I have a delightful book to share with you today which is not about a groundhog. But speaking of groundhogs (did you see how smoothly I slipped that in there? :)) if you missed yesterday’s Special Edition Post (which you easily might have because I almost never post on Thursdays so why would you think to check?) about Phyllis’s Birthday Bonanza (which you definitely will NOT want to miss!), hop on over and check it out HERE! Join the fun and spread the word! 🙂
Now then. Today’s book. Which is not about a groundhog. But IS about a sloth 🙂
Title: Snoozefest Written By: Samantha Berger Illustrated By: Kristyna Litten Dial, January 2015, Fiction
Suitable For Ages: 3-5
Themes/Topics: bedtime, sleep, animals (sloths), language fun (rhyme and inventive vocabulary)
Opening: “In the center of Snoozeville, dwells the wee one, the sleepiest sloth, Snuggleford Cuddlebun. Now, that sloth can sleep, for a month at a go. The few times she rises, she moves in slo-mo.”
Brief Synopsis: It’s time for the annual Snoozefest at the Nuzzledome, an arena festival that celebrates sleep. All the best sleepers attend. Snuggleford Cuddlebun settles into a hammock with her blanket and pillow, her favorite stuffed animal and her best bedtime book, and a snack of milk and honey, ready to enjoy the show. But will she?
Links To Resources: the author makes up some wonderful words in this story – what kind of words can you make up that sound just right to describe something you like to do (like sleeping, sledding, riding a bicycle, or any other activity)?; have your own snoozefest – make your room super comfy for sleeping, choose bedtimes stories, music, snacks, stuffed animals, pajamas and anything else that makes bedtime cozy for you. You can even write up and decorate your own snoozefest program. Have a lullaby sing-along and your own pajama fashion show!
Why I Like This Book: How can you not love a book about a snoozefest that takes place at the Nuzzledome? The text is full of delightful made-up words like “snoozillions” and “wumphiest” (as in “wumphiest, comfiest, coziest things” :)) There are designer pajamas by Diane Von Firstinbed and Louis Futon. The snack vendors sell milk and honey. The bands, with names like Chamomile Rage and the Nocturnal Nesters, play lullabies! And everyone brings their nightlight from home 🙂 Adult readers will enjoy the spoof of music festivals. The whole over-the-top celebration of bedtime is just flat out fun! But you’ll have to read it to find out what Snuggleford’s experience of the show is 🙂
PPBF bloggers please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you and see what kind of amazingly wonderful entertaining books you chose this week. It’s supposed to snow… a good weekend to stock up on library books and spend the day reading 🙂
So, there I was, tootling along, minding my own business, driving to my author visit yesterday and humming my homemade Phyllis song in a most tuneful hummy kind of way when
BAM!
I suddenly realized two things:
1. Groundhog Day is a mere 11 days away!
2. THIS YEAR IS PHYLLIS’S 10th ANNIVERSARY!!!
WHAT???!!!
TEN YEARS???!!!
My little furry friend is going to be in double digits! *sentimental sniff*
AND I HAVE NOT MADE A PLAN OF A SUITABLE CELEBRATORY NATURE!!!
What kind of mother am I???!!! *gnashing of teeth and extended period of self-recrimination*
Instant panic set in.
Not good whilst you are driving and unable to do anything but drive. A spoonful of panic makes the accelerator go down VRRROOOOOOM!
“Where!” (I fumed) “is my talented and versatile personal assistant who appears like magic at my beck and call to take down notes and implement my thoughts whilst I drive???!!!”
Darn it all.
I don’t have one.
But luckily I have a mind that is prone to hare-brained schemes. . .
And so.
I made a plan!
And you are all welcome to join me, and I truly, deeply hope you do, because it will not be any fun at ALL if it’s just me and that will make Phyllis sad! (And Sad Phyllis is not fun to hang out with!)
Here’s the deal.
We shall have Phyllis’s Birthday Bonanza! (That has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?)
And for it, we shall all write a poem in honor of Phyllis!
I’m thinking maybe An Ode To Phyllis… or a limerick 🙂 or if you’re really ambitious, a combination of the two 🙂 A sonnet would be nice, if you’re feeling Shakespearean. Or perhaps a haiku or two about the Natural Wonder that is Phyllis the Groundhog. Really, Phyllis is not picky, as long as it’s a poem… about her… 🙂
I feel certain that this will result is some poetry the likes of which the world has never experienced. *snort*
Ah, but the fun shall not end there!
I mean, it CAN end there. If you are inspired to write a poem for Phyllis, post it on your blog or in the comments on the Birthday Bonanza post, and leave it at that, that will be lovely and Phyllis will send you warm furry brown hugs.
BUT.
For those of us who wish to take it to a further level… (Erik… who has been asking to make a video for like a year now… :))
Download, print out, cut out, and color Phyllis from HERE (or dig the one you made for Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show or weather predicting Phyllis out of mothballs.) (Teeny hint – a popsicle stick stuck to her back works great for puppeteering and/or propping up purposes!)
Then.
Video your Phyllis doing a dramatic reading of your special poem!
We will be especially appreciative of creative backdrops, clever costumes, or singing 🙂
Unless you’re channeling Samuel Taylor Coleridge and writing the Rime of Phyllis The Ancient Mariner (or something equally appallingly long) your dramatic poetry reading should probably fit into a video of a minute or two or so (or less – we’re going for entertainment value, not length :)) so it doesn’t have to be a huge production. And you can hopefully do it pretty easily with your computer or your phone – nothing too film-industry-specific required.
Then on Monday, February 2nd, Groundhog Day 2015, in celebration of Phyllis’s 10th Anniversary, I shall put up the official Phyllis’s Birthday Bonanza post (yes, of course there will be cake! I can’t believe you even asked that!) and you can all put your post-specific links on the link list (or post in the comments, or email your entry to me and I’ll post it for you if you can’t post in the comments – susanna[a]susannahill[dot]com or handy email me button in the sidebar) and we can all visit each other and party in honor of Phyllis, loveliest of lovelies, marmot extraordinaire!
And there will be presents! For you! Which I am still working on thinking up because, like I said, I just thought of this and I wanted to give you as much time as possible to prepare your Phyllis Poem & Video. There might be some kind of voting process… or there might not. Like I said… still thinking 🙂
So I am sincerely hoping that this sounds like the kind of hare-brained scheme you can get on board with! Teachers and classes are welcome to join the fun too! Anyone who loves Phyllis 🙂
Phyllis is wild with excitement and says she will make strawberry pie for everyone while she’s waiting!
Looking forward hopefully to the fruits of your creative talents!
(I don’t actually know what fettle is… it sounds like kettle, so maybe it means you’re well stoked up on tea… though hopefully not so much so that you have that sloshy feeling, the technical term for which – according to me and my best friend in 6th grade – is “joggling” 🙂 But it also sounds like fete, so maybe it means you’re partying. Partying or tea-a-plenty, either option seems good on a cold January day :))
Whatever condition your fettle is in I’m glad you’re here 🙂
(That sounds like it should either be a line from a Broadway show tune, or the end of a Mr. Rogers song, don’t you think? We should work on that… :))
Anyhoo . . . Let’s get on with our regularly scheduled programming, shall we?
First off, I’m happy to announce that the winner of the November Pitch Pick (in an exceptionally tight race, I might add – very, very close this month!) is Heather with her pitch for Hubert’s Dreadful Allergies! Wahoo! Congratulations, Heather! Your pitch has already been sent to Erin Molta for her thoughts, and I’m sure you’ll hear from her soon.
