A Present for a Pirate

Without further ado, here is my entry for Susanna Leonard Hill’s Birthday contest. The idea is to write a children’s story about a creative or unique birthday celebration in 300 words or less, poetry or prose. Susanna is a fun and generous blog hostess and her competitions always garner lots of delightful entries. I hope you will pop over to read them!

Norwegian Lundehund

Lundy the hound and Captain Saltsam

Were pirates aboard the vast ship Crusty Clam.

On Saltsam’s big birthday, he had one desire:

A colorful bird for his pirate attire.

Lundy decided to cast out their net

And catch Saltsam’s present, the best ever yet.

After sailing around, Lundy pulled in the haul:

Some driftwood, a buoy, a flattened beach ball.

Snared in the net lay a sopping sea bird,

“A parrot?” asked Lundy. “Now don’t be absurd!

I’m a puffin! Release me!” the cranky bird snapped.

“I’ve no place on a ship, and I won’t be bird-napped!”

“Hush up, pesky puffin! Behave and pipe down.

You’re a pirate’s bird now. Eat crackers and frown!

Happy birthday dear Captain!” said the gift-bearing hound,

“A bird for your shoulder! Here – wear him around!”

The bird thrashed his feet and swung with his beak,

He flapped his strong wings, smacking Sam on the cheek.

He wiggled and wobbled and shrieked in alarm,

Then lifting his tail, pooped down Saltsam’s arm.

“Yuck!” yelled the captain. “Get off me! Goodbye!”

The puffin leaned over and nipped Saltsam’s eye.

Lundy was crushed, gave a low mournful howl.

“I’m sorry I gave you that terrible fowl.”

“Oh well!” said the captain. “I don’t need a bird.

I can see now quite clearly my wish was absurd.

The present I want isn’t one we can catch.

With this nifty new boo-boo, I want an eye patch!”

I have long been infatuated with this unique little dog, the Norwegian lundehund. They were originally bred to hunt and retrieve puffins, which were a vital source of meat and feathers for Norwegians living along the western fiords and islands. In the 1880′s puffins became a protected species and the lundehund breed was nearly lost.  Today, there are approximately 1,100 lundehunds living in Norway and 350 in the United States.

April 12 X 12 Challenge and a Candlewick Celebration

Do you believe in the magic of picture books?  I do!  And I believe I sense a tiny spark of potential in the picture book draft that I completed for the April 12 X 12 Challenge.

Here’s news about a terrific opportunity from one of my favorite publishers, Candlewick. To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Candlewick has launched the ”We Believe in Picture Books Campaign”and will celebrate September 2012 as “Picture Book Month.”

In August 2012 Candlewick will debut a new dedicated picture book website featuring one video per day from authors and illustrators, booksellers, librarians, Candlewick staff, and other picture-book lovers! 

Candlewick invites you to participate if you, too, are a picture book lover. This link will give you the necessary information (PDF format) to create and submit your own brief video blurb on your favorite PB or why picture books matter to you.

It is easier than you may think to create a short video.  I speak from experience – my No Water River video debut was quick, simple and fun.  If I can do it, you can too!  I hope many of you will feel inspired to give this a try and share your thoughts on the magic of picture books!

March 12 X 12 Challenge Complete!

My March 12 X 12 Challenge draft is complete, and I am pleased with the results. I approached this draft mindful of Tamson Weston ‘s advice from the pitch contest. A PiBoIdMo idea was tempting me, but I forced myself to write the book pitch first. Actually, I wrote several pitches, and they helped focus my ideas for a unique hook. I researched the hook idea, and read 15-20 picture books that had similar elements of style and content. Halfway through my research I was truly itching to get the story on paper -but I resisted! I let dialogue threads, characters and settings roll around in my mind and sort themselves out. Then unexpectedly I woke up at 2:30 AM in mid-March and the first page was as clear as day.  I scurried to my laptop, where I dashed out a first draft.  Although my typos were plentiful, the core of my draft had a solid start.

Another March highlight was appearing as a video guest on No Water River.  My thanks to Renee LaTulippe for the fun invitation, her silly snickerview, and an entomological poem challenge!  Renee is featuring a terrific lineup of poets for April 2012 Poetry Month, so please to check out NWR next month.

My April goal, in addition to producing a new picture book draft, is to encourage you to Light It Up Blue and shine a light on autism awareness.   Light It Up Blue is a global initiative by Autism Speaks to raise awareness about autism. Iconic international landmarks will Light It Up Blue on April 2, 2012 for World Autism Awareness Day.  Please wear a blue shirt, or put a blue bulb in your porch light to support the campaign!

A New Video Poem at No Water River

 My friend Renee LaTulippe challenged me to write a poem using the word ‘entomological’ and I could not refuse!  Perhaps she’s been too deeply steeped in the “Madness 2012 Poetry Tournament” at Think kid, think!  At any rate, here are a few six syllable words that may come in handy the next time you play Scrabble!

 Six Legs, Six Syllables

Waxing on topics entomological,

Poetry will not be incomprehensible.

“No Water River” is insectly topical:

Moth’s love for Flame burning inextinguishable.

 

Renee was kind enough to video-host me at “No Water River” today, reading about moth and flame. Please pop over there and watch me shiver through my poem and answer Renee’s funny interview questions.  Take a moment to browse through her terrific collection of video poetry for kids including Iza Trapani and Natalie Fischer!

 

This was such a fun poetry project!  Thank you Renee!

 

 

February 12 X 12 Challenge Complete!

My February 12 X 12 draft is complete, with a beginning, middle and end.  While my idea seemed ‘yeasty’ at the start of the month, I kneaded the dough, let it rise, baked and then tasted it.  I think the recipe has promise but still needs tweaking before it is ready for my critique group!

It wasn’t just my draft, but February itself was a disappointment.  One thing after another simply was not going my way.  Two major car repairs, then the dishwasher door refused to shut, the washing machine’s electronic panel went haywire, the kitchen sink began to leak, a glass-shaded lamp crashed on the tile floor, a kid got sick and my spare tire went flat.  We had to laugh and shake our heads, because it seemed like new challenges were surfacing each day. 

Then something terrific happened.  The stubborn printer that had ceased working in January finally decided to submit to my patient husband’s techno-tinkering.  I planned a stay-home-and-write-in-my-pajamas day to celebrate.  This morning I printed and organized drafts needing revision, some sample query letters and my PiBoIdMo idea log.  I feel energized and prepared to tackle my March 12X12 draft head on!

February, please close the door behind you on the way out.  Thank you.

Unlikely Valentines at Susanna Leonard Hill

 The Moth and The Flame

The moth nearly swooned as he flit toward the flame.

“My sweet spark! My love light! You signaled. I came!

How you dazzle and twinkle and tempt me to touch.

I’d kiss you my darling, if you’d not scorch so much!”

The flame danced and flickered. She’d wax, then she’d wane.

She glowed with a passion that drove moth insane.

But her heart was not his, for another she burned;

A jealous sky-bolter whose jolt she once spurned.

ZZZTT! Lightning flashed! Then wild thunder boomed.

Cold torrents poured forth. The lovers seemed doomed!

“Fear not!” cried our hero. He snatched up a leaf,

And sheltered the flame who stayed dry underneath.

The leaf smoked and sizzled. Eight embers popped out.

“Our children!” cheered moth. That’s what love’s all about.

Happy Valentine’s Day!  Come join the fun at Susanna Hill’s blog contest!  Write a children’s story, poetry or prose, 150 words maximum, about unlikely Valentines and post it before February 13.  Susanna’s contests always garner marvelously creative entries, so I encourage you to click over and follow the links!

And The Liebster Goes To…

My thanks to fellow 12 X 12 in 2012 participant Patricia Tilton at Children’s Books Heal for passing the Liebster Blog Award to me.  I hope you will pop over and look at the incredible list of books she has reviewed that are healing for children and families with special needs.  It has been a pleasure to get to know Pat as a writer, a parent, and an all-around incredibly kind, wonderful person!

“Liebster is a German word, meaning dearest or beloved, but it can also mean favorite. The idea behind the Liebster Blog Award is that it is given to bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers in order to create new connections and bring attention to their  blogs.”

I am required to thank the giver, add the award to my blog, list five things about myself, and select five bloggers to whom I wish to bestow a Liebster Blog Award.

Five Things About Me: (that you may or may not know)

1.  At my first post-college professional job interview, I was asked to tell a story about the worst job I’d ever had and what I learned from it.  I was hired that day!

2.  I spent my first day at said job stuffing my boss’s wedding invitations.  That led me to seriously re-consider formulating a new answer to #1, and nurtured a deep desire to elope if I should ever marry.

3.  My husband and I did not elope, and I did not ask my assistant to stuff our wedding invitations.

4.  One of my greatest current regrets is that my passport has expired.  I still enjoy leafing through it to look at all the stamps I collected.

5.  If I had a current passport, the first place I would go is Anguilla.

Here are five blogs I want to highlight by passing the Liebster Award. I hope that you will stop by and visit their sites:

Angela Dahle http://angelapenadahle.wordpress.com/

Anna Coates http://www.greenteantoast.blogspot.com/

Carter Higgins http://designofthepicturebook.com/

Ed Bond http://edspicturebookblog.blogspot.com/

Lita Judge http://wpblog.litajudge.com/about/

Congratulations Liebsters!

Skol!