What Inspires Me? Netflix Storytime!
Netflix! Ahhhhhhhhh I see you racing around waving your arms in hysterical frenzy at the thought of a—gasp!— “children’s book author” mentioning the word.
Horrors!
Be real. Parents! Teachers! Caregivers! Grands! Our kiddos—your kiddos—watch Netflix. We all know that and it is not terribly inspiring. But get this…
VOOKS . . . VOOKS (Video-Books?!) is Story Time Book Read-Alouds streaming on Netflix!
What’s so inspiring?
VOOKS Story Time Book: Read-Along features 40 favorite animated books compiled into 8 themed episodes.
“This first-of-its-kind show invites kids to read along as their favorite storybooks come to life in each specially curated episode, including “Science, Letters, and Numbers,” “Adventurous Tales,” “Fuzzy Friends,” “Bedtime,” and more.”
How do I know Vooks books are “worth reading” aka “quality” books?
Because Vooks now includes 18 animated Familius titles!
Familus, with a credo of “Family First” publishes wonderful books! Including soon…mine! (Yes, of course my not-so-secret dream is that my forthcoming picture book, The House That Ruth Built, will one day be Netflix streaming on VOOKS along too.) But that’s not what this is about.
This is about this:
So you’re in the car, a restaurant, the airport—or maybe just too flippin’ worn down to argue—and the kids want THE DEVICE!
(Been there?….felt those judging onlookers? Seen those judging looks?)
Now, with VOOKS you can “let them” watch animated books on Netflix.
Watch! Books! Read-Along!
Now that’s inspiring!
Poetry Challenge #264-Judith Kerman by Definition
October 5th is bling-ringed on my calendar—in metallic pens with sparkles—and always has been as it’s my big brother Joe’s birthday and my recently departed mother-in-law, Adele’s birthday. Add to that BIL Paul, SIL Ryan, on the 6th & 7th respectively, and Grandboy Jack on the 11th. Libras all—born under the “idealistic Air Sign.” It’s written, and is true of them all, that “you will hardly come across a Libra who is anything but nice.”
“For me, poetry is at least partly a visual and musical art form. Or at least, it comes out of those parts of my mind.”
Poet and Artist, Judith Kerman, born under a Libran sun, also on Oct 5th, is likewise probably very “nice.” (I’ve just “met” her through poems and Google-search). Judith was born in Bayside, NY and still lives in NY. Her favorite authors include Mary Oliver, Robert Haas, Umberto Eco, Herman Melville and Ursula LeGuin; she identifies as “Disabled, Feminist, Jewish;” and has published at least 10 Chap Books as well as translated several volumes of Spanish Caribbean poetry and fiction by women.
Poetry Challenge #264
As Defined By
Judith Kerman poems are totally “Libra” in that they explore fairness, social justice, meanings of things in a “nice” way.
What’s a “Nice” way? Instead of telling us what to feel, they offer definitions of a word and so let/invite/lead readers to draw our own conclusions as in her poem “air.”
Ala Judith Kerman, choose a word, any word and define that word in a poem. You might choose a more abstract word, as Judith did in “Air” or you might choose a concrete word as in her poem, “Elephant.” (Scroll down for the YouTube of Judith reading “Elephant.”)
Include as many possible definitions of the word as possible—feel free to use a dictionary. And bust out with your own definitions of the word.
Form-wise you might choose to simply list definitions ala Webster, as in “Air,” or shape them into Free Verse as in “Elephant,” or choose some other poetic form.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just Define It!
Find out more about Judith Kerman at her Facebook page.
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2000+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
What Inspires Me? Pumpkin Time!
It’s Pumpkin Time!
Fall is in the air and pumpkins are everywhere. We took the grands to a pumpkin patch to kick off the season. There must have been 30 varieties of squash—every shape, size, texture…some super gnarly, warty, stripey…some jack-o-lantern ready.
What inspires me most about pumpkins? Pumpkins are waterproof!
