In the hammock: Bren MacDibble’s glorious How to Bee

My September poetry challenge

 

 

Bren MacDibble grew up on farms all over New Zealand. She now lives in Melbourne with her family and a ‘cheeky dog’.

I have just discovered her award-winning children’s novel, How to Bee, and I just adore it.  It was published last year by Allen & Unwin.

Peony knows a lot about living in the country. She loves living in the country but the world has changed after a terrible famine. Bees are almost extinct so children have to pollinate the flowers in the orchards and get rid of pests.

Peony’s job is to get rid of pests but she so longs to be a bee, climbing fruit trees to pollinate with her feather stick.

 

Peony lives with her Gramps and sister in a shed and she loves her life.

Her ma lives in the ugly city to earn hard cash where life is tough for the poor.  Her ma drags Peonie to work with her in a big rich city house but Peonie hates it. She just wants to get back to the life she loves.

I adore so much about this story. Especially fierce brave daring Peonie!

I love the way she wants to keep her promise to Gramps and stay with him.

I love the way she makes friends with rich Esmeralda and helps her to be brave and go outside and dance under the moon.

I love the way Peonie’s boss on the farm treats all the workers so well.

Reading this novel is like going up in a hot air balloon because it is one gigantic UPLIFT that makes you think about the world and being alive and caring for others and being a little bit daring and knowing what you love and what is important.

 

Beautifully written, beautifully imagined treasure of a book.

 

Allen & Unwin page

Bren’s website

Awards

WINNER: CBCA Book of the Year for Younger Readers, 2018
WINNER: 2018 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature
WINNER: 2018 New Zealand Book Awards, Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toitoi’s poetry invitation for young poet

Hot tip: Try my September poetry challenge

 

Check out how to submit your writing for Toitoi here

 

St Francis School is inspired by Margaret Mahy

Hot tip: Try my September poetry challenge

 

Ti Kouka’s Year 5 and Year 6 students at St Francis School  really enjoyed learning about poetry and nursery rhythms for my August challenge. They looked at Margaret Mahy’s A Summery Saturday Morning poem and changed the words but kept the four-line stanza.

I love Margaret’s book! I read it a thousand times to my girls when they were young.

I really loved reading all the poems the class sent in; such energy, such bouncing imaginations. I have picked four poems to share with you.

 

 

 

 

A Windy, Winter Wednesday

I wake when the wind started to blow
Started to blow, started to blow
All I hear is a crow
On a windy, winter Wednesday.

Then I saw a big, fat fly,
A big fat fly, a big fat fly
It soared up in the enormous, blue sky
On a windy, winter Wednesday.

Then I saw a wriggly spider,
A wriggly spider, a wriggly spider
It looked like it was a super glider
On a windy, winter Wednesday.

Then I saw a wee white mouse,
A wee white mouse, a wee white mouse
It crawled out of its tiny little house
On a windy, winter Wednesday.

Then I saw a colourful bird,
A colourful bird, a colourful bird
It started to get really absurd
On a windy, winter Wednesday.

Then I saw an agile, brisk, furry cat,
Furry cat, furry cat
It was wearing a large, plain, brown hat
On a windy, winter Wednesday.

Then I saw my teeny, grey dogs,
Teeny, grey dogs, teeny, grey dogs
At least I still had my slimy, green frogs
On a windy, winter Wednesday.

Then I saw my little brother,
My little brother, my little brother
He was out all alone with no other
On a windy, winter Wednesday.

Then they all started chasing each other,
Chasing each other, chasing each other
One by one they ducked for cover
On a windy, winter Wednesday.

Then my brother caught the dogs,
Caught the dogs, caught the dogs
Before they could leap over the logs
On a windy, winter Wednesday.

We rush inside and eat some tasty stew,
Tasty stew, tasty stew
We see icy snowflakes that flew
On a windy, winter Wednesday.

By Tommaso Year 5

 

A Mystic, Magic Morning
We meander outside with full hearts
With full hearts, with full hearts
Holding a shiny sword and our wrinkled cart
On a mystic, magic morning.

The wind howled and the snowflakes flew
Snowflakes flew, snowflakes flew
This world is cold but looks all new
On a mystic, magic morning.

My pig’s feet sloshed in the snow white path
Snow white path, snow white path
I was scared but I started to laugh
On a mystic, magic morning.