And congratulations as always to ALL our pitchers for bravely putting themselves out there and sharing truly fabulous pitches! Is it just me, or do you all agree that the overall quality of the pitches has steadily improved since the early days of Would You Read It? Seriously, I think everyone does such a good job!
Phew! After all that excitement, I think we need . . .
Something Chocolate!!!
Today’s Something Chocolate is not so much chocolate as Something Caramel – although you could (and should!) quickly remedy that with a drizzle of hot fudge sauce 🙂 But I thought we should go healthy this morning, what with it being January and a time for new beginnings and all… 🙂
Now that we’re all full of healthy apples (and possibly slightly less healthy caramel, and hopefully also a healthy dose of hot fudge sauce :)) let’s get right down to WYRI!
Today’s pitch comes to us from Michele who says, “I can’t promise that a long time policy work and public relations professional can succeed in the world of picture book making. But I can promise that she will try!”
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Hoot And Holly Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8) The Pitch: When Holly finds the orphaned owlet Hoot in a windswept field near home, she knows he won’t survive without her help. Together, Hoot and Holly forge an unlikely friendship as Holly cares for the baby owl until he can care for himself. Hoot & Holly is a story about growing up and saying goodbye. It blends the emotion of an Alison McGhee story with the sweet fun of impossible friend stories like Sophie’s Squash, Peep, and Fly Away Home (film). Like Flora & Ulysses, Hoot & Holly celebrates the special bond between humans and animals. It’s a love story with a realistic end that will resonate with people of all ages.
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Michele improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read Itor on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above. There are openings in June, so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Michele is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! Phyllis and I are off to an author visit today, so I am looking forward to that! And Phyllis wants you all to know, in case you are wondering, that she is in VERY fine fettle! 🙂
Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!!! 🙂
♫ ♫♫ la-la-la-la-la-la-la whatever condition your fettle is in I’m glad you’re here! ♫ ♫♫
P.S. This just in! Important Hare-Brained Scheme Announcement in a special edition blog post tomorrow!!! 🙂
There’s nothing like days on end of temperatures in the single digits to make me think about summer 🙂 So today’s book is about a summer thunderstorm which clears off into a starry night. I hope you’ll enjoy this pretty, pretty book!
Title: Blue On Blue Written By: Dianne White Illustrated By: Beth Krommes Beach Lane Books, December 2014, Fiction
Suitable For Ages: publisher says 5-8, I think younger would enjoy too.
Opening: “Cotton clouds. Morning light. Blue on blue. White on white. Singing, swinging outdoor play. White on blue on sunny day.”
Brief Synopsis: This lovely book shows both the course of a family’s day on a New England farm from morning through bedtime, and the change of weather from a sunny morning, through darkening clouds, to rain and thunder, and finally clearing skies, sunset, and a “silver night.”
Links To Resources: Color Lesson Plans (Marble Art, Beautiful Butterfly Prints, Awesome Octopus, Trying Out Art); make your own scratchboards; Weather for Kids. You could also make your own art projects based on the descriptions in the story (e.g. cotton clouds on blue sky).
Why I Like This Book: This is such a lovely book! The story is simple, but poetic. It takes you through a child’s day, and includes elements of color, weather, and life on a New England farm (including animals :)). The day starts out sunny, but a storm comes up. The child hides under the covers during the worst of the storm, but after the rain stops, the child, the puppy, and the little piggies have a wonderful time in the mud 🙂 The story finishes with a bath outside for the puppy, and a bath inside for the child, and sweet dreams under a starry night. The lyrical, rhyming language is fun to read aloud, and the rhythm of the language mimics the rhythm of rain dripping, then pounding, then lightening, and finally stopping. The scratchboard and watercolor art, done by Caldecott Medalist Beth Krommes, is absolutely gorgeous. I encourage you to check this one out!
PPBF bloggers please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you! I can’t wait to see what you’ve chosen this week!
I’d like to begin today’s post with a Public Service Announcement.
As you all (may or may not) know, January is National Bath Safety Month.
Yes. It’s true.
And I’m concerned this may be something you don’t take seriously enough, potentially risking life and limb.
So please. If you’re going to have a bath, keep this in mind:
Baths, especially the young ones, are extremely vulnerable to attack by toddlers with rubber duckies, siblings engaged in splash wars or games of “Kickie”, and dogs that have met the wrong end of a skunk (dog hair, tomato juice and skunk oil are a triple threat – I beg you! Think of your poor little bath!) Princesses with excessively long hair should NEVER be allowed near a bath – they should just be hosed down outdoors (the necessary shampoo required may cause a dangerous build up of soap scum and the excessive hair itself may lead to the dreaded condition of Clogged Drain! – you mustn’t – you simply mustn’t!)
A threatened bath is an unpredictable bath which may lash out in self-defense.
A safe bath is a happy bath.
Be a responsible bath owner! Keep your bath (and yourself) safe!
Thank you.
(This message has been brought to you by the Blueberry Hill Coalition For Bath Safety, which meets weekly under the guise of providing a public service but is really just using the meeting as a reason to eat large quantities of coffee and donuts.)
Phew. I’m so glad we shared that important Public Service Announcement, aren’t you? I feel much better knowing that the care and safety of baths everywhere has received some much-needed attention!
Now then, if you’d all quit lolling about in the tub, we’ve got all kinds of high jinx and shenanigans lined up for today.
First, the November Pitch Pick! (Yay! At long last! :))
Here are our 4 pitches, all spiffed up and improved thanks to your very helpful feedback. Please read through them and vote below for the one you think most deserves a read by editor Erin Molta.
#1 Maria – Just Like Us (PB ages 2-6) As children frolic through and around a park playground, glimpses of two bear cubs mimicking their fun can be seen, partially obscured on each page. Both the bears and children roll down a hill, play on the equipment, and dig for treasure. But in the end, who is watching whom.
#2 Heather – Hubert’s Dreadful Allergies (PB ages 4-8) The harpsichord is dusted, the tea is poured, the vases are arranged on doily laces, and Hubert the pug is settled calmly on the rug. Lottie Dobson is ready for her fancy luncheon party. But when the members of the Grandview Rose Society arrive with even more blooms, poor Hubert’s allergies kick in. What happens next is a riot of mishaps that gets him banned from the room. But when a wily rat sneaks in, steals the cheese, and dangles from the chandelier, it sends the proper party guests on a crazy chase–with a sneezing Hubert in the lead. One big sneeze will save the day! Too bad for Hubert, the sneezing doesn’t end there.
#3 Gail – Knights Of The Kids’ Table (PB ages 4-8) Most of the Knights of the Kids’ Table found Flooted funny. After all, when he got nervous, Flooted tooted. But cranky Hugh couldn’t stand the smell, so he hatched a plan to get rid of Flooted…for good. When Hugh’s scheme flopped, the little knights giggled, the big knights enjoyed silly sword fights, and the grumpy little knight got exactly what he wished for.
#4 Jean – Got Your Nose (PB ages 4-8) Jack loves playing ‘Got Your Nose’ with his mom, but when bedtime comes, and Jack’s not ready to quit, he turns to his sleeping brother and steals the nose right off his face!When Jack hears approaching footsteps, he nervously tosses his brother’s nose into the dirty laundry basket, sending it on a harrowing adventure faced with drooling dogs, hungry owls, and stinky skunks that will have you holding your breath, and your nose a little tighter. Will Jack succeed in finding his brother’s nose before morning?
Please cast your vote by Sunday January 18 at 5 PM EDT, and I will announce the winner on next week’s WYRI. Many thanks!!!
Now, onto the new pitch!
Today’s pitcher personally selected her Something Chocolate, and I must say, she has EXCELLENT taste! Help yourselves!!!
YUM! Anyone else need a cup of coffee to go with that? Or maybe a bath? (Just kidding :))
Today’s pitch comes to us from Bekah who says: “Wife, mom to a ten and seven year old, and teacher, I’ve been stealing time to write poetry and stories for over a decade and using my family as my “willing” critique group. Recently, I’ve entered the online writing community, through partipation in PiBoIdMo 2014 attaralazar.com(thanks, Tara!) and the 2014 March Madness-style children’s poetry contest atthinkkidthink.com(thanks, Ed!).
No official writing blog yet (I know, I know…I will!) but you can read about my kids’ big bears, Peanut and Nugget DaBear, at their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter (I know. I am a little strange. Don’t judge!).”
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: The Penguin And The Pelican Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-7) The Pitch: A penguin and a pelican try to fix their awkwardness on land by learning to dance gracefully. When they discover, embarrassingly, that dance lessons can’t cure their clumsy gaits, new friends convince the birds to keep dancing joyfully. In the end, the penguin and the pelican’s gracefulness in the water and in the air amazes their friends.
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Bekah improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read Itor on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above. There are openings in late May so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Bekah is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to taking my bath to get microchipped so that in case it wanders off it will have the best odds of being returned safely!
Whoopee! It’s the first Perfect Picture Book Friday of 2015!
Isn’t it wonderful to look forward to all the books we’re going to share this year? Think of all the new titles that will come out! Sadly, mine will not be one of them, as it has been pushed back to Summer 2016, but that just gives me something special to look forward to next year 🙂
I have a lovely book to share today, one that those of you who have just spent a couple weeks with all your kids home for the holidays may find especially appropriate 🙂
Title: Maple & Willow Together Written & Illustrated By: Lori Nichols Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin, November 2014, Fiction
Suitable For Ages: 3-8
Themes/Topics: sibling relationships, family, fighting/making up
Opening: “Maple and her little sister, Willow, were always together. It was hard to remember a time when the girls weren’t together. In fact, their parents even wondered if the girls had their own language. And in a way, they did.“
Brief Synopsis: Maple and Willow do everything together, which works out just fine most of the time. But sometimes big sisters can be bossy, and sometimes little sisters want to do things their own way, and sometimes that leads to trouble. In the end, though, Maple and Willow would rather be together than apart 🙂
Why I Like This Book: Although Joanna beat me to reviewing Maple for PPBF, I am a huge fan. This book is the sequel, and it’s equally sweet and touching – a spot-on glimpse of sibling relationships. The description and depiction of Maple and Willow’s time together is lovely and evocative – very true to childhood. When they inevitably get into a fight (because really, would you believe a sibling relationship where they never fought? :)) their anger and hurt are clear. But it doesn’t take much time apart before they’re longing for each other’s company again, the fight over and forgotten. For any child who has a sibling, this is a nicely done reminder that arguments are normal, that it’s okay to be mad sometimes, and that ultimately it’s wonderful to have a sibling to be with. (P.S. I just realized that Joanna also beat me to reviewing this one, so apologies for duplicating!)
PPBF bloggers please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you! I can’t wait to see what’s on your favorites list this week!
And now, here we are at the front end of a brand new year. Just like a blank page, it’s full of possibility. Who knows what great ideas we’ll have this year, what wonderful new stories we’ll write, what hare-brained schemes we’ll come up with?! 🙂
It’s a good feeling, isn’t it?
I have already had two happy surprises – well, one surprise and one much-looked-forward-to occasion.
The surprise was that the lovely and talented Stacy Jensen, out of the pure kindness of her heart, took time out of her Lego Pirate war to try to solve the problem of updating Perfect Picture Books. Her idea is a good one, and she’s done a beautiful job (if you need web work, contact her at once!). More exploration is required before we see whether it’s something the Truly Tech Challenged (er, that would be Yours Truly) can actually manage, but either way it was incredibly kind and generous and thoughtful of her, and really that is what so many people in this kidlit community are like that it just reinforces my gratitude to be part of it. Thank you, Stacy!!!
The much-looked-forward-to-occasion (which was only a surprise because we managed to pull it off at long last!) was that I got to have lunch with the wonderful Elaine Kearns, writer, and creator of Kidlit 411 (which, in case you’ve been under a rock somewhere, is celebrating it’s First Birthday this week and you should definitely hustle on over and check it out because it’s fantastic and there are all kinds of amazing prizes on offer!) It was such a pleasure to meet her in person, after all this time of knowing her online. And we only live about 20 miles from each other so really, what took us so long???!!! I apologize for no photographic evidence of our meeting, but it was too cold to take pictures outside, and too dark inside. (Anyway, that’s the story I’m sticking to :))
I think all that wonderfulness calls for a little Something Chocolate, don’t you? (And no, of course I’m not trying to distract you from the glaring lack of photographs! Why would you think that?!)
Since it is 0 (that’s ZERO, folks) here, we need a warm Something Chocolate, so how about…
… warm pain au chocolat? (which, for our English-speaking audience is plain ole chocolate croissant :))
Mmm! Flaky pastry… warm dark chocolate… who notices the temperature now? 🙂
So, we were supposed to have the November Pitch Pick today, but what with holiday busy-ness and such, not everyone was ready. So we’ll have to do that next week.
Meanwhile, let’s get onto today’s WYRI!
Today’s pitch comes to us from Jeff who says, “Though I’ve come to popular writing late, in a sense I’ve been writing all my life.I’ve enjoyed a career in science and as a military health officer. In 2005 one of my journal articles won a prize and award as ‘best new research paper,’ which inspired me to try other genre.
Under pen name ‘Jake McKenzie’ I’ve self piublished a novel, When Pigs Flu… a military spy thriller about pandemic risks and bio-terror threats and a work of creative non fiction, Civil War Comes Home, about what life was like in a sleepy Southern town (Williamsburg) when the war suddenly arrives on the town’s doorstep and Union forces occupy for the remainder of the war.
As we often hear, ‘wrote what you know,’ these are based on my career as a public health scientist and living in Williamsburg
As a recent grandfather, my favorite audience now however, is children and I have several children’s picture books, targeted for ages 3-7 for which I am seeking a publisher or agent. (Please see: http://jeffdrifmeyerauthor.wix.com/home#)”
Here is his pitch:
Working Title: Stormy With A Chance Of Pizza Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-7) The Pitch: Grandpa’s creative problem solving saves the day (or at least their dinner) when ‘can do’ perseverance triumphs over challenges of a new recipe and Mother Nature’s threats, showing his storytelling grandchild the value of self reliance.
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Jeff improve his pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read Itor on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above. There are openings in May so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Jeff is looking forward to your thoughts on his pitch! I am looking forward to seconds on pain au chocolat and spring. Yep. Now that Christmas is over I’m pretty much done with winter! 🙂
Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!! See you on Friday for Perfect Picture Books!