Grands, Parents, Teachers! This is a great, fun, messy kid activity:
Spread the picnic table or driveway with newspapers. Cut off the top of the pumpkin. Give the kids spoons and let them scoop all the gunk out of the center of the pumpkin.
It doesn’t matter how good a job they do.
It doesn’t matter if they get all the gunk out of the insides.
The only part of scooping out a pumpkin that matters is if they dig through the shell. Then it won’t hold water. But….it will still be good for baking-stewing-steaming…freezing. So it’s a win-win!
Let them have at it. Yes! Digging it all out will definitely be a hands-on job.
What’s most inspiring! All the things you can do with pumpkin after its hollowed out—beside carving them into jack-o-lanterns.
Pumpkin Vases: Once you’ve scooped out the insides of a pumpkin fill it with water and cut flowers. Or, fill the pumpkin with dirt and plant it!
Succulents are delightful!
Fall pansies or a mum are adorable too.
No need to worry about leakage, because the pumpkin shell is waterproof. But do put a dish beneath your pumpkin for 2 reasons:
Because the moist pumpkin might leave a water mark on wood.
Because after a time the pumpkin will begin to rot and liquify—melt essentially.
The pumpkin vase will last at least 3 weeks.
Afterwards, toss the pumpkin vase, flowers and all, in the compost bin.
If you used a plant, replant it in the dirt or another container.
Pumpkin Curry or Stew Pot:
Use the hollowed out pumpkin as a pot to cook pumpkin curry or soup.
Put the hollowed out pumpkin on a baking sheet.
Fill it with the ingredients in your favorite recipe. Here’s my go-to Pumpkin Curry Recipe
Cover your pumpkin pot with its cute pumpkin stem top and cook as directed.
Serve right in the pumpkin pot!
The best part is that the pot is edible! Yes, digging out bites of the cooked pumpkin shell as you nibble is allowed. Look Ma! I ate the whole thing)
AAARGH! Help! The kiddos get so carried away carving out the inside of the pumpkin and bust through the shell?????
Plan B: cook the pumpkin and use it to make pumpkin pie, or mashed pumpkin with butter, or butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper, or microwave the pumpkin in a covered bowl. Or peel and chop the pumpkin into pieces, pop them into a freezable container and freeze to deal with later.
And don’t forget the Seeds!
Harvesting those seeds is gooey fun, too. Wash the seeds, soak them in salt water, season them and bake them.
Warning: pumpkin seeds are a healthy treat!
That’s what I call inspiring, Punkin!
What Inspires Me? Goldfish Love
Goldfish are not only funny, they are smart! And, surprising…if you doubt me, check this out.
This photo is not a hoax.
Nor did Norman have anything to do with Gabriel taking a flying leap?
As far as I know, Norman doesn’t even know a goldfish named Gabriel.
But if he did, I’m sure they’d be very good friends!
This photo was snapped by a friend in Fairfield, Connecticut.
As far as we know, Gabriel is still out there, swimming at large.
So, be on the look out for a swim-away goldfish. Although…
Check out that reward. WTF??????????
only 27cents?
That’s not exactly what we call Goldfish Love…
mild like maybe…
but, LOVE???
Poetry Challenge #263-Upside-Down, Backwards, Sideways Shel
We’re shaking things up the week so we can celebrate Shel Silverstein’s Birthday, September 25, 1930…1931...1932…some year around then (at some point Shel refused to give more interviews and forbade his publishers—and everyone else—from revealing more personal info.) That alone is worth celebrating, right? What we do know is that Shel Silverstein, known most-well to us as an author, playwright, and poet, a self-proclaimed lousy baseball player, former Comiskey Park hot dog vendor, started out drawing comics for Playboy Magazine and writing country songs, one of which, “Boy Named Sue,” is Johnny Cash’s all-time best-selling single! Shel Silverstein passed away in 1999, but through his poems, stories, songs, lives on.
Poetry Challenge #263
Upside-Down, Backwards, Sideways Shel
Here is one of Shel Silverstein’s poems from his collection A Light in the Attic, called “Backwards Bill”. While reading it, can’t you practically see how the alliterative BBs in that name “Backwards Bill” was the driving force behind that poem. But why stop there?
