14:14 PB Word Play & 10 Essential Elements in Picture Books

Nana Kathy and Grandson Tobin at play finding eggs at Easter.

Hopping about w/Christie Wild's craft study of 10 Essential Elements, today I choose WORD PLAY. Picture books are meant to be read aloud, They are aural, auditory. They appeal to our ear. The sounds must be pleasing and fun to say. Add the kid element and there's the play. Play is what Mr. Rogers called kids' "work." Kids learn so much through play. 
I choose this picture of my grandson Tobin and I playing last Easter when he was old enough to understand the whole bunny business. Running, spying, gathering eggs, opening plastic eggs, counting eggs, and eating chocolate eggs. All play, all fun. Finding the best word "eggs" is what we do as writers. We want kids to savor them, to explore them, to mimic them and to try them on in order to learn to read, to enjoy and play with language for a lifetime. That's important business for children's writers and kids!
Enter my favorite word play book....FROODLE.

 This imaginative language romp will get you creating words.
Title: Froodle
Author: Antoinette Portis
Illustrator: Antoinette Portis
Publisher:Roaring Book Press
Year:2014
Word Count:262
Top 10 Essential PB Element: Word Play
Go ahead, say it. I know you want to say it. Froodle, froodle froodle. That was fun, right? This ALSC Notable Book is oodles of fun and exhibits as ALSC states in their critia, "notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity." Yup, there is "venturesome" creativity in a book that dares, in its plot, to turn the animal world's speaking patterns upside-down. Why should cats meow, dogs bark and birds chirp? Little Brown Bird knows it's much more fun to make up language, just as little reader do. 
Now read these lines aloud from FROODLE: "Tiffle biffle/just a little /miffle,"and "ickle sickle," and finally, "oobly snobby." My grandson Tobin was splurting all sorts of nonsense babble after we read this book!
 As writers we need to give ourselves permission to make up nonsense words like Little Brown Bird does, too. Our rhyme, onomatopoeia, and lush language makes readers happy and playful. 

Add to your writer's toolbox w/Angie Karcher's RhyPiBoMo, a free "master class" on poetry this April. Right now grab that rhyming dictionary, read a PB with playful language and WRITE. If you have recommendations for great PB word play, add to the comments section, please.

Firebird Bursts with Theme:PB 14:14 in 2015

I am a newbie at this blog challenge that writer Christy Wild put together, but examining picture books from Christie's list of 10 essential elements is a great exercise to sharpen our craft! Be sure to check out the other blogs to learn even more. There are some excellent writers on this blog hop.
My choice for today is THEME. My process of creation usually involves either a pithy title or a theme. I write with the bigger, overarching idea in mind first. Theme informs plot and gives a story heart. Heart is quite appropriate for our kickoff today, Valentine's Day! Universal themes tug at our hearts and add emotional heft to our stories. 

View image |

Title: Firebird
Author: Misty Copeland
Illustrator: Christopher Myers
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons (An Imprint of Penguin Group)
Year: 2014
Word Count: 393 EST
Top 10 Element: Theme
FIREBIRD, 2014 winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, exudes theme. The illustrations blaze and jump off the pages, echoing the theme of a firebird and the energy and determination needed by young people of color to make it in the world of dance, just as Misty Copleand did. This story resonates with the theme of seeing others like us so we can dream and achieve, too. 

Author/principal dancer for ABT, Misty Copleand, extends the theme in her letter to the reader in the back matter. She speaks of her struggle, of how there were no mentors in the rarified world of ballet then for her. From the PB, Misty says so eloquently,"We'll make the night sky our starry curtain/the moon our silver spotlight/as we spin 
across the planets/pirouetting tightly as the curls on our heads."

Now the young girls who read FIREBIRD WILL see ballerinas who look like them as evidenced by this stricking photo of Misty as the firebird herself. The photo of a black ballerina speaks to the accomplishment of what Misty wished for when she was a young dreamer. Also, the dust jacket illustrates the theme- on the front cover we have Misty as the Firebird, and the back shows the young dancer on her own stage.
The symbol of the firebird is comparable to the phoenix, the mythical bird who regenerates after overcoming injury, even death. What better main character for the theme of overcoming obstacles in the world of dance?
From a web site on Russian folklore I found the following which really informs the theme of this picture book: "The Firebird is known to many as the Phoenix. It is a mythical bird that lives in five hundred year cycles, which is able to regenerate from injury and is therefore, immortal. With plumage of red and gold that illuminates its flight, the Phoenix is as much a symbol of divinity as it is of fire and many legendary tales have evolved around its existence. Its most spoken about quality, that has inspired stories of encouragement or been compared to adversities that have been overcome, is that the Phoenix, nearing the end of its life cycle, builds a nest where he sets himself and the nest on fire. From the ashes left behind, a young Phoenix rises, to take the place of the older."

