Transcript

MUSIC

Let's have some fun 

with things that rhyme

welcome Kids 

it's poetry time!

Hip Hip Hurray!

Welcome everyone to Kids’ Poetry Club with me, Little Dazzy Donuts. It’s early in the morning, and I’m on my way to the Club to pick up Queenie and Chicken. The other day, I suggested to them that I treat them both to a day out because they have been so busy with the garden, building Chicken’s home, and organizing various events for the Club. It felt like they would enjoy a trip somewhere, and today is the perfect day for it as we’re due some lovely sunshine.

Seeing as I’m almost at the Club, why don’t we take advantage of this time to do our Club registration? This is where you get to shout out your name and get a Club point for being here. So, on the count of three, shout out your name so that I can hear you through your phone, computer, or radio.

Let the drum roll begin. Here goes …. One. Two. Three! ….. Excellent!

Well, I’ve arrived at the Club. I bet that Queenie and Chicken are inside waiting for me, so let’s pop in to see them.

SOUND (door)

Hi Queenie. Hi Chicken.

Queenie: Oh hi, Little Dazzy Donuts. Hang on a mo – we’re at a delicate point in the process. Chicken, let me cut the tape for you … there you go …. Now, I’ll hold the pipe while you wrap the tape around … Perfect. That looks well and truly attached now.

So, what are you two up to?

Queenie: Well, while we waited for you, we dived into a little project here.

It looks like you’re making something.

Queenie: We are! This all started a few days ago. Each evening, we’ve been putting out food for the hedgehog. We’d wake up and find that the hedgehog had been around and nibbled a little of the food in the night, and would leave the rest behind. The guide we have said that would happen as hedgehogs just take what they want as a supplement to their normal diet. All was going fine until three mornings ago, when we went to check the food dish, and it was empty. It had been licked totally clean. Then, the same thing happened two mornings ago – completely empty. Well, we thought that perhaps the hedgehog was bringing some friends to enjoy the food, but we weren’t sure.

So, what did you do to find out who was eating the food?

Well, Chicken and I pitched a tent in the garden last night, and stayed up to see what happened … and it wasn’t a merry band of hedgehogs after all. Chicken actually took a few photos with her special night lens camera. Look at these photos, Little Dazzy Donuts!

Ah – I see now. That’s definitely not a photo of a hedgehog.

Queenie – You’re right. It isn’t. That’s a cat! It turns out that a cat was coming into the garden, and getting to the food before the hedgehog even arrived, and enjoying a hearty meal. And look … that cat really looks well-fed and cared for. I’m not sure she needs the hedgehog’s food. Each evening, by the time the hedgehog got to the plate, it was empty. I bet the poor hedgehog felt very unloved. Well, we can’t have that.

So, what are you doing about it?

Queenie – well, we’ve found a design for a hedgehog food station that we’re building. Look! It’s a large plastic storage tub with a clip-on lid. We’ve cut a round hole in the side, and have attached some plastic pipe that’s the right size for a hedgehog. Then, each night, we’ll put the hedgehog’s water and food into this tub and put the lid on. That cat has had its last midnight supper from us as there’s no way it could squeeze through that pipe.

Well, I love your design, Queenie. This looks perfect for your hedgehog. You’ll be able to put that out tonight, and go to bed knowing that the hedgehog food is safe and only accessible by the hedgehog! Now, are you still interested in doing our day trip today?

Queenie – Oh yes! We’re both really excited. I tell you what, while we tidy up our mess here, would you read a poem to us?

What a great idea, Queenie. I brought three along with me today, all on the topic of day trips. Let’s see which one would be a good first poem to read. Yes, I think we’ll start with this one here. It’s called “Day Out”, and it describes some of the options for what to do on a day trip. Here, let me read it to you now ….

Let’s take a day trip
and go have some fun.
Tell all of your friends
that they’re welcome to come!
We can drive to the country
to take a long hike,
or head to the woods
and cycle on bikes.
We could visit a castle,
or drive to the sea,
canoe on a lake,
or snowboard, or ski.
We should head off right now!

Let’s not delay,
as it’s sad that a day trip
only lasts for one day!

Queenie: Oh, I like that poem, Little Dazzy Donuts! It makes me even more excited for our day trip today. You know what, I’m not sure that Chicken has ever been on a day trip, have you Chicken?

SOUND (Chicken)

Queenie: Oh yes … we went to the Beach. Silly me! Of course we did. How can I ever forget the amazing sand rooster that you built. Well, in that case, this will be your second day trip then. So, where shall we go today, Little Dazzy Donuts?

Well, I think we’re spoiled for choice. Here, let me show you some leaflets that I picked up. I’ll put them out on the table so that you and Chicken can look through them and decide where you’d like to go.

Queenie: Oh wow! Okay … oooohhhh …. Look at this one, Chicken, it’s a castle. It has a mote, and a drawbridge, and turrets, and everything. It says here that the castle dates back hundreds of years, and when you visit you can see armor and paintings, and they’ve recreated what the kitchen would have been like back when the castle was actually used as a castle. That sounds wonderful.

SOUND (Chicken)

Queenie: I agree! So, that’s definitely an option. Then, there’s this leaflet here …. It’s a big lake with a hiking trail around it. It has some lovely wildlife, and you can see birds like geese, swans, and woodpeckers. Oh, and look, you can rent canoes and go out on to the lake. That sounds lovely for a day like today.

SOUND (Chicken)

Queenie: It’s okay, Chicken – if you don’t want to go out on the lake, you don’t have to … look, it has a nice tearoom where we can sit and have a drink. Oh, hang on, what about this one … it’s a theme park with rides. Look, there’s a rollercoaster, a water ride, a big pirate ship that swings everyone upside down. Gosh, there are lots of choices aren’t there?

