Glen Eden Primary School poets take poems of birds… and a special prize goes to …

The Year 5 and 6 writers were on the hunt for birds so they could take a poem of them. They used their poem cameras to collect words then got writing and playing. The detail in these poems in magnificent. There are some surprising lines that make you smile with delight and some very juicy words. I love the movement of all the poems and the attention paid to the number of words on the lines. This is what fills me with poetry happiness. Congratulations young poets.

I don’t usually do this but there was one poem I particularly loved. I am running a bird-poem competition at the moment on Poetry Box, but it wouldn’t be right for Felix to enter his poem. Instead I am awarding him a Special Bird-Poem Prize and will send him a copy of my book, Flamingo Bendalingo. Congratulations Felix! Your poem swoops and darts and flashes and sings, just like a bird.

 

Celebrity Knight

White singlet like a knight’s armour

green, blue and red too.

Waxed and combed feathers

like a celebrity’s masked face,

has stolen a seagull’s beak,

devours fruit, flowers and leaves.

Fat and large but beautiful.

Flies like an acrobat,

glides in the blustery wind,

before it lands, it dives.

It hops and leaps and prances.

Its feet like rope hands,

grabs branches and berries,

you hear whooshing wings.

This bird should be proud.

 

by Felix

 

 

Fantail

Tail like a peacock’s tail

Brown, white hint of green

Swoosh go the pointy wings

Eagle’s claws gripped on branches

Ready to snap at flying insects

fantail light as the wind

Beak like black rice.

 

by Jamie

 

 

The Kiwi

Sniffing and twitching as he

plunges his beak in the soil

gentle beast, feet are like ginger

chestnut brown feathers

nocturnal bird, gleaming eyes.

Feet patting through the leaves.

 

by Madina

 

 

Night Bird

Feathery, gentle, strong beak

small, quiet in the forest.

Can’t fly but moves fast.

Hides in the grown ferns

eats worms and bugs,

sleeping throughout the day

rustling through the dark leaves.

 

by Casey

 

My Bird

My bird is brown

it is attractive

it’s curious

it’s quick and slick

it’s mice-like

it likes to twitch

and is also shy.

 

by Sultan

 

 

Fantail

Lovely, browny, caramel

black and grey as well

lovely, silky, soft and shiny

twitching, darting, flying, zooming,

that’s the fantail.

 

by Ruby

 

 

Squerky, Strong Creature

Green brown

white and blue

big mouth,

coming after you

with its sharp

ninja talons

knife-like beak

small but strong.

 

by Boston

Glen Eden Primary School: cats cats cats, miaow!

The Year 3 and 4 poets at Glen Eden Primary School wrote cat poems with me ( I was in the mood for cat poems maybe because I have been writing poems about my cats). These poems have great detail, some very shiny words and good rhythms. All of these poems are wonderful to read aloud (just as poems should be!). There are also little delicious surprises in these poems, but I will let you discover them. Happy reading, and congratulations young poets!

 

Rosie and Maui

Maui black, Rosie tan, black, white

they eat tuna, tails flicker.

My cat’s happy, night prowler.

Maui infected, lost, hides in shed

friends with Dad, Mum.

Black like night, Rosie sleeps

on bed, purring on blanket,

cute and fluffy as a cloud.

We bought her with a dish on her head

to stop her scratching.

We love them both,

Rosie and Maui.

 

by Eli

 

 

My Big Fat Cat

Fluffy cat’s soft and warm

the colour of Africa

chases the mouse under the bed

eating birds on the lawn

fast at getting on the roof

lying under the table,

sleepy cat.

 

by Tearoa

 

 

Sleeping cat

Sleeping cat, scratches

black fluffy tail

wiggling ears, lazy.

Fat cat loves

playing with rats,

jumps on the

bed loves drinking

milk, climbs on

couches, she loves

cuddling me.

 

by Domi

 

 

My Cool Cat

Black cat

she feels smooth

purrs happily

makes me remember night

loves squishy toys

loves sleeping in cosy beds

scratches you when unhappy

eats cat food.