A roar shook a hanging sleet
A hanging sleet, a hanging sleet
My pig started to dramatically bleet
On a mystic, magic morning.

A lion jumped out of the hidden bush
The hidden bush, the hidden bush
Me and my pig squealed like a cow that’s been pushed
On a mystic, magic morning.

He landed with a giant thud
A giant thud, a giant thud
After that he splashed me with mud
On a mystic, magic morning.

We ran as fast as our feet could take us
Feet could take us, feet could take us
When I looked back I wished for a bus
On a mystic magic morning.

In the distance we saw our small house
Saw our small house, saw our small house
As we ran we saw a louse
On a mystic, magic morning.

We slammed the door hard behind us
Hard behind us, hard behind us
We ate our food without any fuss
On a mystic, magic morning.

By Oliver Year 5

 

On a Sandy Sunday Morning

Dashing into the waves with the surfboard under my arm
under my arm, under my arm,
The water is clear and mostly calm
On a sandy Sunday morning.

I stab into the calm blue crystal water riding my board
Riding my board, riding my board
I feel like I’m a Knight in shining armour holding my sword
on a sandy Sunday morning.

As I’m furiously paddling, I get stung by a jellyfish bobbing
Stung by a jellyfish bobbing, stung by a jellyfish bobbing
Feeling tough but my left arm is throbbing.
on sandy Sunday morning.

I turned my surfboard around and bolt back into shore
bolt back into shore, bolt back into shore,
Spotting a lifeguard, I let him know my arm is sore
on a sandy Sunday morning.

The man points me up the club rooms stairs for a shower
for a shower, for a shower
Feeling relieved, I stayed under for an hour
On a sandy Sunday morning.

by Quinn Year 6 Student
On a Mystic Monday Morning

I can’t wait to go to Spain,
go to Spain, go to Spain.
We are departing on our plane.
On a Mystic Monday morning.

We just saw a huge fly,
Saw a huge fly, saw a huge fly.
It took all my brother’s pie.
On a Mystic Monday morning.

The baby began to cry, cry, cry
cry, cry, cry,
The parents began to sigh, sigh, sigh.
On a Mystic Monday morning.

The stranger began to drink his coke,
drink his coke, drink his coke.
I think he might even choke.
On a Mystic Monday morning.

We are starting to descend,
To descend, to descend.
I have made a new friend .
On a Mystic Monday morning.

The seatbelts began to click, click, click,
To click, click, click
Pablo is feeling very sick.
On a Mystic Monday morning.

By Dani

 

Poet Renee Liang gets Y1 and 2 writing poetry

Hot tip: Try my September poetry challenge

 

Meanwhile this is a delightful set of poems from a class that poet and playwright Renee Liang worked with.

 

My Toys

Sisters arguing.
Blocks smashing.
Everything so loud.
Plastic spinning wheels.
Squeaky wheels and little sounds.
Smelling the hard plastic.
Feel metal screws.
Feel the cold.

-Max

 

When I Jump

I fly through the sky
I smell Mum cooking while I fly
It feels like a bouncy marshmellow on the moon
I see Mum jumping next to me
I touch the net and remember I’m on the tramp
Then I smell a yucky thing
So I fly away again.

Charlie

 

Dragon toy

I can hear in my dragon toy the flapping of the wings.
I can smell the smoke and fire from my dragon’s mouth.
I can feel the bumpy skin.
I can taste the blood from a man that the dragon ate.

Quinn

 

Trampoline

When I stand on the trampoline I sink through bubble gum.

Nathan

 

Trampoline

When I taste the clear breeze it’s often on the trampoline.
I hear the squeak of the trampoline.
I see the top of the trees.
After jumping on the trampoline my feet feel fuzzy.
I feel the metal springs on my feet,
The birds tweet at me for hours.
I get tired of jumping.

Isabelle

 

My sandpit

I fly when I hear the wind whistling through the sky
And I smell the salty sand.
The birds are tweeting in the sky.
That makes me fly.

Daniel

 

from Room One (Y1/2) at Gladstone School in Mt Albert, Auckland, taught by Mrs Hubert.

We did a brainstorm on ‘Things That Make Me Fly’ and then came up with some words to describe these things, making sure to focus on each of the five senses. We talked about using a real thing to describe a feeling.