In honor of this rule breaking, risk taking, rhyme making poet, let’s push alliteration as far as we can go by crafting a Tautogram! A quick search didn’t turn up any of Shel Silverstein’s tautograms but can’t imagine he never tried his pen at one. So…This one’s for you Shel!
What’s a Tautogram you ask?
Tautogram, from the Greek words, “tauto” meaning same and “gramma” meaning letter, is a puzzle of a poem in which every word starts with the same letter.
That’s it! That’s the only rule!
Variations on a tautogram include: creating a poem where each line or stanza starts with the same letter and that letter changes from line to line or stanza to stanza.
Tautograms are not meant to be “serious” literature, they are written for fun. So have at it and have fun!
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just do it!
Reward Time: Click over to listen to Shel Silverstein on the Johnny Cash Show!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2000+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Fin Pal asks "Who's Your Best Friend?"
Those of you who read the Norman the Goldfish books know that the boy didn’t want a goldfish—not at all when they met. But then, by the end of the book, He and Norman are best fishes—which in human, is best friends.
This illustration is from NOT NORMAN, A GOLDFISH STORY (Candlewick Press). Click on the picture to view my U-Tube Read-Aloud
Here’s Norman’s list of three qualities of a best fish:
Honest
Good Listener
Supportive
What do you think makes someone a best friend?
Ready to read Kelly’s answer? Scroll down . . .
Glug
Glug
Glug . . .
Another trait good friend have is being “fun” and “having fun together.” On that note, here’s one of Norman’s favorite finny:
Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Artie Fish.
Artie Fish who?
Artie Fish-el Intelligence.
For more about what it takes to be a best friend, here’s a list of “10 Qualities of a Good Friend,” from newkidscenter.org.
Do you have a question for Norman the Goldfish- about friends, school, pets, family, life in and outside the fishbowl? Send him a letter!
Don’t forget to order your copy of NOT NORMAN: A GOLDFISH STORY and NORMAN: ONE AMAZING GOLDFISH!!
Fin Pal asks Norman about Friends, Tanks & Flipper
Eddie wrote that his fish Flipper was a red “betta”. Betta fish are also known as “Siamese Fighting Fish” because male betta fish will fight with each other over territory. There are about 70 kinds of betta fish. They are called “living art” because they are so beautiful. Like Norman and other goldfish, betta fish need space to swim around, clean water, and special food. Beta fish and goldfish can not live in the same bowl because they have different habits and needs.
Ready to read what Norman wrote back to Eddie?
Scroll down . . .
Glug
Glug
Glug . . .
But first a finny!
Q: Which is better at basketball, a goldfish or betta fish?
Q: Which is better at basketball, a goldfish or betta fish?
A: Neither, because they’re both afraid of the net!
Do you have a question for Norman the Goldfish- about friends, school, pets, family, life in and outside the fishbowl? Send him a letter!
Don’t forget to order your copy of NOT NORMAN: A GOLDFISH STORY and NORMAN: ONE AMAZING GOLDFISH!!
Poetry Challenge #262-State of Mind
It seems like every week there’s a National “State” Day. With 50 States in these United States, not to mention all the other geographically defined states in the world, it makes sense! There are lots to states to celebrate. This National State Day , Sept 22, 2022 . But which state you ask?
It could be a physical “state” but… it could also be the “state of denial” or the “state of unrest” or maybe the “state of disarray”… it all depends on your state of mind. we dare to ask the tough question: Which state? It could be the “state of denial” or the “state of unrest” or maybe the “state of disarray”…sometimes it all depends on your state of mind. . .
Poetry Challenge #262
State of Mind
Today let’s honor the state you live in.
Make a list of things you like best about your state.
They might be products your state is known for or facts about your state, or they might be special things only you notice.
Write a postcard poem, inviting people to visit the best state.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just do it!
In the spirit of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind,” try setting your state poem to music!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2000+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .