creep.
Dreams tell stories
while I sleep.

             (c Peggy Archer)

Sweet Dreams!

Happy Poetry Month! 

The 2025 National Poetry Month poster, commissioned by the Academy of American Poets, features an excerpt from "Gate A-4", a poem by former Young People's Poet Laureate and Academy Chancellor Naomi Shihab Nye, as well as artwork by New York Times-bestselling author and illustrator Christy Mandin. Click on the link above to read Naomi's poem!

I write poetry for children. Here is an acrostic poem that shows a little of what I feel children's poems are:

Passionate  

Original  

Emotional

Musical

Sensory

Passionate—inspiring, spirited. When I write a poem, I feel excited about it!

Original—fresh and new. I want my poem to be written in a way that no one else has written it before. The idea has probably been used before, but what's important is how I present it.

Emotional—coming from my heart. Inspired by my own emotions, but also to make the reader feel some emotion of their own when they read my poem.

Musical—rhythmic. Whether written in rhyme or not, I want my poem to have a rhythm that matches the tone of the poem.

Sensory—use of the five senses to show what's going on in my poem. Using sight, sound, taste, touch and smell to bring the reader into my poem and create images in their mind.

Follow this link to read more about National Poetry Month and follow the links to find more ways to celebrate National Poetry Month!

It's been a weird winter as far as the weather goes. Snow where it doesn't usually snow and little or none where we'd expect it here in northwest Indiana. I'm ready for a warm-up from the below-zero and single-digit temps. We're expecting above freezing temperatures this coming week and I'm really looking forward to it!

Growing up it was different. I remember big white snowflakes falling in late November into December and January. I remember building snowmen and snow forts, making snow angels, and snowball fights with friends. I remember hoping that the temperature would stay below freezing for three days in a row so the ice would be hard enough to skate on. By mid-January it was a different story as the snow piled up and froze on the side of the street, gray-looking from the splash of cars and trucks driving past.

Here's a Winter Poem written from my childhood memories. I hope you enjoy it.

The snow fell in December,

big and fluffy white.

So clean and wet upon my tongue,

a wintertime delight!

Snowmen lined the front yards.

Sleds flew down the hill.

Snowballs whizzed from inside forts

while snow plows took their fill.

December's now behind us.

The snow is old and gray,

And piled as high as January,

just won't go away.

   c Peggy Archer

Stay warm! And try to enjoy the snow while it's here!

Wishing you all a wonderful day and whatever makes you happy and thankful.

Gobble! Gobble! Turkey talk.

Wobble, wobble! Turkey walk.

     Wasn't looking,

     Now he's cooking

Here inside the turkey pot!   

                         c Peggy Archer

It's certainly been a busy year around here! This Thanksgiving I'm thankful for many things. Among them good health, a good home, and good writing. I'm thankful…

For family. For my husband, partner in all things and best friend. For kids and grandkids and being able to see them often this year. For brothers and sisters, and more.

For friends—both near and far. For those we see in person and for those that we meet with over zoom or on facebook. (So thankful for zoom!).

For agents and editors. For my agent, Kristina Sutton, who keeps in touch and is my final critique partner before sending my manuscripts out. For my editor at Little Brown, Deirdre Jones, who also keeps me up on things. Like sneak peaks at the illustrations (by Gaia Bordicchia) for my upcoming picture book, THREE LITTLE WITCHES AND THE SPOOKY OLD HOUSE. I love them!

For critique partners. Who are also good friends and who help keep me motivated and writing!

I thank God for all of these blessings and many more. So many blessings!

I hope you have much to be thankful for this year. Happy Thanksgiving!