 

by Vickie

 

 

My Imaginary Cat

Blue and black

really fluffy

creeping up my sleeve

fat

sleeps on my lap

stretches in the sun

flappy ears

when he’s happy he stands

scratches when he’s angry

loves fish

really fast

plays with yarn

chases mice

leaping around

looks like America,

I love my cat.

 

by Jingo

 

 

My Dream Cat

My cat is black

and white.

My large cat

likes to eat

and run

and it likes to play around

with cat toys

soft squishy toys.

It likes to relax

on the soft couch

and it likes to

watch cartoons.

My cat likes to

jump on my bed.

 

by Michael

Glen Eden Primary School gets wet (dip pip hip!)

Last week I spend two fabulous days at Glen Eden Primary School. The first day I did presentations to all the syndicates and the second day I ran a series of poetry workshops. I loved the way the children got involved as we made up poems in the hall and then again in the workshops.  To celebrate all those creative juices I will post some of the poems. I will post them in three parts.

Year I and 2 get wet!

The writing day was a rainy day so I got my group of Year 1 and 2 children to write rain poems. This is why I like visiting schools. The poems children write just blow me away — all the way home feeling very good. Congratulations young poets, all of your poems were fabulous.

 

I love the ending of Leo’s poem!

 

Rainy

Boom crash bang

nice hot chocolate with marshmallows

do my homework

black clouds

snuggly warm bed

eating popcorn

build a computer

 

by Leo

 

 

I love the short lines in Sukhnee’s poem, the words are like raindrops on the page.

 

Rain

Falling

rain storm

dip pip hip

loud lightening

watch tv

tv crying hard rain

very hard storm

 

by Sukhnee

 

 

I love the way Jainal sometimes just has one word on a line, and I love the ending.

 

Rain

Loud

very scary

raining on houses

very loud lightening

falling

eating sausages.

 

by Jainal

 

 

I love the way Meilahni’s poem shows cosy inside things and the wet outside. Lovely!

 

Rain

Wet

splashy puddle

drinking hot chocolate

rain falling on roofs

grey like a storm

inside, building a tower

with blocks,

pitta patta

dropping.

 

by Meilahni

 

 

I think Emily’s poem sounds brilliant when you read it out loud.

 

Raining

Tripling down

watch tv

splashing in puddles

dripping tipping

raining cats and dogs

eating hot pies

hot chocolate tastes like cocoa

grey like an elephant.

 

by Emily

 

 

I love the one words that are like little jumps in Ashton’s poem (puddle!).

 

Rain

Watch movies

dribbling

grey like a building

wet

splash

eat fish and chips

jump

puddle splash.

 

by Ashton

 

 

I think shivery is a very shiny word in Francesca’s poem.

 

Rain

Tiptap

splash in water

play with my toys

shivery

eat a sandwich

spitting water.

 

by Francesca

 

 

Jacob has written such a fun poem to read out loud.

 

Rain

Run in puddles

like grey metal

under an umbrella

cheese pie

muddle puddle

whitey clouds

wet

 

by Jacob

Gavin Bishop talks to Poetry Box: From tying knots to telling a good story

Gavin Bishop is a children’s author and illustrator living in Christchurch (like Bill Manhire he was born in Invercargill). He has written and illustrated lots of children’s books, many of which have won awards. If you hold both your arms out straight you could line up all the awards he has won along one arm, and all the books he has written and/or illustrated along the other. He used to be an art teacher in a high school and studied at the Fine Art School at Canterbury. In 2009, Storylines honoured Gavin by starting the Gavin Bishop Award for children’s illustrators. You can see the Storylines page here.

Gavin’s illustrations are like poetry — so beautifully crafted, with gorgeous colours, characters that are full of warmth, movement and humanness. You pick up a book by Gavin and it is always a thing of beauty. In my view, he is one of our very best illustrators, which makes him a national taonga. I have posted some of his book covers so you can see he has many illustrations up his sleeves!

 

You can find out more about Gavin Bishop at his New Zealand Book Council page. You can also find out more about Gavin by reading his wonderfully written story of his childhood, Piano Rock (Random House).

Gavin has also written a number of his books — he knows the magic of keeping things simple when you write. This means his books are excellent to read aloud.

Gavin kindly agreed to answer some questions for Poetry Box:

 

What did you like to write when you were little?   What did you like to draw?

I used to write lots of haunted house stories. I read a lot of ghost

stories and fairy stories. I guess it was the usual boy’s interest in

horror, especially as I became an adolescent. I also ventured into the world

of horror films when I was far too young and had endless, tortured nights

filled with bad dreams that disturbed me for many years.

 

What did else did you like to do in your spare time?

Not much. I was in the Boys’ Brigade briefly but I hated the military

style marching and the strong religious overtones. I seem to remember being

made to feel guilty about nearly everything, especially lepers. Learning to

tie knots was fun but entirely useless because I never had the urge to

runaway to sea. In my teenage years I read a lot and mowed the lawns at the

Methodist church to make enough money to go to the movies every Saturday

afternoon.

 

Name three of your favourite New Zealand children’s books. What do you like about them?    [they don’t have to be poetry]

Can’t think of any I read when I was a kid. There weren’t many around. It

was as an adult I became aware of early New Zealand books like Rifle and

Tomahawk by Mona Tracy. But now things are very different. NZ publishes

many, many excellent books, so many I can’t keep up with what is being

produced. Three of favourites? Let me see…..

For a start there is Old Hu-hu by Kyle Mewburn and Rachel Driscoll. And

See Ya, Simon by David Hill. There are lots of others but I’ll single out

Margaret Mahy’s, The Pirates’ Mix-up Voyage. This is definitely one of my

favourites.

 

Do you have any favourite poetry books for children?

Not New Zealand ones, except for collections used in NZ schools when I

was a kid in the 1950s such as Fresh Fields chosen by E.W. Parker and

published by Longmans. I used to love books like this. You could open them

at any page and dip into them, reading poems that you just came across. Most

of the poetry I read though was in the Cole’s Funny Picture Books from

Australia. Some of these poems are really bad but these are probably still

my favourites.

 

You are really good at writing and drawing. What do you think is important

when you write a story book?  What about when you do an illustration?

I write mainly picture books, where the words and pictures tell a story

together. My main aim, whether I’m writing or drawing is to tell a good

story. Without that, your book will never be any good no matter how well

drawn the pictures are or how moving the text might be.

 

Do you have any tips for young writers (or drawers)?

Read lots of fiction. Watch lots of movies. Do lots of drawing and keep a

notebook or journal.

 

Thank you Gavin!

Write me a letter about poems

 A poem-letter challenge: What do you think makes a good children’s poem? What do you like your poems to do? What are the best ingredients? What makes a poem sparkle and shine? Are there topics you especially love? Are there good flavours? What is one of your favourite poems you have read? What do you like about it?

Write me a letter and I will have a book prize for my favourite one. Use these questions to think about what you want to say. You don’t need to answer them all. Just write a letter telling me what you love about reading or writing poems.

I will keep this running for a few weeks and post them here and there. Your letter can be short or long.

Send to paulajoygreen@gmail.com Include your name, age, year and name of school, and name of teacher and their email if you like.

 

 

 

This week on Poetry Box: a poem-letter challenge, Gavin Bishop and the bird winner

Greetings poetry fans,

On Monday will tell you about the Holiday Poetry Bonanza and the Poem Letter challenge, on Tuesday  will post an interview with the wonderful Gavin Bishop, on Wednesday I will show you a gorgeous new book by Gecko Press, on Thursday I will post  my favourite bird poems and the winner, and on Friday I will give you a holiday challenge.

This is the last week of term so remember it is Holiday Poetry Bonanza time on Poetry Box during the holidays. I want to post at least one poem a day by children during the holidays, and I will post mini challenges. At the end of the holidays I will pick my favourite poem and the young writer will get a book prize.

Send to paulajoygreen@gmail.com. Include your name, age, year and name of school. You can include your teacher’s name and email.