Word choice is another element that carries the through line of theme here: "you are air," "hope to leap the space between," "your beginning's just begun," "fireworks of costumes," and "even birds must learn to fly like me." Theme breathes in these poetic lines.

Our young dancer has plenty of support to make her dreams a reality and to burst forth with success. Christopher Myers color pallet is fiery and full of the warmth of ambition and determination, too. The illustrations and words dance together to make this book a true performance in theme.

Punxsutawney Phyllis's and Kathy Halsey's Birthday Bonanza!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PHYLLIS!

GROUNDHOG'S DAY 2015 IS TODAY.  Let's celebrate Susanna Leonard Hill's famous picture book character Phyllis! Bring on the chocolate cake cuz Phyllis is 10!  Bring on even more chocolate goodness because I am many decades older today than furry Phyllis. You can read all about Phyllis and her famous exploits here. And there are other great poems and even videos on Susanna's site, too. While you are eating chocolate, let me tell you my short story.

My parents started a Groundhog Party tradition which lasted from 1970-1980. Holy hogs, a decade of parties! (This was the adult party, not my actual kid event.) We had homemade banners (see pic to left) and even matchbook covers that spanned the years. 

Antique matchbook covers from back in "the day"

My dad, an elementary school principal, even created hand-made invites. The walls were festooned w/ shadows and a banner that stated,"It's February! May the Groundhog of Happiness Leave a Valentine in Your Cherry Tree!" People brought us groundhog books, groundhog beanie babies, even a cookbook entitled THE NEW GOURMETS & GROUNDHOGS & THE SECOND HELPING by Elaine Light. ( No worries, Phyllis. There's only 1 groundhog recipe, honest.) 

Home-made groundhog made by Richard Hackman, my dad.

My father died at 68 of early-onset Alzheimers, but my family carries on our Hackman hog tradition even today. My stepdaughter Megan created a plaque of a woodchuck one year for me, and my oldest niece Lauren has started the party tradition in Chicago! Now, let us carry on and continue the celebration with a poem for Phyllis created by the children's writer and human groundhog, ME.

Meg's present

Ode: Recollection Upon Groundhogs, Famous and Infamous

by Kathy Halsey

We celebrate, oh noble prognosticator.

For seasons mild. We’re done with wild.

Will spring come sooner? Or maybe later?

Oh, please, remove dark winter. It’s vile.

From Puxatawney Phil to Buckeye Chuck,

To lovely Phyllis 10 years today,

Block thy bright sun. Oh, send us luck.

Make February 2 overcast and gray.

To Phyllis bright, smart, eager; gay,

The weather cannot fool our furry girl.

You did wrest Uncle Phil’s mantle away.

‘Tis for you now, our banner we unfurl.

Grace us with melting snow, running brook.

Crawl from thy burrow, we’ll write your book!

We’ll celebrate with chocolates galore.

Oh, marmot Phyllis, it’s YOU we adore. 