Normally, I would tease you for a while and pretend I didn’t know what brought you to this neck of the woods or what you were after, but not today.
Nope.
Today I’m going to get straight to the point.
No beating around the bush.
Nosirree Bob!
I’m going to give you what you came for . . .
. . . just as soon as we come up with an answer to that eternal burning question: whose idea was tinsel anyway and does anyone actually use it?
Because seriously, that stuff is as bad as Easter grass! It gets everywhere!
In your hair! In the carpet! On the dogs…
And who has the patience to separate it out into single strands to drape artfully over the limbs of your Christmas tree? (And let’s face it, it does not have the same effect if you just glob it on in clumps…!)
And we’re not even going to TALK about if you have cats! By golly! That’s just a disaster waiting to happen!
You’re all writers! Let your imagination run amok with the idea of cats, tinsel, Christmas trees…
Yikes! Truly, I shudder to think!
So anyway, where was I?
Oh, yes!
I was not beating around the bush.
I wonder what bush it is that I’m not beating around?
Is it the same as the bush in “Here we go ’round the mulberry bush?”
Or maybe the bush that a bird in the hand is worth two birds in?
I’m guessing if there are two birds they are turtle doves, because that’s how the song goes. You know, “On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me two turtle doves…” Yeah. Like that.
Except not a partridge, because he was in a pear tree and we are certainly not beating around the pear tree!
Boy! All this not beating around things is making me a little dizzy!
So maybe I’ll stop and just tell you about
The4thAnnualHolidayContest!!!
WINNERS!!!
🙂
I was once again thrilled to see so many wonderful stories! Really! It is amazing and inspiring, not to mention VERY entertaining! There is just so much talent out there amongst you all!
But with large entry numbers, all of high quality, come hard choices. My assistant judges and I worked hard to winnow the total down to a manageable number of finalists that we felt were truly all-around deserving of that distinction, and those were the ones we presented to you on Tuesday for your vote.
There were, however, many other entries that were outstanding in certain areas even though they might not have qualified all-around for one reason or another.
So my assistant judges and I would like to award recognition and a small prize to the following authors for the following merits:
1. For Honorable Mention In The Competition As A Whole: Leslie Tribble for The Perfect Christmas Tree Anne Bromley for Christmas Eve At Gate 25 Lauri Meyers for Jimmy Cantore Steals Christmas
2. For Fabulous Fun Kid-Friendly Stories (That Sadly Fell Short On The Weather Element But Were Too Good Not To Recognize!): Stacy Jensen for How Do I Fix This? Bridget Magee for Dear Santa Margaret Greanias for A Little Christmas Wish Pam Vaughan for My Snowman Is Sick Jim Jones for Snowflake…A Christmas Tail
3. For We-Loved-It-But-Thought-The Humor-Was-A-Little-Too-Grown-Up 🙂 (and seriously, these were terrific entries, well written and funny!) Mike Allegra for Carbon Christmas Heather Preusser for Dreaming Of A White Christmas Kristen Foote for Polar Warming Hilary (Swann?) for No Sweat Santa Kathy Halsey for Whether Or Not To Ho-Ho-Ho
4. For Sweet Stories That Exemplified Christmas Spirit: Sharon Wilson for A Little Christmas Miracle Patricia Corcoran for The Christmas Miracle Sally Suehler for Just Ice And Snow
5. For Fantastic Word Play: Amy Ozay for Rain, dear
6. For Best First Line: James Lloyd for Pablo’s First Christmas
7. For Best-Written Original Point Of View: Carol Lescinski for The Best Christmas (excellent stuffed dog POV!) Summer Hinderer for The Snow Miracle (POV of gingerbread people in Gingerbreadville!)
8. For Best Action Story: Caren Cantrell for Northern Exposure
and
9. The Keep Up The Great Writing Award goes to: Ms. Leach’s First Grade for HopefulChristmas Eve And first graders, your special prize will be Happily Ever Madlibs and Once Upon A Madlibs, which we hope you will enjoy doing as a class on days when you can’t go out for recess or something 🙂 as well as 2 StoryWorld Create-A-Story Kits: Quests And Adventures and Fairy Magic which can be used in lots of fun ways to inspire writing and storytelling (and for even more fun you can pull cards from both decks to expand possibilities!) Thank you for writing another wonderful story for all of us to enjoy!
Congratulations to all of you for fantastic elements of your stories! You may all email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com to collect your prize, which is your choice of one of the following: (the titles are all links so you can go see what they’re about)
The announcement of the WINNERS OF THE 2014 HOLIDAY CONTEST as voted on by you!!!
rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat
DDDRRRUUUMMM RRROOOLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!
In First Place…
Winner of the whole shebang…
who gets first choice of all the prizes…
Randi Sonenshine
for The Rumbledy Jumbledy Holiday Feast!!!
Congratulations, Randi, on a fabulous and fun entry that was clearly very popular!!! 🙂
In Second Place…
Elaine Kiely Kearns
for ‘Twas The Stormy Night Before Christmas
Congratulations, Elaine!! You get first choice of the prizes that are left after Randy makes her choice.
In Third Place…
Katey Howes
for Snow Swirls
Congratulations, Katey! You get first choice of the prizes that are left after Randy and Elaine choose theirs.
In Fourth Place…
Julie Abery
for Santa’s Satnav
Congratulations, Julie! You get to pick after Randy, Elaine and Katey.
In Fifth Place…
Anika Denise
for Little Christmas, BIG SNOW
Congratulations, Anika! You get to pick after Randy, Elaine, Katey, and Julie.
In Sixth Place…
Bronwyn Deaver
for Jack Quits
Congratulations, Bronwyn! I’m sure you get the idea of how the prize picking goes by now 🙂
In Seventh Place…
Sylvia Liu
for Polar Woes
Congratulations, Sylvia! You get to pick next 🙂
In Eighth Place…
Amelia Shearer
for The Night The Sun Stayed Up
Congratulations, Amelia! You get to pick a prize after Sylvia!
In Ninth Place, we have a tie! between
Johnell DeWitt and Teresa Robeson
for A Djiboutian ChristmasSandstorm Santa
Congratulations, Johnell and Teresa! You get to pick next!
In Eleventh Place…
Kirsten Bock
for Hurricane Coal
And in Twelfth Place, rounding out the top dozen of these amazing finalists and the 100 Holiday Contest Entries for 2014…
Carol Ann Martin
for Wish You’d Been Here
All the winners should email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com with the subject heading Prize Winner so we can work out details for you to receive your prizes! And for your convenience, the whole prize list is included at the bottom of this post.
Congratulations again to all our winners – it was a stiff competition!! – and congratulations to EVERYONE who wrote and entered a story in the contest. You all deserve a huge round of applause, a tinsel parade (clumpy or stringy, however you like it :)), and a large amount of Figgy Pudding (which truthfully I don’t know what that is, but apparently it’s something we all want some of :))
Thank you to everyone who helped make this contest SO MUCH FUN, whether by writing an entry, reading people’s stories, leaving comments for the authors, and/or voting in the finals. It’s because of all of you that this contest was such a success, so many, many thanks from the bottom of my heart!
