Jake’s (aged 10) heart poem

My Broken Heart

I’m different to everyone else.
I have a big heart,
I was born with an extra valve.
I couldn’t do what all the other kids were doing.
I couldn’t run as fast as them,
I couldn’t climb as high as them,
it was hard.
But one day it all changed.
An ambulance is normally late but this one was different.
The ambulance was on time. It was in time. In time to save me and my
broken heart.
They put a heart monitor on me,
They thought it was broken so they turned it off and on again,
I was broken, not the machine.
It went about up to 180-240. Beats. Beats in a minute.
Can you hear your heart? I can always hear mine. I’m always listening.
I know it’s sound.
An average man faints by now. I didn’t.
They were impressed…
By my broken heart and my strong will.
They opened me up and took some of my heart, the broken part. But not my will.
It’s fixed now. My broken heart.
I’m different to everyone else
I have a big heart… still.
I can do what all the other kids are doing
I can run faster than them
I can climb higher than them,
It is hard.
Now I live my life as a nearly normal boy,
With a big heart, that matches my big dreams, that needs my strong will.
My big heart smiles every day.
they thought it was broken so they turned it off and on again,
I’m different to everyone else.

By Jake Steel

 

 

Hi my name is Jake, I go to Sunnynook Primary School and I am a house leader in year 6. I love to play sport my favourite sport is golf and rugby but I like to do anything. I find writing a bit hard, but I really enjoyed writing this poem. My favourite books are David Walliams books and anything about nature. I hope you like my poem, my heart is much better now. Thank you, Jake

PS Jake is 10 years old and has had SVT which is a heart condition. He has had SVT since he was 3 years old and it took about 6 years to diagnose what it was. We were fortunate to have surgery last year whereby this is no longer an issue for him.

Poetry Box August challenge: moon poems

Amber Moffat I Would Dangle the Moon, MidnightSun Publishing 2019

click for my review

 

 

I recently reviewed a magnificent MOON picture book on Poetry Box and was inspired to do a moon challenge this month with a copy of the book to give way thanks to the publisher and author. And it is of course a special moon anniversary!

I love moon poems. I wrote a book of poems called Macaroni Moon which is now out of print but maybe you can find in the library.

 

     t   h   e          m   o   o   n          poem challenge

 

There is something about the moon that is altogether mysterious, magical and marvellous. It can be such a thing of beauty hanging in the sky. So far away!

So this month your challenge is to write a moon poem. It can be a poem about the moon or a poem in which the moon makes an appearance as an object or even as a character.

 

Tips:

Hunt for as many moon words as you can. What it looks like! Reminds you of.

Try different endings. Try different kinds of endings that makes the reader feel something different.

Try using real detail. Look for word strings (all the words like shine!)

Use your imagination and see where you moon leap.

What does the moon remind you of? Test out different possibilities.

Think carefully about how many words you use on the line. Play!

Find which words stand out in your poem? That are particularly delicious and moon perfect.

Test out different forms – do a monn list or a moon picture poem, a haiku or a triolet.

Keep your poem longer than the day you write it. Let it simmer so you can see if you want to change anything.

 

DEADLINE: Monday August 26th

Send to paulajoygreen@gmail.com.

Include: your name, year, age and name of school.

PLEASE say: it’s for the Moon-Poem in subject line so I don’t miss your email.

I will post my favourites on August 30th

and have the moon book for a poet.  It is not a competition though! I just like sharing books.

 

h a v e    m o o n         FUN

 

The moon

the moon is like a gleaming hubcap

as it moves across the tarseal sky

 

pg

 

 

 

 

July Poetry Box challenge: Some favourite poems using Groovy Fish titles

 

 

Wow! It has taken me a long time to read all the poems you sent using titles from my new book Groovy Fish.

So as you can imagine it was hard choosing.  I do hope you get to read these and hunt for one that inspires you to write a poem.

None of the poems were like my poems in Groovy Fish and I loved that –  if you find my book write me a letter and tell me what you think of it and I will post some on the blog (paulajoygreen@gmail.com).

I loved all the poems that came in from students at Rātā Street School so I am sending them a copy of Groovy Fish.