There are, Queenie. So, which one takes your fancy?

Queenie: Well, can we think about it a little while I make us a packed lunch to take along? We can’t have fun on an empty stomach, and so I’ve bought everything we need to make a nice packed lunch. It will only take a few minutes to make some sandwiches to take with us.

Of course, Queenie. While you make the sandwiches and think about where you’d like to go for the day, I’ll read us all the second poem, which is called “Are We There Yet?” It’s about the excitement of a day trip, but knowing that there’s also the frustration of being in the car on the way to wherever you’re going. Here, I’ll read the poem now:

Just how long will it take us
to get to this place?
I’m bored - can’t you tell
from the look on my face?
I’m yawning and wriggling,
stuck in my seat.
My legs are both twitching,
and I’m banging my feet.
I’ve finished my snacks
and drunk all my drink.
My brain has seized up,
and can no longer think.
It’s ten minutes since we left,

so it feels a safe bet
that the news will be good
when I ask .. are we there yet?

Queenie: That poem’s so funny. I’m already wondering if we’re there yet, and we haven’t even left. But I do promise that I won’t ask whether we’re there yet every ten minutes once we’re on the road. Okay, the sandwiches are ready, so we can head off now.

Wonderful - what did you make for us?

Queenie: Well, we have avocado and peanut butter sandwiches, some snacks, an apple each … oh, and I packed us some lemonade too.

Oh, that all sound really nice. So, do we each have an avocado sandwich and a peanut butter sandwich?

Queenie: Ummm … I’m not sure I understand your question, Little Dazzy Donuts. There are two sandwiches each … but it’s not one avocado sandwich and one peanut butter sandwich. Like I said, the sandwiches are avocado and peanut butter.

Oh – so each sandwich is avocado AND peanut butter.

Queenie: Yes … the sandwiches are avocado and peanut butter. Doesn’t that sound yummy? Two of my favorite things in one yummy sandwich. Okay then, let’s jump in the car.

Have you decided where you’d like to head?

Queenie: I think we’ve narrowed it down to two options for where to go today. It’s either the lake or the castle. There are so many good options … but the lake sounds so pretty on a sunny day like today, and the castle sounds like fun and we’d learn stuff too.

Wonderful! Well, let’s lock up the Club, and jump in the car. We can then decide whether to do the lake or the castle on our way from here to the main road. There’s a big roundabout at the main road – and we’ll have to decide by the time we reach it so we take the right exit for where we want to go.

Queenie: Perfect. Okay. I’ll put the sandwiches in the back with you, Chicken. Oh, did you remember to bring your book with you?

SOUND (Chicken)

Queenie: Excellent. Oh, and the sun cream too?

SOUND (Chicken)

Queenie: Yippee!!!! You’ve really thought this through, Chicken … and don’t worry – I’ve made sure that the packed lunch contains plenty of yummy food for you too.

Okay then, we’re off. The main road is just up here … see, there’s the roundabout.

Queenie: Oh gosh – look at the traffic! It’s barely moving. It looks like everyone is heading somewhere today. I suppose that’s what happens on a lovely sunny day.

You’re right, Queenie. Oh well, while we inch our way up to the roundabout, why don’t I share today’s final poem with you both. Coincidentally, it’s also about traffic, and how on days like today, everybody seems to want to be somewhere that they aren’t. It’s called “Traffic”:

On a nice sunny day,
it’s easy to see
why every single person
just wants to be
somewhere they weren’t
at the start of the day,
which explains why they’re all
now making their way
East when they woke up
off in the West,
and for those in the East,
yes – you’ve guessed -
they’re driving themselves
the opposite way.
All of which leads me to say
that the roads would flow faster
for me and my car,
if everyone was happier
with wherever they are!

Queenie: Well, that poem certainly describes the traffic today. Look – we’re almost at the roundabout, and the main road is packed full of cars in both directions, and nobody is getting anywhere.

Well, on the plus side of things, at least that gives you a little more time to decide whether we should head east to go to the Castle, or west to head to the lake. I tell you what, while you make your final decision, let me remind everyone that there are lots of ways to join in with the club. If you go to kidspoetryclub.com, you’ll see a wonderful drawing by our Club illustrator, Dot Cherch. You can also see the PodSnack video for the episode and download the episode’s PodPack of activities. They’re all free. Plus there’s information on how to send your poems and drawings into the club, including how to enter your poetry and art into the Summer competition on the topic of Home. You’ll find everything you need at kidspoetryclub.com.

It has been so lovely to spend time with you! Thank you for joining me, Queenie, and Chicken. I hope you enjoyed yourself, and hope you’ll be back for more next time the Club meets. Join us again next week when we’ll have a new topic and more fun.

As always, let's finish with our short goodbye poem:

We've had some fun 

with things that rhymed

goodbye Kids 

until next time!

This is Little Dazzy Donuts saying .... keep rhyming!!!

Okay Queenie, we’re at the roundabout, and we need to decide which exit to take … so do we head east to the Castle or west to the lake?

Queenie: Well, the traffic looks awful in both directions. I really don’t want to spend my whole day just stuck in traffic. That sounds a waste of a lovely day. Little Dazzy Donuts, where does that little road go over there? Nobody’s taking it, and it looks like it winds off into the hills? Could we take that, and just make our own adventure? Wherever we end up will be fantastic providing the three of us are all there together.

You’re right, Queenie. Let’s do it. Here goes … we’re taking the little road. Let’s see where it takes us. How exciting! Hold on tight … we’re off!

MUSIC