As I… hmm… maybe didn’t mention…?, I’m taking a little blogging break so I can spend time with my family – I’ve got cookies to bake, Christmas presents to shop for and wrap, and my sister and her family are arriving form Georgia on Monday! 🙂 – so I will see you all in a couple weeks – most probably Wednesday January 7th for Would You Read It unless I have something really important to impart on Monday the 5th… but I’m not really foreseeing that 🙂
So now, I want to wish you all a happy and healthy holiday filled with love, laughter, joy, and family, and a happy, healthy and successful new year! It is a pleasure and a privilege to get to spend time with you all, and I’m happy and grateful to know each and every one of you!
Looking forward to all the things we’ll do in 2015!
Happy Holidays, and all best wishes for a wonderful New Year!!!
Love,
Susanna
The Prizes!!!
– A picture book manuscript read and critique by Shari Dash Greenspan, Editor of the multi-award winning Flashlight Press! I encourage you to sign up for their newsletter HERE!
– Enrollment in Renee LaTulippe‘s highly praised and recommended Lyrical Language Lab Course (in a month to be mutually agreed upon by the winner and Renee) ($249 value!)
– A website or blog design or redesign by Arturo Alviar. Arturo will design (or redesign if you already have one that needs updating or a new look) a website or blog for the winner of this prize. The site will be built on WordPress so that after he is done designing it, the winner can manage it themselves with ease. Arturo will include a Home/Welcome page, an About Me/Bio page, a Works/Books/Gallery section, and a Contact section (4 pages total), as well as a blog section if the winner would like to have that integrated with the new site. Different organizations can also be made, for example if the winner would like a “Services” section with separate “School Visits” and “Critiques” pages, or a “Works” section divided into “Black and White” and “Color” illustration galleries. The winner can choose any of the WordPress themes (if they choose one that isn’t free, the cost of the theme will be covered by them), or have Arturo choose a theme based on their vision, and Arturo will modify it based on their color and layout preferences (some themes will have more constraints than others). Arturo can also design a personalized banner or header image to customize the website. If you already have a website and/or blog and prefer a redesign to update, refresh, or just redecorate, Arturo is willing to work with Blogger, Wix, Drupal, and WordPress.
– Enrollment in Making Picture Book Magic (my online picture book writing class – in March or a later month to be mutually agreed upon by the winner and me)
– A picture book manuscript critique by fabulous author Amy Dixon, author of MARATHON MOUSE and the forthcoming SOPHIE’S ANIMAL PARADE.
– A picture book manuscript critique from Katy Duffield, author of more than 20 books for children including Farmer McPeepers And His Missing Milk Cows (Cooper Square Publishing 2003) and upcoming titles Loud Lula (Two Lions) illustrated by Mike Boldt and Aliens Get the Sniffles, Too (Candlewick) illustrated by K.G. Campbell.
– A picture book manuscript critique (rhyme or prose) from Penny Parker Klostermann who, after extensive experience critiquing for writing partners, members of various kid lit groups, and clients of Erin Murphy Literary Agency, is opening her own critique service!!!
Penny Parker Klostermann writes picture books and poetry. Her debut book, THERE WAS AN OLD DRAGON WHO SWALLOWED A KNIGHT, is coming from Random House Children’s, August 2015. Penny is represented by Tricia Lawrence of Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Click HERE to learn more about her critique service.
Bad enough that I always make you wait the weekend to find out who the contest finalists are, but this time I made you wait a WHOLE EXTRA DAY!
What with the nerves and anticipation and all, I know you haven’t eaten. . .
. . . or slept. . .
. . . or showered. . . !
(That was maybe taking things a little too far… It wasn’t like I was going to suddenly post while you were shampooing!)
I’m sorry to have done that to you, truly I am. In addition to what is always a Herculean task – choosing just a few finalists from such an array of wonderful stories and talented writers – it has been a difficult week on Blueberry Hill, so I apologize for the extra day.
But at long last, the waiting is over!
Almost 🙂
Because as always, we must begin with a few words from the people in charge around here.
First, I want to thank EVERYONE who found time in their busy holiday season schedule to write an entry for this contest – all 100 of you! The overall quality of the entries was absolutely amazing! There were no easy cuts. My assistant judges and I found something to like in every story and hated having to cut anyone!
Second, I want to thank EVERYONE who took the time to go around to as many of the 63 different blogs as you could, as well as the 37 entries posted in the comments here, and read and leave supportive comments for the writers who worked so hard on these stories. In this business where rejection is a common and unavoidable part of the process, it means a great deal to writers to know that their work was read and enjoyed, and to receive a few kind words about their writing. It is one of the best things about this community – that people are so generous and kind to each other.
Third, before I list the finalists, I want to say again how really difficult it was to choose. There were so many fabulous entries. The sheer volume meant that many great stories had to be cut. So if yours didn’t make the final cut please don’t feel bad. There was a huge amount of competition. Judging, no matter how hard we try to be objective, is always subjective at a certain point – we all have our own preferences for what makes a great story. And the fact that you didn’t make the final cut DOES NOT mean you didn’t write a great story. Everyone who plonked their butt in a chair and worked hard to write a story for this contest is a winner! You showed up. You did your best work. You practiced your craft. You wrote to specifications. You bravely shared your writing with the world. And you have a brand new story that is now yours to hone and tweak if you like and maybe submit at some point to a magazine or as a PB manuscript. So bravo to everyone who entered!
Finally, I’d like to be very clear about the voting process. Due to the large number of entries, there are 12 finalists listed below. I have deliberately listed them by title only, so as to help with objectivity. Please read through them and choose the one you feel is best and vote. You are MOST welcome to share a link to this post on FB, twitter, or wherever you like to hang out and encourage people to come read ALL the finalists and vote for the one they think is best. Please do that. The more people who read and enjoy these stories the better, and the more objective votes we get the better. HOWEVER (and I want to be very clear on this) please do not ask people to vote for a specific number or title, or for the story about Mrs. Claus and the Force 10 gale or whatever. Trolling for votes or trying to influence the outcome is counter to the spirit of this competition which is supposed to be based on merit. I thank you in advance for respecting this.
Now, without further ado, here are your finalists. There is a mix of poetry and prose, funny, cute, and poignant – quite a spread! Remember that the judging criteria were: 1. Kid-appeal! – These stories are intended for a young audience, so entries that were well-written but lacked child-friendliness or whose humor or content felt more appropriate for an older or adult audience did not make the cut. 2. Creativity of weather use in plot – the rules stated that wild weather must impact the holidays, so if weather appeared to be an afterthought or failed to convincingly impact the holidays in some way they did not make the cut even if they were well-written. 3. Quality of story – the rules stated that entries were to tell a story, so if they appeared to be more of a description or mood piece, they didn’t make the cut. We looked for a true story arc. 4. Quality of writing – use of language, correctness of tense, spelling and grammar, quality of rhyme and meter for the poetry entries, and overall impression of writing were factored in. 5. Originality and creativity – because that is often what sets one story above another. We cut 88 entries to leave you with these 12. It was very hard! We did the best we could. A few writers were, sadly, just a tad over the word count. There were at least 5 entries the judges loved that didn’t make the finals because, in spite of being great stories, the weather was extremely peripheral or barely mentioned or didn’t seem to affect the holidays. And there were a number of stories where the judges loved the concept, but the rhyme needed too much work to make the finals. In any case, I hope you’ll all find at least one of your favorites on the list below. #1 A Djiboutian Christmas
On Christmas Eve the desert wind howled and growled. Beth growled back.
“I want to go to our old home and build a snowman with Nana.”
“Sweetheart,” said Mom. “We can have Christmas in Djibouti too.”