Principals please share in newsletters:

During the holidays poet Paula Green will run a holiday programme on her blog NZ Poetry Shelf. She will publish mini challenges and wants to post poems by children every day. Her favourite poem will get a book prize. https://nzpoetrybox.wordpress.com

Here comes that childhood pond again

Last night I got to stand on the stage at the Going West Literary Festival as The Curnow Reader and read my poems which was a lovely honour. Thank you.

Today Peter Bland and I will be reading poems and talking about our childhoods and talking about poetry at the festival. We are on at 11.15 in the Titirangi Hall if you want to come and hear us. Imagine if there were children in the audience! How cool would that be.

A poetry challenge: It is so good to see a session where you get to talk about poems for children. What do you think makes a good children’s poem? What do you like your poems to do? What are the best ingredients? What makes a poem sparkle and shine? Are there topics you especially love? Are there good flavours? Write me a letter and I will have a book prize for my favourite one.

Send to paulajoygreen@gmail.com Include your name, age, year and name of school, and name of teacher and their email if you like.

My bird-poem diary: This morning when I went to the beach I saw the strangest bird

This morning when I went to the beach I saw the strangest bird. I didn’t expect to see this when I started my bird-poem diary.

 

The Strangest Bird

Blue and yellow feathers that shine like metal

Silver plume on its head that spins in the wind

Clumpy feet that squat on the sand and the grass

This is the noisiest bird I have seen at the beach

and when I hear it coming I duck for cover.

It’s a working bird, it’s a searching bird

it’s a filming bird, it’s a helicopter bird.

Some windy poems: The can flew off the rocks like a bird

Some of Sarah’s Year 3 students at Ormond School in Gisborne got inspired by the wind this week and wrote these cool poems. I like these poems as they tell little stories without using too many words. They have great images, juicy words and surprising bits. You can read them for yourself! Great job young poets!

 

The Flying Cushion

The wild wind blew as strong as can be

The wind was so strong

It blew a cushion away

It blew it…

Up, down, all around

and then…

into the next-door neighbour’s vineyard!

 

Dad runs like Superman

Jumps real high

Over the fence

Picks it up

Back to the house

Go, go, go, Dad!

Now it’s safe.

 

by Gareth

 

 

Cards

The card flew away

I was laying it on the table

It landed on a pile of old leaves

I raced over

I picked it up

It was the king of diamonds

 

by James

 

 

The Windy Night

I listened

There was a rustle

It sounded like the metal on the roof was moving

It was night

The wind was blowing loudly

 

by Beck

 

 

The Can

The can flew off the rocks like a bird

It flew into the dark sea

I raced after it

My knees got wet

I fell on the slimy rocks

I caught it and put it back Jet,

Dad and me started shooting it again

It was a Baked Beans can.

 

by Sam

Kyle on Poetry Box: Some of the best books in the world open little windows on what it’s like to be alive in this wonderful, bustling, beautiful world — that’s what Kyle Mewburn’s do.

Kyle Mewburn has written some of my all-time favourite picture books for children. He was born in Brisbane, went roaming the world for awhile and has lived in New Zealand since 1990. He now lives in Central Otago where he gets to write and write and write (amongst other things!). He has won lots of awards. He won the Picture Book Category and the Children’s Choice Award at the 2007 NZ Post Children’s Book Awards for Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck! His glorious picture book, Old Hu-hu, won the 2010 NZ Post Book of the Year Award. This Year Melu was shortlisted. You check out his web site here.

There is no magic formula for writing a good picture book (you can’t buy it at the shop and hey presto you make story magic!), but Kyle seems to have the magic touch when it comes to writing for children. I reread three of his books at the weekend (Old Hu-hu, Hill & Hole and Melu). I am not going to tell you what happens in these books as that would spoil it, and I want you to go hunting for the books and read them yourself! So instead I will tell you why I think Kyle is an honorary poet and the bees-knees as a picture book writer (he does write other fabulous things but that is not what this post is about).

1. Kyle knows how to keep a story simple (just like some of the very best poems are really simple).

2. Every sentence is a little treat for the ear — they sing on the line.

3. His books are moving —  like watching  the sun go down and you think wow! that is just beautiful. But you don’t feel sick with feeling — it is always just the right amount.

4. You always want to read the book again and again.

5. Kyle’s stories have great characters with little challenges. I love the way Hill wants to be Hole and Hole wants to be a Hill.

6. His stories have little nuggets of humour, but they also have little nuggets of wisdom (he might not like me saying that, but it is true!).

7. He always finds a good way to end his stories that make you feel warm (even if you might have a tinge of sadness).

8. Some of the best books in the world open little windows on what it’s like to be alive in this wonderful, bustling, beautiful world — that’s what Kyle’s do. You feel better, for having read them

If that doesn’t send you in search of his books …. ! Let me know which is your favourite book by Kyle and I will post your letter. Send to paulajoygreen@gmail.com. Include your name, age, year and name of school.

Kyle kindly agreed to answer some questions for Poetry Box:

What did you like to write when you were little?
Like most boys, I suspect, I liked writing thrilling action adventures
full of aliens and monsters. My stories weren’t bloody and violent though, they were generally funny with lots of weird and unexpected things happening.

What did else did you like to do in your spare time?

I was rather sportsmad when I was young. I played soccer and basketball
and cricket and spent as much time as possible bodysurfing at the beach. I tried a few hobbies like stamp-collecting (boring!) or model plane making (I was way too clumsy and usually ended up with my finger stuck to the plane!) but never got excited about them.

Name three of your favourite New Zealand children’s books. What do you like about them?  

I didn’t grow up in NZ and don’t have children, so I have only recently
started reading NZ children’s books. Three books that immediately spring to mind are The Fat Man by Maurice Gee (because it is incredibly atmospheric and spooky – really gave me chills!); The Changeover by Margaret Mahy (because I love MM’s elegance and the rhythm of her writing. It was also a rivetingly sinister story.); and anything by Des Hunt, really (because they’re exactly the kind of exciting adventure stories I used to read when I was growing up).

Do you have any favourite poetry books for children?

I’m afraid not.

You are really good at writing stories. I think you have the ear of a poet as your words shine and your lines sing. What do you think is important when you write a story book?
I think it’s just as important to have rhythm in picture books (or any writing, really) as in poetry. Picture books are, like poetry, meant to be read aloud, so it’s vitally important to choose the right words. You can’t afford to waste a single word. I also think it’s incredibly important to let the story unfold in its own way, and in its own time. I try really hard to be honest with my stories. Sometimes that means the story ends up being totally different than what I imagined when I started. Kids are very clever (mostly) so they can tell if they’re being tricked or cheated.

What do you like to do in your spare time now?

I like gardening – but only growing stuff I can eat. We’ve also got
chickens and a couple of sheep, so we spend a lot of time just watching
them doing chickeny and sheepy things. It’s much more exciting and interesting than watching tv. Sometimes we even discover where our chooks are hiding their eggs. That’s always a wonderful surprise!

Have you ever written poems? (I think your picture books are like long, splendid poems!)
When I started writing “seriously” I wrote poems. I was travelling at the time so didn’t have a typewriter and my writing is so messy I wouldn’t have been able to read more than a few words. So poetry seemed the perfect option. I sometimes write poems but mostly just for fun. It’s good practice for picture books, too.

Do you have any tips for young writers?

Read. Read. Read. The more you read the more you start to get an idea of the difference between a brilliant story and an average one. But you have to be careful not to fall into the fan trap – by that I mean thinking because you love reading a certain type of story, you’ll be good at writing those types of stories. Every writer has their own unique voice and style (though it can take a long time to find out exactly what your writing voice sounds like). But sometimes our voice just doesn’t suit the kind of stories we love to read. For example, I always loved reading science fiction, so when I started writing seriously I imagined I’d become a famous sci-fi writer. Unfortunately, when I try to write sci-fi my writing gets very stiff and just doesn’t sound right. I think it’s because I’m trying too hard to write like my favourite sci-fi writers instead of writing like me. I tried all sorts of stories until I discovered my voice is perfect for picture books!

Thank you Kyle!