View image | gettyimages.com

Successes for 2014

Children's author Julie Hedlund, challenged participants of her 12 Days of Christmas for Writers series to post SUCCESSES (rather than resolutions) on our blogs this year. She believes the way New Year's resolutions are traditionally made come from a place of negativity.  Instead, she suggested we set goals for the New Year that BUILD on our achievements from the previous one. I am participate in this Anti-Resolution Revolution! Here is my list for 2014.
1. I wrote more this year than last year.
2. I joined a craft book study group, Word by Word. We read Linda Ashman's Nuts and Bolts, Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul and are finishing Bird by Bird, Ann Lamott.
3. I have a face-to-face critique group which includes a published picture book author. These folks give me awesome advise.
4. My 2 trusted writer friends, Pam and Pam, will critique and talk to me anytime about our writing. We cheer each other onward. We are real friends.
5. My favorite indie bookstore peeps know me well. I book talk with Vicki Miles at Changing Hands on a bi-monthly basis. I get to read all the newest picture book and chapter books right away!
6. I invested in 3 conferences this year and they all have served me well: SCBWI LA, SCBWI AZ, WOW Writing Retreat. 
7. I met my agent and signed w/Jodell Sadler in fall 2014. Those peeps I met in GA at WOW became like my writing family.
8. Two editors I met at AZ SCBWI keep up w/me on FB!
9. This was my second year for PiBoIdMo and I had better ideas and fleshed them out more than last year - 34 ideas.
10. First year of 12x12, and I revised and wrote 11 new drafts.
11. I am starting a kidlit writers' schmooze at The Newton since there is nothing else available.
12. I trained volunteers at Paradise Valley School District 3 times this year.
13. I know more about the process of learning to read by volunteering for a reading interventionist weekly at North Ranch.
14. I do something daily related to my writing career.
15. I finished research for a nf picture book.
16. I connected lots of writers in PHX to each other.
17. I did 2 of Susanna Leonard Hill's challenges and was in the top 25 for the Holiday Contest.
18. I have won 2 prizes from PiBoIdMo and Susanna.
19. My buddies who signed w/Sadler Children's literary and I have a crit group where we submit a story weekly - so every 5 weeks I get another story critiqued.
20. I have a social media presence via the GROG, a pretty mighty kidlit blog.
21. I tried my hand at a middle grade novel.
22. I critiqued a friend's middle grade novel.
23. I call myself a 'writer," and I mean it.
24. I did a "school visit" and taught middle grade writers more about writing. They gave me roses and  are practicing their elevator pitches thanks to me.
25. I delved into the "whys" and the motivation of my manuscripts.
26. I enjoy writing and being with writers.
27. I introduced myself to a well-known illustrator so I could write about her process of creation on the GROG. (It was kinda gutsy for me!)

Whether Or Not To Ho-Ho-Ho by Kathy Halsey

Holiday cheer to one and all, whether that be Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanza! A new tradition I've started is writing a holiday story, thanks to children's writer Susanna Leonard Hill! I wrote a sweet story last year,  but this year's tale features the wild weather of Arizona and Santa's big dilemma...more R&R poolside or back to snow and ho-ho-ho. Santa, we're counting on you.

View image | gettyimages.com

Susanna's rules were to write a holiday story not to exceed 350 words where weather impacts the holidays. Good luck to all my writer friends and please read the other stories which are linked from Susanna's blog.  

Whether or Not to Ho-Ho-Ho

(word count: 335)

      Santa stretched in his lounger and sipped a smoothie. He soaked up sunshine and daydreamed about a longer vacation. But, it was December 22.

     “Ho-ho-ho. Should I stay, or should I go? I know what Mrs. Claus would say.” Instead, he flipped over and snoozed all day.

   “OUCH!” Santa stretched and looked down at his feet… blisters like scalded cranberries. 

    He hobbled to the bathroom to see what was the matter. In the mirror Santa gasped at the sight… skin redder than Rudolph’s nose…a beard crispier than burnt gingerbread. This was NOT a jolly old elf.

    Ho-ho, no. I promised Rudolph some practice runs back North. Stockings need stuffing, my red suit’s a tad wrinkled, and I’m a mess.

     Mrs. Claus called Santa the next day. “Nick, honey, only one day left. The reindeer are restless. The elves grumble and mope. Please, come back to the North Pole.”

    Santa sighed and gulped his lemonade. He jumped into his red convertible and sped to the airport while Christmas tunes cheered him on.

    Ho-ho, no snow for my flight home. Maybe I’ll make it just in the nick of time.

  “This just in,” the announcer said. “Haboob alert. Dust may delay flights out of Phoenix. Stay tuned.”

   At the gate, Santa checked in with the Icicle Express. His feet throbbed.  His skin peeled, but Christmas awaited.

    “Humbug to dust storms. To the North Pole, ASAP.”

     Santa stared as a wall of dirt rushed in. Lights flickered. Windows shattered. Darkness covered the runway.

     Santa stamped his boots. “Ho-ho, no.”

     Like Christmas magic, the sun reappeared.

     WHOOSH! Monsoon winds kicked the small plane around as it rose higher.

     Santa boomed, “Oh, the weather outside is frightful…snow would be delightful.”