“I hate Djibouti! It’s too hot for snow and too hot for Santa.”
“Santa will find us,” said Mom.
“But what if Santa’s reindeers get hot and can’t fly? The only animals here are scruffy goats who climb trees and stinky dogs who live by the ocean. Santa can’t use climbing goats or soggy dogs to fly his sleigh.”
“Santa won’t come at all if you’re not asleep.”
“I don’t care if Santa comes,” huffed Beth. “Even Santa can’t make it snow in the desert!”
Mom sighed and pulled one of two dangling strings. The light went out, but the fan stayed on.
“Maybe Santa will surprise you.”
Beth grumbled as Mom closed the door, but the whir of the fan and the chick-chick-tap of sand caroled a desert lullaby.
All night the wind howled. All night the sand blew and in the morning…
Beth’s mom shook her awake.
“I’m waking you up on Christmas Day,” she laughed. “I think Santa heard you. Look out the window.”
Beth pushed aside her curtains. She could barely see her scraggly yard. Drifts of creamy sand frosted the walls like gingerbread icing.
“It’s a desert snow!” Beth squealed.
Dad held up a box dotted with prancing reindeer. “I think you should open this present first.”
Beth tore the wrapping off a new pail and shovel. She hugged her dad, slipped on her sandals and pushed her way out the door.
All morning Beth packed pail-loads of sand. All morning she molded and adorned until finally…
“I’m done,” she shouted. “Santa didn’t bring me snow for snowman, but he did bring me sand for a sandman.”
A baseball-cap-wearing, carrot-nosed sandman grinned at Beth, and the desert wind blew in to say, “Merry Christmas.” #2 Polar Woes
The icy water sloshed under the door of Santa’s workshop. Adelaide lifted her felt boot, soaked with melted snow.
Santa bustled in, pulling his beard in all directions. “Jumping Jingle Bells! The ice caps are melting fast. The reindeer can’t handle the knee-deep slush. The sleigh won’t slide without ice.” He slumped in a chair that creaked mightily in protest and buried his face in his hands.
Adelaide frowned. The whole world depended on his deliveries in three days. She set some magic mops to work. Would there even be a workshop next year? The elves already had to move to houses on stilts, and just yesterday, she woke to find a polar bear snuggling at her feet.
“I’ll think of something, Santa,” Adelaide said. The water swirled around her toes. The shadows swam and her reflection danced.
“Yes. I’ve got it!” She grabbed a bullhorn. “All elves to your stations. We have an emergency order to fulfill.”
She flung a swath of blueprint paper onto the worktable. She scribbled. She calculated. She measured and she drew.
She thrust the newly minted schematic to the chief engineer. “Make this happen.”
As hammering filled the workshop, she logged onto her laptop. She typed the addresses of her far-flung friends. She tapped her missive and hit “Send.” She drummed her fingers and waited for the . . .
Ding.
Adelaide read the response and smiled wide. “Santa, take a break. I’ve got this covered.”
Santa was already snoring in his corner recliner.
Three days later, Adelaide paced back and forth. Where were they?
She opened the door to peer out at the sloshy, slushy mess.
And then they came.
In waddled the eight.
“Buenas noches,” they said.
They nodded in approval at the contraption before them, loaded with presents.
Adelaide roused Santa from his Christmas Eve nap.
And into the night they went. “Now, Diego! Now, Dona! Now Pablo and Viviana! On Carlos! On Marta! On Sergio and Eliana!”
Adelaide’s penguin friends swam the amphibious sleigh into the sparkling night. #3 The Rumbledy Jumbledy Holiday Feast
The last week of school before winter vacation
Miss Chipper’s class planned a unique celebration.
“C’mon,” said Miss Chipper. “With your help, I bet –
we’ll make this a party we’ll never forget!”
Ricardo piped up from the very last row,
“Why don’t we watch Rudolph and sing about snow?”
“Or maybe make gingerbread houses,” said Lee.
and string up some popcorn to hang on the tree.”
“But those are the same things we do every year.
There’s nothing unique about that!” said Jahir.
“I got it!” cried Rachel. “Why don’t we include
“our family’s traditional holiday foods?”
“Super-fantabulous!” Miss Chipper sang.
“Our first international winter shebang!”
The next several days all the children were busy –
They fried, fricasseed and sautéed themselves dizzy!
At last the day came; they set up their displays
with casseroles, baskets, and platters and trays.
“Bravo!” said Miss Chipper. “This feast looks delicious!
Now tell me about all these wonderful dishes!”
Imani presented a round flattened bread.
“We call it Chapati in Kenya,” she said.
Jose brought pasteles, a savory pastry –
In warm Puerto Rico, considered quite tasty.
Mei-Lin made some dumplings to bring New Year’s luck
prepared with fresh chickens she helped her mom pluck.
When all had presented, they lined up to eat,
but just then a tremor rose up from their feet.
The ground shook and shifted; it shimmied and shivered.
It wiggled and wobbled and trembled and quivered!
Miss Chipper was heard above all of the shaking:
“Take cover, my dears, ‘til the classroom stops quaking!”
The chairs began sliding, colliding, and bumping!
On top of the table the dumplings were jumping!
The rice balls were bouncing; they fell to the floor.
They whizzed passed the children then flew out the door.
Latkes were launched in an eastward direction;
They toppled a chocolaty Belgian confection.
A baklava rocket whooshed into the air,
and landed in Annabel Sanderson’s hair.
At last it was over; they rose to their feet.
The table still held plenty goodies to eat.
“Wahoo!” said Miss Chipper. “Time to dig in.
Let the rumbledy jumbledy feasting begin!” #4 Jack Quits
Dear Santa,
I quit. I’m tired of the complaints about the cold. Forward my mail to Hawaii.
Respectfully,
Jack Frost
Dear Jack,
Christmas is almost here. No snow means no Reindeer Games – it’s too muddy and warm. Mrs. Claus says there’s a palm tree outside! I’m afraid to
look.
Love,
Santa
Dear Santa,
Aren’t palm trees beautiful? I’m diggin’ the heat!
Warmly,
Jack
Dear Jack,
Seriously, Christmas is coming and I’m not getting fat! It’s a sauna here! I’m sweating out all of my jolly roundness.
Come back,
Santa
Dear Santa,
Eat cookies! They’ll fatten you up! You should see me – I’m eating vegetables from my garden and I feel so good! Have you ever been in the ocean? It’s so
refreshing!
Surf’s up,
Jack
Dear Jack,
There’s no air conditioning here. The elves can’t work in these conditions! It’s simply too hot in my workshop. They might go on strike.
Please help,
Santa
P.S. I can’t make cookies – the butter keeps melting!
Dear Santa,
Tell the elves to take off those warm sweater things. Gotten any funny wish-lists from kids? Good golly some of those are funny!
Ha ha,
Jack
Dear Jack,
You know what kids are wishing for now? Snow, ice and green Christmas trees! I can’t make that stuff. They miss you, Jack!
Love,
Santa
Dear Santa,
I’m sure the kids don’t miss me that much. Now they don’t have to find their hats and gloves. It really is a pain to keep track of those things.
Best,
Jack
Dear Jack,
All of the m ail I’m getting is really for you, so I am sending it along. All thirty huge bags full. Hope this proves that kids want you back.
Hurry home,
Santa
Dear Santa,
You win. I suppose I need to help the kids. I’ll be home on the next cool breeze.