Then we used these ideas to write a poem.

The children are used to writing narrative stories describing their weekends, but handled the switch to poetry and more focussed word use really well!! Lots of enthusiasm too with the evidence on their faces as we talked that they were really feeling the words when we discussed ‘exploding bubblegum’ or ‘tasting the breeze’.

Renee

 

 

 

 

Poetry Box September challenge: going back in time by talking to whanau

 

 

 

My mum and her brothers walked

for country miles to school, with hand-knitted hats,

and imaginations jumping through clean streams,

 

bright red apples from the orchard, nana’s baking,

home-packed lunches and the highest trees to climb.

 

This month I challenge you to write poems that step off from family stories.

I have divided the challenge into four parts.

 

 

One: Talking with your whanau

This challenge will take a little longer.

Sometimes poems do take a little longer to do.

I want you to travel back in time by talking to someone in your whanau who is way older than you (your mum, dad, gran, grandad, caregiver).

Ask them to share a childhood memory. You will have to ask questions to build a picture of the memory. Collect words.

Can you collect details of the place and the people and things that were different than they are now?

Ask them if it is okay for you to use this memory in a poem.

 

Two: Writing the poem

You can write a long poem or short poem or both.

You can play with how many words on the line.

You will need to listen to the sound of the line as you write.

Details will make the poem STRONG!

Can you show things you discovered from another time?

Your poem might not say as much as a story might.

 

Three: Getting permission

Because you have borrowed someone else’s memory you might like to show them your poem before you send it to me. But this is over to you.

 

Four: Sending the poem

Send to: paulajoygreen@xtra.co.nz

Deadline: Wednesday September 26th

Please include: your name, age, year and name of school

So I don’t miss it: Put whanau memory in subject line

 

I will post favourites around about September 30th and while this is not a competition I will have a book for at least one writer.

 

 

 

 

 

August Poetry Box challenge: Some favourite nursery-rhyme poems

drawing and poem by Holly from Fendalton School in Christchurch

Twinkle twinkle black and white moon
how so bright it’s shining through
Up at all those shining stars
Twinkle twinkle black and white moon
How so bright it’s shining through

 

This challenge was so popular – it takes us back to when we were very very young and nursery rhymes were fun to say.

It has taken me a MOUNTAIN of TIME to read them all and REPLY!!

I loved the way you played and invented! There were so many AMAZING poems I could have made a book of them so please don’t feel sad if I didn’t pick you.

This is not a competition but I am giving a copy of The Letterbox Cat (my poems) to Siena at Richmond Road School.

Here is a sample of poems I have loved. But for every one I loved here there is one I loved I didn’t post … and MORE!!

 

 

 

Three poems from Elvie:

Hey diddle diddle

Hey diddle diddle
the dog and the flute ,
the horse jumped over the moon.
The small parrot laughed to see such jump,
and the fish
swam away in the room

Cat and Bill

Cat and Bill jogged to a hill
to fetch the frisbee that they threw
when they came down they hurt their crowns
and ran away to the hospital.

Martin had a small parrot

Martin had a small parrot
small parrot
small parrot
Martin had a small parrot it talked the night away
every time a storm hit
storm hit
storm hit
every time a storm hit
it slept the night away.

Evie age 8 year 4, Fendalton Open Air School

 

A twisty nursery rhyme poem from Xanthe

Hey Diddle Diddle

Hey, diddle diddle the fox with a fiddle.

The bird flew around the moon.

The little mouse laughed to see such fun.

And the cup ran away with all the tea bags
Hey diddle diddle Humpty Dumpty with a fiddle

Mary’s lamb jumped over the moon

Peter Piper laughed to see such fun

And a spider ran with curds and whey

 

Xanthe P,  Age: 11, Year 7,  Selwyn House School

 

A poem from Sylvie
Mousse XYZ
Says A, give me a good large bite,
Says B, a little bit, the fruit’s too bright
Says C, cut me a piece of pie, Take it, says D, it’s risen too high,
Says E, I’ll eat it fast, I hope, Says F, Okay but the texture’s like rope
Says G, give it me good and ripe, Says H, apple is the type,
Says I, it’s ice I must begin, Says J, the juice is in the tin,
Says K, let’s keep it down below, Says L, there is something wrong with the dough
Says M, it makes your knees feel weak, N said, red is now the colour of my cheek
O others’ plates with grief he looked, P for piece thoroughly cooked,
Q quarrelled for the final slice, R felt his stomach and said “it’s nice,”
S silently sat, and only viewed, T vanished when he saw the food
U understood the fruit was red, V was already in his bed
W wished there’d been a sugar layer, X here explained it was worthy for the mayor,
Y said, I’ll eat, and be stuffed like a goose, Z, was sad there was no mousse
While all the letters all surveyed dish, And for another pie they all did wish.

Sylvie K 11 Years Old Year 7 Selwyn House School

 

A poem from Chloe

Shiver shiver little river

Shiver shiver little river
glowing in the dark all night
you can show your little face
Shiver shiver every day
Shiver shiver little river
glowing in the dark all night.

Chloe  W, age 7, Ilam School

 

Two poems from Aurora

Twinkle Twinkle Traffic Lights
Twinkle twinkle traffic lights
you will see them in the night
red means stop
green means go
orange means really slow
twinkle twinkle traffic lights
you will see them in the night

My Friends Are Kind
My friends are kind dilly dilly my friends are kind
Will you be kind dilly dilly will you be kind?
When you are kind dilly dilly when you are kind
We shall be friends dilly dilly we shall be friends

Call up your friends dilly dilly call up your friends
We will have fun dilly dilly we will have fun
Let’s play outside dilly dilly lets play outside
And look at the clouds dilly dilly look at the clouds

My friends are kind dilly dilly my friends are kind
If you are kind dilly dilly I will be kind
Let’s watch the birds dilly dilly let’s watch the birds
When they all play dilly dilly when they all play

Let’s all sing dilly dilly let’s all dance
Will you be kind dilly dilly will you be kind?
When you are kind dilly dilly when you are kind
We can be friends dilly dilly we can be friends
Aurora C, 9 years, Selwyn House School

 

A poem from Mishika

Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on a Car
And ate his pie with a start
The car went Wee Wee and the Car went Was Was
It shakes all around
And threw Humpty Dumpty on the ground
All the Kings Men and all the Kings Horses
Came Marching up and Down
But couldn’t lift Humpty off the ground.

Mishika C age 7, Year 2

 

3 poems from Ruby
Rinsy, Mincy, Cider

Rinsy, mincy, cider,
Sloshed down the huge long straw,
Down came the boy that sucked the cider up,
Out came the bottle that refilled the glass,
And rinsy, mincy, cider,
Sloshed down the straw again.

Wrinkle, Shinkle, Big, Big,Car

Wrinkle, shinkle, big, big, car,
How I wonder how fast you are,
Flying above the racetrack high,
Like a meerkat in a pie,
Wrinkle, shinkle, big, big, car,
Now I know how fast you are.

Men in the shed

Men in the shed,
And the big one read,
Come over, come over,
They all came over and a hammer fell down,

The men in the shed,
Together they read,
Oh no, oh no,
They all panicked and a saw fell down,

The men in the shed,
And the large one said,
Meet Ted, meet Ted,
They all met Ted,
And Ted fell down ,
Knocking an axe with his crown,

All the men in the shed,
All together they read,
The tools, the tools,
The tools are dead,
So all the men in the shed,
Picked up the dead,
And all the men in the shed,
Including little Ted,
Left the shed forever.

Ruby T Age 10 Ilam School

 

2 poems from Sylvia

 

Black black sack sack

Do you have a ball?

No Sir no sir ask another fool

There is one in the basket

And one in the pool

And another in the mall

Rolling round the school

 

 

Humpty Dumpty was such a fool,

Minutes later he had a great fall;

All the Queen’s saucers

and all the King’s pens couldn’t make Humpty

feel better again.

Sylvia, age 7, Year 3, Ilam School

 

3 poems from Tom
Kakariki Egg
Kakariki sat on a King’s wall.
Kakariki had a great fall.
All of the trees
all of the leaves
couldn’t put Kakariki
together again.

The Rescue
Rub-a-dub-dub-dee
three pigs in the sea
and who do you think they be?

A farmer, a policeman,
and a bird woman
all cried out to me.

“Help us, we’re trapped
without even a map,
and we’re drifting out to nowhere.”

So I picked up a rope
and took to the air,
and flew low over the sea.

The bird woman clawed up the rope to me.
The farmer swung like Spiderman.
The policeman climbed like Superman.

They all tumbled back to shore.
And that’s the last I saw.

Three Little Puppies
Three little puppies
have eaten their mittens
and they began to laugh.

“Oh mother dear
we happily sneer
our mittens we have eaten.”

“What eaten your mittens?
You wicked puppies,
then you shall feed the cats.”

“Woof, woof, woof,” the puppies begged.
“The cats can hush, hush, hush,
and sleep in the bush.”

Three little puppies
have bought new mittens
and they began to laugh.

“Oh mother dear
we happily sneer
our mittens we have bought.”

“What bought new mittens?”
You lovely puppies,
then you shall have some pie.”

“Woof, woof, woof” the puppies sang.
The cats can hush, hush, hush
And sleep in the bush.”

Tom, age 9, Year 5 Hoon Hay School Te Kura Koaka

 

2 poems from Churton Park School

One, two pick up my shoes
Three, four slam my door
Five, six, Grab my bag of tricks
Seven , Eight , you might be late
Nine, ten, we´ll do this again

Tayla M , Year : 6, Age : 10, Churton Park School

 

I’m a little mouse
Squeaky and small
This is my tail
And this is my ear

When the cheese comes out
Hear my Squeak
Pick me up
And put me to sleep

Georgie M Churton Park School

 

 

Jack and Jill poems

 

My name’s Jack,
This is Jill.
We’ve been sent to get water
From the well.

It’s on top of the hill
(How did that happen?)
Too late I realise
That the ground isn’t even.

I trip, I slip
Jill follows suite
I hurt my head
She hurts her foot.

Somewhere I was told
(But not by a doctor)
To cure with vinegar
And brown paper.

I know it’s not technically
Medical advice
But I tried it, and failed,
So I tried twice.

It didn’t work!
I moan and and I curse
I guess we’ll just have to
Call a nurse.

Evangeline, 11, Year 6, ACG Strathallan

 

Jack & Jill

Jack and Jill
Went to build a big blue pool
He dropped a crown in
Then Jill went to get it

Liam D 7 years old  St. Andrews College

 

Baa Baa Black Sheep poems

Meow meow black cat
Have you any mice ?
Of course of course
3 little mice
One for me and one for mum
One for my little tiny peckish tum
Meow meow black cat
Have you any mice
Of course of course
12 little mice.

Georgie M, 9, year 5, Selwyn House School

 

Baa Baa Black Cow

Baa baa black Cow
Have you any spots?
Yes sir, yes sir,
9 hands full.
Baa baa black cow
Have you any else?
No sir, no sir,
Nothing else

Chloe MAge 7 St Andrew’s College

 

Oink Oink Piglet

Oink oink piglet,

Have you any apples

Laid in your rusty pot?

Well.. yes Mam yes Mam 3 pots full.

1 for the lamb, 1 for the chicken,

1 for the little piglet,

Who lives down the lane!

Zian, age 10, Fendalton Open Air School

 

Hickory Dickory Dock poems
Nickity kickity lock.
The Kea went up the clock.
The clock struck 4.
The Kea fell down.
Nickity kickty lock.

 Natsuki H Age 8 Fendalton School

 

The lion and the clock

Hickory dickory dock
the lion went up the clock
the clock fell down
the lion ran out
hickory dickory dock.

Hickory dickory dock
the lion went up the clock
the clock struck two
it said “how do you do”
hickory dickory dock!

Leona K, age 8, Selwyn House School

The dog stood by the block

Woofity woofity woof
The dog stood by the block
The dog barked twice
Then saw two mice
Woofity woofity woof

Tilly, age 9, Selwyn House School

 

Hot cross buns poem

Hot pot buns

Hot pot buns
Hot pot buns!
Hot pot buns!
One cat, two kittens,
Hot pot buns!

If you have no pets,
Give them to your mum.
One cat, two kittens,
Hot pot buns!

Ida  Age: 9  Year: 5 Selwyn House

Hey diddle diddle poems

Hey diddle diddle
The cat and the fiddle
playing on the moon.
The cat played the fiddle
and the fiddle played the cat.
The moon jumped over the cow.
The little dog laughed to see such a thing,
And the dish snapped on the spoon

Leilah H Year 7 Selwyn House School

 

The Squirrel Stealing the Pizza

Hey diddle diddle
The dog and the coffee
The lamb jumped over the sun.
The teddy bear laughs at all of this
And the squirrel runs off with the pizza.

Estelle R Age 7  St Andrews Prep
Hey Dish Spoon

Hey dishy spoony
the spoon and the bloomy
the bloomy touched and the moose ran with the bloom
and the fish ran with the crab
bye dishy spoony.

Maia T  7 yrs old  Ilam School

 

 

Five poems from the Samoan Unit at Richmond Road School

Four Little Gorillas

Four little gorillas on their sled
one fell off and his name was Ned.
Papa called the nurses the nurses said
No more gorillas on their sled.
Three little gorillas on their sled
One fell off and lost his leg,
Papa called the nurses the nurses said
No more gorillas on their sled.
Two little gorillas on their sled
One fell off and lost his head
Papa called the nurses the nurses said
NO more gorillas on their sled.
One little gorilla on his sled
he fell off and he was dead
Papa called the Undertaker the Undertaker said
NO MORE GORILLAS ON THEIR SLED.

Kingston K Age 10 Richmond Road School MIM

 

Littery Dittery Potch

Littery dittery potch,
The bee flew on to the watch.
With a fiddle de dee,
It went to three…
Littery dittery potch!

Xavier L, 9 years old, MIM, Richmond Road

 

Meow Meow Gray Cat

Meow meow gray cat have you have you fell in love?
Yes, sir, yes, sir when I caught a Dove.
And once when I ate,
And once when I slept,
And once when I went to bed,
And snuggled with my ted.

Lelei 9 years MIM-  Richmond Road School

!!!!Pitty Patty!!!!

Pitty Patty sat on a pole
Pitty Patty had a great mole
All of her family and all of her friends
Couldn’t look at miss Pitty again.

Silly Sally heard about it
Silly Sally could barely sit
All of her family and all of her friends
Laughed at little miss Pitty again.

Sobby Seron cried about it
Sobby Seron felt bad for Pit
All of his family and all of his friends
Cried for little miss Pitty again.

Daneeka F MIM 9 years old Richmond Road School

Old King Tole And His Very Bad Mole

Old king Tole had a very bad mole,
And a very bad mole had he.
He called for his spade,
and he called for his blade,
And he called for scribblers three.
Each scribbler did a scribble,
And a very nice scribble had he.
Oh there’s none the same,
And that was a shame,
So he gave it a name,
And then he played a card game,
to finish his last game,
then he went to bed,
And said “Night Ted!”

Siena S – Mim 10 years -Richmond Road School

 

Four poems from LS7 Westmere School

Somtey Fumtey

Somtey Fumtey sat on a ledge.
Somtey Fumtey fell off the edge.
All the kind doctors,
And all the kind men,
COULD put Fumtey together again!

Cody P age 9 LS7 Westmere School

Miss Muffin and her Puffin!

Massive Miss Muffin,
Sat next to her puffin,
Who squawked and screeched all day.
The puffin was scary,
Miss Muffin felt wary,
And she ran, so far far away.

Sunny C,  Age 10 Ls7 Westmere School

Squarkle Squarkle Naughty Kia

Squarkle Squarkle naughty Kia,
You’re a bird we don’t go near.
Lurking in the south car park,
I hope you don’t wreck my car.
Squarkle Squarkle naughty Kia,
You’re a bird we don’t go near!

Anthony J, Age 9 Ls7 Westmere School

Mini Miss Muffin

Mini Miss Muffin,
Ran to her tuffin,
Scaring the birdies away.
She spied a huge worm
Who squiggled and squirmed
Which worried Miss Muffin all day

Rosa B,  Age 9 LS7 Westmere School

 

3 poems from LS8 Westmere School

 

Kiwi Kiwi

Kiwi kiwi was having fun near his forest ,
With his friend Ruru, who was a florist.
They sold lots of flowers,
Then after two hours,
Kiwi kiwi went back to his forest.

Mahe L age 10 LS8 Westmere School
Lilly and the Black Goat

Lilly had a black goat, a black goat, a black goat.
Lilly had a black goat,
Its coat was as black as night.
When Lilly went on a boat, on a boat, on a boat,
When Lilly went on a boat,
The goat was sure to float.

