Crazy Mad

I'm mad about monkeys,
crazy for cockatoos.
I love cuddly koalas
and jumping kangaroos.

All of these animals
and my own little Ted
leave me no room
when I go to bed.

Do you have a favorite stuffed animal you sleep with?  What do you think your animal dreams about? Can you write a poem about your stuffed animal's dream today? Have fun writing.

I paid the electric bill to read your poem.

KANGAROO

A kangaroo

alone and blue

didn't know

what to do.

So she hopped

to Timbuktu

where she met

a cockatoo

who said

his name

was Stu.

Your challenge for today is to pick an animal.  Name it, and write a poem about the animal's friend.  What makes a friend?  What do you like best about your friends?  Have you ever lost a friend?  How did that feel?  Have fun writing your poem. 

     There are many reasons to write a children's poem.

I'm Sorry

Sue, Sue,
What do you do,
if you step on the toes
of a kangaroo?

Well, you say
I'm sorry, of course.
What else can you say?
Speak up quick
'fore he hops away.

Fred, Fred,
What can be said
when you knock
my hat from my head?

Well, you say
I'm sorry, of course.
What else can you say?
Speak up quick
'fore my hat blows away.

Ray, Ray
what do you say
when putting on
a Hawaiian lei?

Well, you say
Aloha, of course.
What else can you say?
Speak up quick
'fore she hulas away.

      I've been having fun today matching names with actions.  I started with things to say please and thank you about.  Can you write your own mannerly poem today?  Or can you write a verse using your own name.  Have fun writing.

Food

A young panda

eats bamboo leaves

to get the moisture

that it needs.

A young koala

likes eating

sweet gum leaves

as it climbs

among the trees.

A young joey

in his mother's pouch

drinks her milk

and doesn't come out.

Me, I'm a kid

as you can see

and I like eating

lots and lots

of pizza,

please.

       What is your favorite food?  Can you write a poem about the foods you like to eat?

KANGAROO HOP

"Hello Rabbit,

How do you do?

I would like 

to hop with you."

"Very well, 

Mr. Kangaroo,

that is what

we should do."

Hop, hop, hop, hop.

Rabbit and 

Mr. Kangaroo

hopped away 

to the nearest zoo.

      This is a companion poem to yesterday's poem.  It is an action rhyme too.  It would be fun to act this poem out with a group of children.  In fact, it could be played like Duck, Duck, Goose.  One child could be Mr. Kangaroo and start hopping around the outside of the circle and pick the child to be Rabbit.  Then both children could hop in a race back to the starting point where Rabbit was picked.  The other children in the circle could recite the poem.  Oh, I wish you were here so we could try this out.