I’m not really cut out for surfing anyway.
On my way,
Jack
Dear Jack,
Merry Christmas. Enjoy your gift!
Love,
Santa
Dear Santa,
Thanks for the palm tree. The Christmas lights and ornaments are a special touch.
Merry Christmas,
Jack
#5 Wish You’d Been There
So, this is Christmas, Joe.How do you like it so far? Wish you’d been here last year. That was some Christmas, for sure.
On Christmas Eve, Holly and I were supposed to be in a play. She was an angel with silver wings.I was a sheep in Gran’s rug.
We were getting ready when Mom called out, “It’s time! Come on quick, let’s go!”
Dad grabbed his phone and called up Gran and next thing we were off in the car. We roared down the road, but then, gurloop,gurloomph, we were swallowed by a thick fog.
“Keep going! Keep going!” shouted Mom.
“Keep going to where?asked Dad. “We’re lost and I can’t see a thing.”
“Well I can see lights up ahead,” Holly said. “All golden and fuzzy and blurred.”
Then we heard the sound of voices. All is calm, they sang … all is bright.”
“That could be angels,” said Holly. “They’re sure to be out tonight.”
Well all wasn’t calm inside our car and all wasn’t bright outside. Dad wound down his window. “Is there anybody there?” he cried. “We need to get to Saint Mary’s and we need to get there fast!”
The fog swirled in at the window, but a whiskery face appeared, too. “Sure, just follow our lanterns. We’re going to the same place as you.”
So we followed the lanterns through the fog and we followed the carollers’ song. Slowly, slowly, until at last, dozens of lights shone out.
“St Mary’s, yeah! We made it!” cried Dad.
“But only just,” said Mom.
Gran was waiting for us inside. Mom and Dad were whisked away. Everything was warm and shiny bright, the carollers stood round the tree. Gran gave a hug to Holly and me. “Happy Christmas, darlings,” she said.
“An angel and a sheep!” someone laughed. “Just what we needed tonight!”
I wish you had been here last year, Joe. Boy, was that an exciting night? But I guess you were here, little brother. It was the night that you were born. #6 ‘Twas The Stormy Night Before Christmas ‘Twas the night before Christmas and out on the street,
the snow was still piling and mixing with sleet.
My siblings all blubbered and cried in despair,
“How can Saint Nicholas fly through this air?”
The wind was so wicked, the rain turned to ice,
Dad struggled to shovel the walk and failed twice.
Mom bundled inside her wool mittens and cap
and yelled at poor Dad for attempting to nap.
The fire had dwindled, the power was out,
I walked around saying, “Don’t cry and don’t pout”
Life is too grueling without any power-
the water’s so cold that we can’t even shower!
Then all of a sudden we heard a small noise —
had Santa arrived with all of our toys?
I ran to the window and threw up the sash,
(secretly hoping he brought me some cash)
but what to my wondering eyes should appear?
This was no Santa, no magic reindeer!`
Just a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew right away, it was Snow-Plow guy, Nick.
Faster than sleigh rides, he plowed all the snow,
and just as he turned and got ready to go,
we heard a small ding, then a buzz and a beep!
The power came on- I wanted to weep!
On laptop! On lights! On Christmas tree, too!
On microwave — please now, let’s warm up that stew!
Now Santa could land his red sleigh in our road,
and without any trouble, go in our abode.
And as I turned into my bed for the night,
“Merry Christmas,” I whispered. “Thank goodness for light!” #7 Snow Swirls
A narrow ribbon of light jolted Snowbear out of a deep sleep.
“Penny!” he called in an urgent whisper. “Wake up! It’s almost time.”
Penny Penguin’s dazzling green eyes snapped open. The light spread further, sparkling brightly on the thick layer of white crystals at her feet.
“I’m so excited,” she giggled. “Hang on!”
Suddenly, all light disappeared. Trees shuddered. Snow slid. Penny and Snowbear braced themselves as their entire world began to shift.
CLUMP
BUMP BUMP
THUMP!
The animals felt as much as heard the sounds as their forest, pond, earth and sky
bounced,
jolted,
and at last came to a stop.
“Wheeee!” Penny squealed in delight. “Nothing beats the annual earthquake!”
“I don’t know, Penny,” Snowbear answered. “I think the snow swirls are even more fun.”
“You could be right,” Penny cheerfully agreed. “I think we’re about to find out!”
This time, daylight broke all at once, almost blinding the two friends. It reflected from sparkling snow over, under, around and even on them.
Two shadows in the shape of giant hands cut across the shimmering sky. Penguin and polar bear laughed with joy as their world tipped and rose, snow sliding into deep piles.
A familiar voice rang out, loud as thunder across the sky. “Mommy! Daddy! I found them! I found the box with Penny and Snowbear! Here they are! Here they are!”
“Well, what are you waiting for?” another voice answered. “Give them a snow storm, honey!”
“A snow SWIRL, Mommy,” the first voice insisted. “They like when I call it a snow swirl.”
With that, the child lifted his snowglobe high and whirled it round and round. Penny and Snowbear watched the glistening flakes spin and dance in ever-faster spirals. They felt earth and sky tip and twirl, delighting in movement and light after a long season of darkness and stillness.
As the snow settled and the world grew still, Penny and Snowbear looked far out into the sky, beyond the edge of their world. Multicolored stars twinkled, distant bells rang, laughter filled the heavens.
It was the most wonderful time of the year. #8Little Christmas, BIG SNOW
This is my island.
It has white sand beaches, and water that sparkles like a blue-green jewel.
But no snow.
I sit on the porch while Mami is in the kitchen, preparing a feast for Nochebuena—Christmas Eve.
I think about snow, and wonder what it looks like, falling from the sky.
I imagine my island covered in a soft, white blanket, icicles dangling from the palm trees, instead of coconuts.
And I make a wish.
To catch a snowflake on my tongue—on my island.
Mami is making arroz con gandules and platanos and pasteles.
I help Mami tie the brown paper and banana leaf with string, like a tiny, delicious present.
I am lucky. On my island, Nochebuena is just the beginning of twelve days of celebration—
twelve days of music and food and gifts and family.
Snow would make it even better. Just a little—enough to make a snow ball.
I say goodnight to the white scoop of moon in the sky and think,
What does snow look like falling into the ocean? Can snowflakes land on sand?
When I wake up, everything looks like it always does.
No snow.
For ten nights straight, I make my wish.
But each morning, my island looks the same.
On the eleventh night, my scoop of moon is full and round in the sky.
I ask the Three Kings, and the moon, to grant my wish, but it’s hard to believe they will.
When I awake on Little Christmas, the light from my window fills the room with a flat blue, instead of yellow-gold.
I peel back the curtain.
My island is blanketed in white, fluffy snow. Enough to make a hundred snowballs!
I wrap up in a thick blanket, put on my tall rubber boots and run outside.
The snow goes crunch-crunch beneath my feet.
I turn my face to the sky, and catch one perfect snowflake on my tongue.
“Está navando!” says Mami.
“En Puerto Rico!” says Papi.
I tell them, I wished to catch a snowflake, and it came true. #9 Santa’s Satnav
‘Twas the week before Christmas and in the North Pole,
Santa’s list was still short by ten thousand or so!
Letters from children so beautifully written,
With wishes for scooters and fluffy white kittens,
Were stuck at the post office tied in a sack,
Some children will not have a gift to unwrap!!
An elf called on Santa, had he heard the news?
Post vans were stuck, mail was not getting through.
The snow had been falling for many a week,
They said on the radio as much as six feet!
The fog and the ice storm had grounded all flights,
The Polar Express had no power for lights!
Santa declared he would fly into town
And try out the Santa-nav on the way down!
They harnessed the reindeer, programmed in directions,
The elves looked around in a final inspection.
“Up” called out Santa “Up, up and away!”
With a flick of the reins they were soon on their way.
The littlest elf who’d been loading the sack,
Popped up behind Santa quite taken aback!
“Ho, ho, ho little Jack” called out Santa with glee
“What are you doing up here with me?”
“In one mile…” said Santa-nav “left at the star”
But snow swirled around and they couldn’t see far!
Jack looked on worried, and Santa just blustered
“But Madam, I can’t see the stars, not a cluster!”
Grim as a blizzard! Jack heard a bell sound,
Gave a tug on the reins and he turned them around.
“Whoa” cried out Santa and straightened his hat,
“I hear the town bells…Good job little Jack!”
Down flew the sleigh with a bang and a clatter!
“You have arrived” the Santa-nav chattered!
They bundled the letters in Santa’s big sack,
“Christmas un-cancelled! Thank you, little Jack!”
“Up” called out Santa “Up, up and away!”
The Santa-nav off, Rudolph’s nose led the way!
The elves loaded presents for all girls and boys
And on Christmas Eve he delivered the toys,
With Santa-nav jingling all through the flight!!
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” #10 The Night The Sun Stayed Up
Wren loved Christmas. She loved the smell of the pine tree where her family made their Chri stmas nest. She loved the taste of the berries on their holly wreath. And she loved to listen for the jingle of Santa’s sleigh bells in the darkness of Christmas Eve.
All day on Christmas Eve, Wren’s family was busy getting ready for Santa. They hung their tiny stockings. A plate of nutty cookies sat out for Santa, and Wren wrapped special gifts for her Mama and Daddy.
Once everything was in it’s place, Wren’s family gathered together to watch the sun fall asleep into nighttime.
They waited …
and waited …
and waited …
but this year, the sun did not go down.
“Something is wrong” Wren chirped to her mother. “The sun shouldn’t still be awake!”
And before Mama could raise a wing, off Wren darted, high into the sky to investigate.
The sun was much too hot for little Wren, so she flew towards the moon, who she found waiting, quite impatiently, behind a cloud.
“What is wrong with the sun??” Moon whispered from behind white fluffs. “I can’t come out until she goes to sleep! I would call to her, but she’s too far to hear me. If I don’t come out soon, Santa’s reindeer won’t take off for their Christmas Eve deliveries!”
No Christmas? Wren had to get that sun to sleep!
“Don’t worry,” she told Moon. “I may be small, but my voice is big, and I know just what to do!”
Perching in the highest tree she could find, Wren took a deep breath and began to sing the sweetest, strongest lullaby she knew. Her voice carried far above the clouds, drifting up to the drowsy sun.
Wren sang and sang. Sun’s eyes began to droop, and she slowly fell lower and lower in the sky, until at last she dipped behind the hill to sleep.
Moon peeked out, ready to light up the night sky. As Wren fluttered quietly back towards her nest, she listened for the sound of sleigh bells. Christmas was coming.
#11 Hurricane Coal
Exhausted from scraping and shoveling snow,
old Santa moved south to a beachfront condo.
He shipped all the elves and the reindeer FedEx,
then chilled by the sea at his brand new address.
When Christmas arrived, he was ready to ride.
The toys had been crafted and lined up poolside.
Each gift had a label with boys and girls’ names.
So Santa would know who received toys and games.
Just then the wind howled, tipping each little elf.
Fat rain soaked the reindeer and Santa himself.
A hurricane swept through their outdoor workshop.
They tumbled and bumbled with no way to stop.
The presents, they scattered, the labels detached.
‘Til each banged up gift sat completely unmatched.
At last it was quiet, the rain slowed to drips.
The elves dislodged antlers and untangled gifts.
Sighed Santa, “there’s no time for sorting this mess.”
“Let’s load up the presents. We’ll just have to guess.”
Next morning, the wee ones jumped out of their beds
with hopes in each heartbeat and dreams in their heads.
They opened their presents then quickly exhaled.
Did Santa not get the fine letters they’d mailed?
“Skis?” said Malia, in sunny Kawaii.
With no snow in sight, she kept wondering, “why?”
“Whoopie!” cried her grampy with one in each hand.
“These crutches are perfect for getting ‘cross sand.”
Way up in Alaska, Koyuk did not see
the reason a surfboard was under his tree.
His sister, she snatched it and then promptly made
a reinforced snow fort, a fierce barricade.
Each boy and each girl saw their gifts with new eyes.
Their swimsuits as snow-flingers, scarves as neckties.
Old Santa and crew raced right back to the Pole.
Still cold, but much better than Hurricane Coal.
And nobody minded his mixed up night shift.
‘Cause they were enjoying each repurposed gift.
#12 Sandstorm Santa
Marco sped home from school on his hoverbike. Every so often, he stopped and peered out the glass walls of the passageways at the pale orange sky of Mars.
The apartment door hissed open. “Mom, Dad,” he called. “I’m home! What does the weather report say?”
Mom looked at the holoscreen. “Looks like a sandstorm is coming.” She turned to Marco. “Don’t get your hopes up about SANTA. It might be too rough to land here.”
“SANTA has been through worse weather than this, Mom,” said Marco.
Dad agreed. “SANTA will make it,” he said. But they knew that sandstorms on Mars can be so bad, sometimes everything was shut down.
Marco kept looking out the windows as he ate dinner. The sky was now a burnt orange color. Small swirls formed and danced, then joined to become bigger whorls. Marco pressed his ear to the window and thought he could hear the howl of the winds.
“Is SANTA on schedule?” Marco asked when he was getting ready for bed.
Mom checked the computer. “Yes, honey,” she said. “But you need to go to bed.”
After Dad and Mom tucked him in and darkened the tint on his window, Marco continued to stare outside. He wasn’t so sure anymore that SANTA would make it. The red dust churned around the buildings wildly. It was like they were inside of a snow-globe filled with sand.
Suddenly, he heard a roar so faint he might have imagined it. He rushed to the window, breathing little round patches of fog on it.
There, braving the storm, was SANTA! SANTA descended and docked at the loading bay. People scurried to and from the tunnel leading to the dock, looking like tiny elves. Marco knew the present he’d been waiting for from his grandparents on Earth had been delivered.
As SANTA rose into the sky, the words on its side came into view: Special Aeronautic New Transportation Association – S.A.N.T.A. Marco waved as it cruised close by. The pilot, in his red uniform and white beard, waved back! * * * * *
PHEW! Now that you’ve had a chance to read through the finalists, please vote below for the one you think deserves to win by Thursday December 18 at 5 PM EST. Winners of all kinds will be announced on Friday December 19! I know. That gives you a little less voting time than usual (because I took up an extra day with judging) but I want to be able to announce the winners on Friday so we can then all go off happily to our holiday celebrations 🙂
Thank you all so much for taking the time to write (if you did), read, and vote! These contests simply wouldn’t be what they are without all of you!
I can’t wait to see who the winners will be!
Tune in Friday (no PPBF!)… same bat time, same bat station 🙂
Susanna Leonard Hill 
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