This is not a competition but I am giving away three of my original drawings. I put all the names in a hat and I sending Groovy Fish illustrations to Sam (Otari School),  Tom (Hoon Hay School – Te Kura Koaka) and Mady (Rātā Street School).

Do try my August challenge I will post tomorrow.

I loved all the poems and I hope you don’t feel sad you didn’t get picked this time but glad you had such fun writing it. My philosophy when I write books that don’t get picked!!

 

 

Lollipops and Chickenpox

 

The chickens have chickenpox

and big boxes on their heads.

 

Dr Loudbutton gives the chickens lollipops,

pumpkinseed flavour, boring flavour,

 

spider flavour, dirt flavour.

The chickens swell up!

 

‘Those chickens are going crazy

for lollipops,’ says Dr Loudbutton.

 

Brroock! Brroock! Brroock!

 

Sam Rastall, 8, year 3, Otari School

The Watermelon

I saw a watermelon going to the Moon on the road yesterday
Now, I see a tiny little resort
With a cool pool
On the Moon.
NASA says “a round green alien lives on the Moon”.

Ben E  Age: 7   St. Andrew’s College

 

The Biscuit Thief

One day at a house Alyssa baked some
Biscuits! But a thief came he
Was as quiet as a mouse
Dancing past the window
He has two pockets
Ready to steal yummy biscuits!
So be careful.

Olivia Age 8, Y4   Fendalton Open Air School

 

The seven seagulls

 

7 hungry seagulls waiting at the beach,

7 hungry seagulls looking at a peach.

7 hungry seagulls need some yummy lunch,

7 hungry seagulls want to munch and crunch.

7 hungry seagulls flying to the food,

7 hungry seagulls are in a good mood.

7 hungry seagulls sitting at the beach,

7 hungry seagulls have eaten up the peach.

 

Alicia (7) & Rosie (7) – Yr 3 – Rātā Street School

 

 

The Biscuit Thief

One midnight
when the moon shines
as bright as the sun,
one little racoon
lifts a kitchen window,
opens the pantry door,
knocks over the biscuit jar,
pushes it down to the floor,
sweeps away the glass,
picks up the vanilla biscuits,
balances them on his back,
and returns to his cubs.

Tom Age 10, Year 6  Hoon Hay School – Te Kura Koaka

 

Midnight

I shine on the pier
At New Brighton Beach
Feeling the wind
Whipping my cheeks.
The busy streets of the UK
Beeping cars, Big Ben chiming,
But that wouldn’t be my perfect night
So the next night I go to
Papua New Guinea
I see rainforests and lots of things to do
I see humans alone with the animals disappeared
Although I’m just one moon,
Can’t I reach out and help them?
I have been to a million places.
What place is my favourite?
No one knows the answer.
Not even a fairy,
Or even a dancer…..?

Ameila, Selwyn House School

 

The Tree House

 

Soon I am moving to a new house

I’m going to live in a tree house

 

My tree house will be a serene lookout tower

Accessed by a cauldron pulley

High in the branches of a Kahikatea tree

Looking out over smooth grassy fields

Like American prairies

And a vast swampland

Like the Florida Everglades

 

My tree house will be made from nature

Living there will feel like being part of the tree

It will be a sanctuary for tired birds

Like a giant nest we can all share

It will be hiding place for cheeky boys

A place to refresh feelings

Like a day spa for ten year olds

 

Soon I am moving to a new house

I’m going to live in a tree house…

 

You can visit any time

 

Daniel L, age 10, Y6, Adventure School

 

Zip Zap Zang

Zip zap zang I flipped when I ran,
I twisted i wished when i was a sizzle pan.
I saw a dancing potato when I said malaaawaloooo.
I said zang wang when I hooked up a man.
I saw a strawberry eating a pizza,
but I saw a fridge licking a whiteboard pretending to be a duster!!!!
WHY IS THERE A TIGER SAYING ATOOOOOOOO AND TIGEROOOOO!!!

William   Age: 8 yrs  St Andrew’s College

 

Swimming With An Alien  

 

I swim across the wide ocean

with my friend the alien,

I feel faint as I look in to his eyes

red like fire

The water fills my lungs with happiness

as we glide through the cheerful water

My body freezes with delight

And now its time

to take flight

 

Violetta, Age : 10, Y6,  Fendalton School

 

Tea with Aunty Lee

Today I am having tea with Aunty Lee.
At Aunty Lee’s house I see a mouse.
I smile with glee.
It’s just me with Aunty Lee.
Aunty Lee says I must have cake with my tea.
At Aunty Lee’s I see a tree.
It has a bee looking at me.

Carolyn Age: 8  Year: 4 Fendalton School

 

The Glass Door

 

My heart melts as I see the emptiness within

A glass door with no beginning and no end

As I touch the substance it feels icy against my hand

The moon reflects against the surface

During the day there are two suns

If something heavy lands the door will shatter

 

Johanna Age 10, Year 6, Fendalton School

 

Dancing Fish

Yesterday I was out swimming and I saw something quite peculiar
There was a group of fish springing out of the water, and I didn’t
Know what they were doing so I swam over and asked what on earth
Are you doing, the leader of the group did this some sort of twirl over to me
And said, “what do you think we are doing we are dancing.” That fish had quite
Attitude. I said well it doesn’t look like dancing to me. So I’ll give you a quick
Lesson on how to dance. I taught them how to turn, leap and plié, it took quite a while for them to get it but when we did we started making up a dance. While they were practising I Raced back home and made some costumes, I made bright coloured sequens tops for the Fish. They loved the costumes. After the rehearsal had finished we went and found an audience. We had Mermaids and dolphins and turtles and even starfishes. I counted them in, 5,6,5,6,7,8. The audience were wordless they had never seen dancing fish before. The fish were blushing with pride.

Samantha Age 12 Y8 Selwyn House

 

Banana Land

 

Everyone loves bananas!!

I love bananas and Alex does too.

Bananas are awesome.

They are yellow and they are yummy.

 

Jonti  (8) & Alex (8) Yr 3 – Rātā Street School

 
Zip zac zang

Zip zac zang went the tall power line.
Zip zac zang went the electrical car.
Zip zip zac zac zang zang went the tall power line and the electrical car.
Then someone said,zip zac zang.
Then the light went zip zac zang.
Then I said zip zac zang.
Zip zac zang said everyone.
What will come next?
Zip zac zang from everything.
Alex age 8, Y4, Fendalton School

 

Midnight

(Acrostic Poem)

 

Morning

In a dream.

Dozing

Nap

Ink eyes.

Good night sleep

Hiccups !!!

Time to wake up.

 

Kade (8) Yr 3 – Rātā Street School

 

 

 

The six rainbow rabbits

The six rainbow Rabbits have
Lots of bad habits.
They try to
Bounce on their squeaky rainbow beds
Until they fall off and hurt
Their heads.

Alyssa Age 8 Y4  Fendalton open-air school

The Highway Rat

The highway rat
wears a hat
that flips and flops in the breeze
His matted fur and tattered hide
is fully infested with fleas

Isaac age 9 Y4 Fendalton School

 

 

The Dog Climbed up the Curtain

 

The dog climbed up the curtain

The cat jumped on his head

They both fell howling backwards

And landed on the bed.

 

In the door walked owner Sam

With a frown upon her face

The curtains were ripped and torn apart

And all around the place.

 

Hamish & Jackson (7) Yr 3 – Rātā Street School

 

Howling Wolf

(A haiku)

 

Very spooky wolf

In the night you howl loudly

Like a large grey dog

 

Mady (8) Rātā Street School

 

 

Sky High

(Acrostic Poem)

 

Kite flying high in the sky.

Yikes it’s too high.

Helicopter flying in the sky.

I’m scared of flying up in the sky.

Grass floats to the sky.

Hectic flight.

 

Tamaia (8) – Rātā Street School

 

 

Six Rainbow Rabbits

 

Up in the hills,

In the valley of sheep

 

Six rainbow rabbits,

Hidden away, fast asleep

 

On waking, they make rainbows of joy

Busy on the vast slopes that are far too steep

 

Saskia 7 years old St Andrew’s Preparatory

 

 

 

Daniel sees French picture book author-illustrators Clotilde Perrinand Eric Veillé

 

Dear Paula

You recommended it, so in May we went to the Gecko Press Les Petits kiwis festival at Capital E to see French picture book author-illustrators Clotilde Perrinand Eric Veillé. It was so much fun! We listened to some of the stories and learnt how to draw the Big Bad Wolf and the Granny, and how to make a flip up picture. They taught us how many pictures go into making a book – if you look at the photo you can see! We left our Wolf book at home so couldn’t get it autographed ( And they read a really cool book about scary monsters (A Monster Wearing Socks?) that weren’t actually scary, which made mum and me laugh out loud but they didn’t have that one for sale and we already had the other books!

Here are some photos of the day and also one of my wolf and granny drawings! It’s not as good as the one Clotilde drew that you can see in the photo. She is very clever. And Eric was very funny!

Thank you for telling is about this because it was really fun :).  I’m sorry I didn’t remember to tell you about it until now.

From

Daniel

 

 

Poetry Box review: from Gecko Press – Zanzibar and Monkey on the Run

With three books out in the world over a month I am getting lots of interviews. I get asked what I am reading and what I have loved reading and I always flag children’s books, especially children’s books published in Aotearoa.

Margaret Mahy showed how children’s books are magical, fun, challenging, imaginative, word soaring, rhythm gliding, absolute treasures whatever your age.

Gecko Press publish children’s books that make my skin tingle they are so good. Amazing illustrations, breathtaking writing and heart catching stories.

 

Here are two new treasures from Gecko Press!

 

 

Monkey on the Run by Leo Timmers is a story in pictures. NO words bar the title so you can make up your own story using the illustrations as clues. I would have loved performing this when I was young.

Each page is full to the brim with curious things, fascinating vehicles, animals doing a zillion things: follow the spiralling, filming, pan-sizzling, waiting, driving, juggling, tossing, towel-folding, straw-slurping, fish-reading, dog-bone-gathering, jewellery-displaying, tennis-playing, hospital-going, bird-singing, carrot-juicing, gelato-licking, giraffe-kissing, concrete-churning traffic jam all the way along the road as monkey runs and leaps and clambers on top of it ALL

to the END.

What a perfect ending that made me smile like the Great Wall of China!

And what a gorgeous curious fascinating UPLIFT of a book! I am still smiling from eyes to toes.

Gecko Press page

 

 

Zanzibar by Catharina Valckx is a junior chapter book featuring a reporter called Achille LeBlab (a lizard) and a crow called Zanzibar.

Achille is keen to write an article about an exceptional character but wonders if Zanzibar is the right choice and the only exceptional thing about him is his name, especially when he FAILED the singing test (caw caw caw).

What a golden opportunity for an ordinary character to become EXTRAORDINARY!

Zanzibar could make a mean mushroom omelette but the reporter scoffed at that skill!

Maybe if he could lift a camel with one wing into the air the mean old reporter wouldn’t scoff (scoff scoff scoff). So the next day Zanzibar packs his knapsack and flies to a desert in search of a camel.

Hmmm! You will have to read the book to find out what happens to incredible Zanzibar BUT

this is a story of good friends and things both ordinary and extraordinary – oh and excellent mushroom omelettes.  A delicious read indeed.

 

Gecko Press author Q & A page

 

 

 

 

 

Making up new Groovy Fish poems at the Dorothy Butler Children’s bookshop

 

 

A very big thank you to Cuba Press, The Dorothy Butler Children’s Bookshop in Auckland and all the children, mums, nanas and other adults who came. A special thank you to the lovely Mary from the bookshop for writing down our poems when our words were whizzing fast!

You still get a chance to win a drawing if you send in a poem to my Groovy Fish challenge. All the names will go in the hat and I will pull out one or two. Plus I will give away a few Groovy Fish books.

These two launches have been really special – it felt like the bookshops filled with warm poetry glows and I took poetry glow home with me.

Thank you!

Here are some photos – and under that are some poems we made up together using titles from Groovy Fish.

 

 

 

 

 

Thunder Monkey

Thunder’s in the sky

bang crack

boom crash

coupled with lightning blue

 

The monkeys are in the trees

swinging, revelling, trembling

in the storm

 

Thunder monkeys are lit up by lightning

thunder monkeys are super monkeys

and are fine in the storm

 

Lollipops and Chicken Pox

I have chicken pox

but I really like lollipops

 

I have measles

but I really like weasles

 

I have the flu

but I like the colour blue

 

I have a cold

but I make paper folds

 

I have diabetes

but I really like sweeties   (uh oh!)

 

But today I’m well

and I’m writing a poem

 

The Little Fish

The little fish lives

in a deep dark watery cave.

It’s as little as a pin

and black

and has an electric blue fin.

It makes a ginormous friend.

 

They play and splash

on a bright summer’s day.

 

The Biscuit Thief

Chocolate cream biscuits

sitting in a jar

on a picnic blanket

by a feast of cakes.

 

Ants take the cake

to their ant hill

but the ants are in cahoots

with the imperial cruisers

and the biscuits are lost in space.

 

Tap Dancing Fish

Glorious, blindingly beautiful

tap dancing fish

tappity tappity tap tap tap

 

jumping stomping leaping

in a disco fish bowl

right on top of the high cabinet

 

The fish jump so high

out of the bowl

kissing the ceiling

they land on the floor

crash bang wallop

and tap dance away

never to be seen again

 

What a fun day we had!

 

 

 

 

Making up new Groovy Fish poems at the Children’s Bookshop in Wellington

A very big thank you to Cuba Press, The Children’s Bookshop in Wellington and all the children, mums, dads and other adults who came.

You still get a chance to win a drawing if you send in a poem to my Groovy Fish challenge. All the names will go in the hat and I will pull out one or two. Plus I will give away a few Groovy Fish books.

And if you live in Auckland you can come to my Groovy Fish launch event at the Dorothy Butler Children’s Bookshop on Tuesday 16th July – 11 to 12. We will do exactly what I did in Wellington. See invite at the bottom of this post.

 

Happy because it is nearly time to start! Thanks for the divine coffee and orange juice Ruth xx

 

In 2014 children gave me the titles to kick start poems for my new Groovy Fish book

so I decided to give the titles back to children

when I launched the book in at Children’s Bookshop in Wellington on Wednesday.

What a gorgeous shop full to the brim with children’s books.

 

Helen and Austin

Ruth had set up an inviting space with cushions and an easel with paper – children turned up aged from maybe three to maybe eleven! Even adults came including the fabulous poet Belinda Wong. Poet Helen Rickerby brought her godson Austin – an extra keen young poetry writer! And the very lovely team from my publisher Cuba Press were there to join in: Mary, Sarah and Paul. (Mary did a stellar job writing down our group poems!

Reading from Groovy Fish, onlookers include Samantha, Oscar, Austin and Max (Max was writing a cool polar bear poem in his notebook!).

 

 

Samantha chooses a poem title.

 

I had cut up all the titles from my book and got children to pull one out of the fish bag – and then we made up poems together. Such fun! I am posting some below.

I had drawn groovy fish on paper so children could find a quiet spot and write their own poems and get to keep a drawing. I had also drawn little fish children put their names on – we pulled a few out and gave some of my original illustrations from the book away.

Oscar wrote a cool fish poem to take home inside the fish I drew.

 

Samantha got to take home the tap-dancing fish illustration.

 

And book signing time – which means more fish drawings! This for Anneke.

 

Here are some of our poems – all ideas were welcome – imaginations were springing to the moon and back! No words from me! Chocolate came up a lot!

 

The Highway Rat

Galloping on a cicada

the highway rat is off

to the shop to buy

chocolate to eat

with the fairies

in the tree house.

Delicious!

 

Lick Lick Riff

A very very very

very very very big

chocolate ice cream

melted to the ground

and an ant that had

been starving for weeks

on end licked

it all up!

Lick lick lick

lick lick lick

lick lick lick!

 

Tea with Aunty Lee

Aunty Lee is at the zoo

running skipping

farting observing

BUT!! an emu

is screaming, ‘LOOK OUT!

there’s an escaped

lion on the loose!’

The Tree House

Inside the tree house

a battered sofa

next to the leaves

like lollies

in the trees,

magical fairies eating

chocolates,

birds tweeting.

 

Swimming with an Alien

Splashing

paddling

the green alien

with two heads

(well it’s lonely!)

has ten fingers on each hand

and is floating

like a squiggly worm.

 

Thank you everyone what a MAGNIFICENT occasion. I just loved it.