     To Santa’s joy, the air turned frosty. Snow flurried. Reindeer pranced across the sky, and Rudolph joined the escort. The Icicle Express touched down and then glided to Santa’s workshop.

     “Ho-ho-ho. Let it snow. Mrs. Claus, eggnog, please. Rudolph, let’s check the flight pattern. I’m back. Let Christmas Eve begin!”

View image | gettyimages.com

     

Halloweensie 2014: Creak, C-R-E-A-K, Keep!

Bwaaaaaaa! It's time once again for a great contest! Thanks to Susanna Leonard Hill's generosity in creating these fun challenges and for all her writer friends who have donated great prizes! 

#162748688 / gettyimages.com

The rules?  We are to write a 100 word story appropriate for children using the words pumpkin, broomstick and creak, or a form of those words. It's not as easy as you think, my pretties.
My story? I was playing around with word families in an attempt to learn more re: early readers and chapter books. I decided to include a word family in my story, too, based off  the long "e" sound in creak. Amazingly, it sounded rather poetic, and that, my pretties, made me happy. So here it is. Let me know what you think...

Creak, C-R-E-A-K, Keep! by Kathy Halsey

Autumn jumped.

“C-r-e-a-k.”

Have I heard that sound before?

“C-r-e-a-k…”

Was it in the basement?

Was it outside in the pumpkin patch?

Autumn grabbed a broomstick propped by the screen door.

This MIGHT keep the scaries away.

Sweep, sweep.

“C-R-E-E-E-A-K!!!!”

Autumn dropped the broom.

Maybe a peek in the

deep

dark

basement?

Stairs were steep.

Autumn took two at a time.

She landed on cool cement.

Autumn inched over to a dank corner.

She reached something

soft and sleek.

Saw glowing eyes,

felt whiskered cheek.

Autumn hugged

something sweet.

A big black cat, I think I’ll keep!

#466685279 / gettyimages.com

Fractured Fairy Tale Contest - The Twelve Dancing Walruses

This tale clocks in at 385 words w/out the title. Please note that a "let" ( In Sedna's poem, line 3 of the story) is the collective noun for a group of walruses. Please leave a comment & I promise to read your tale, too. Thanks & appreciation to Susanna Leonard Hill for hosting this contest.

The Twelve Dancing Walruses

     Every evening as the Northern Lights flashed, Sedna, the Sea Goddess, sang a sea shanty that only twelve walrus pups could hear.

     “My lovely let* of twelve,

     Come to me where I dwell.

     Dance with me under the sea.

     I’ll catch you in my spell.”      

    The twelve slipped into the sea and swam to a secret cove where Sedna held court until dawn.      Her song enraptured the calves. The sociable sea creatures flapped their flippers. They danced a jig. They jostled and jumped ‘til the wee hours.

     The next day the calves slumbered in the sun. Old Tooth snorted when he saw his pups still dozing  Hmm… they sleep too soundly as if they’ve been up all night.

     First Born felt his father’s gaze and barked. “Look lively, brothers, especially you, Little Bit. Father suspects.”  

     Sedna’s mesmerizing voice continued to compel the calves to dance. The pups waltzed. They wiggled and even did the wobble. Each night promised more fun than the last.

     However, Little Bit dragged his flippers as the twelve shimmied and swayed. He blubbered to First Born, “My flippers flop. I’m ready to drop.”   

   The next night as the Aurora Borealis danced its way into the sky, Little Bit waited. While his brothers and sisters snuck out, he floated over to Old Tooth, seeking out his father’s warmth. Old Tooth woke as Little Bit crawled closer.    

“Is that you, little one? Where are the others?”

     “My flippers aren’t dancing slippers, Father, but if I tell my brothers’ secret, they will tease me.”    

     “Son, I questioned why your brothers lay listless. I was once like First Born, but I have a plan. My brother Grimm entrusted me with a magical net before he died. Now we use it.”

     Under the Northern Lights Old Tooth and Little Bit paddled to Sedna’s cove. While the pups frolicked, an invisible net scooped up the let and pulled them home.

     The twelve brothers rose early the next morning, famished and forgetful. Old Tooth swam over to the twelve.

     “I am pleased, my pups. Tonight we feast on the shrimp, crab, and clams I caught with Brother Grimm’s net. We will dance by the light of the moon. I decree that First Born and Little Bit shall lead and I will call the tune.”