Claudia P age 9 Westmere School LS8

POSSUM WOSSUM
Possum Wossum found a kiwi
Playing with his friends and iwi.
When he saw the light of day
Possum Wossom sprang away.

Kane P age 11 LS8 Westmere School

 

2 poems from LS6 at Westmere School

Cat and Mouse
Cat and Mouse went up to the house,
to sneak a snack from the larder.
Cat got caught and so he fought
and Mouse went fighting after.

Sophie M 11 years old  Westmere School LS6
Ava Parker
Ava parker sat on the sill,
Ava Parker got quite ill.
All the good doctors
And all the good vets
Left all their patients
And left all their pets.
Ava Parker sat on the sill,
And Ava’s poor mother,
had to pay the bill.

Maddie H  Age: 9  Westmere School  LS6

 

6 poems from Richmond Rd School

The Escape
Little Jack Runga,
Sat by the punga,
Eating a mince and cheese pie.
Along came a Huhu,
Escaping a Ruru,
And hid in the nearby marae.

Maia 10, L’archipel, Richmond Road School.

 

A Sheep?

Meh, Meh, brown sheep
have you any brown wool?
Yes sir, Yes sir,
Three bags and a half
One for the doctor
and one for nurse
and one for grand-dad down the road.

Baa baa striped sheep
have you any wool?
No sir, no sir,
I’m a zebra.

Alphonse T Age:10 Richmond road School  Class:L’envol

 

Jess and Jake

Jess and Jake rowed on the lake,
To catch a bucket of fish.
A few minutes later,
They were ready to cater,
But had to clean up the dish.
Sophie G Age: 10 Class: L’Envol Richmond Road School

 

Wild Adventure!!!
Posh, Pish with a fish,
Roast chicken on a dish.
Picnic, with a fox,
who’s favourite book is Goldilocks,
Climb a tree with a panda,
While drinking orange Fanta.
Ride a wave with a shark,
In the deep and in the dark.
Ski Cadrona without a care,
Come face to face with a polar bear.

Our adventure is now done,
I hope you’ve had a lot of fun!!!!!
Florence S Age: 11 Class: The Hub Richmond Road School

 

Hey Fiddle Diddle

Hickory-dickory-dockery-doo,
Who jumped over the moon with a moo?
With a “Hey-diddle-diddle”
And a feline-ish fiddle,
A chihuahua laughed,
for good sport and a half.
Hishery, pishery, sploshery, splish,
A spoon ran away with a dish!

Poppy T 10 KC Hub Richmond Road School

 

Half Way Up

UP said mother duck!
DOWN said father duck!
Half the ducklings went UP,
Half went DOWN.

UP said father duck!
DOWN said mother duck!
Half the ducklings went DOWN,
Half went UP.
up
By the end they were neither nor
down.

Frankie S  Age: 10  Richmond Road School Class: Hub

 

 

To finish up you can hear Daisy read her poem

Poems from Dorothy Butler Children’s Bookshop

Paula with Sophie, Sylvie and Maddie

 

On Friday afternoon (Poetry Day!) I spent a glorious 90 minutes with some children (and adults and librarians) writing poems at the Dorothy Butler Children’s Bookshop in Auckland.

It was such a delight making poems in the air and on the page I wanted to share a few with you.

Thanks to Helen and Mary for afternoon tea and flowers and a chance to make poetry with children.

 

From Sophie aged 9

 

My Cat

My lazy cat loves to sleep

she loves drinking orange juice

she adores her birthday because of

her cake!

She is a fat cat.

 

Lego

Different colours of bricks

Instruction manuals

SO MANY BAGS!

SO MUCH PRESSURE!

 

The Moon

The shiny moon

not there in the day moon

pretty moon

shimmering moon

 

 

From Sylvie age 6

 

The Cat

Calm

cat

old

cat

lazy

cat

fluffy

cat

black cat

kind

cat

jumping pouncing

mysterious cat cute

The moon

Controlling the tide moon

generations old moon

moving moon

big moon

glinting moon

welcoming moon

 

Doll’s House

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Maddie aged 5

 

Cat

Crazy cat

scratchy cat

purring cat

my cat likes to eat meat

Moon

Sparkling moon

supersized moon

yellow moon

Owl

Brown owl

fussy faced owl

energetic owl

cheeky owl