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. Queenie, Chicken, and I are enjoying our day trip right now. We left the Club this morning, and avoided all of the traffic by driving up a quiet country lane. It turned out that there was a trailhead a few miles up there, and so we parked the car, and have now been hiking for a couple of hours. It’s such a pretty day for it. We’re currently hiking through a field of flowers, heading off towards some hills and a forest. Queenie and Chicken are off looking at some flowers right now, and so 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!

Okay, let’s head over to where Queenie and Chicken are, and see how they’re doing cataloguing the flowers they’ve found.

Hi Queenie. How are you getting on with these flowers?

Queenie: We’re doing so well. Chicken and I are playing a fun game where we have to find 26 items on our hike, one for each letter of the alphabet. Look – this one here is our B – it’s a bluebell! Then, over here by this hedge, we have our C and our D. Look, it’s Cow Parsley and Daisies. I have a handy wildflower guide that I’ve brought with me, and it says that this is a type of daisy called an Oxeye Daisy. Isn’t it pretty! Now, Chicken also found … errrmmm … Chicken? ….where’s Chicken?

I don’t know. I thought she was with you.

Queenie: Well, she was … she was here just a minute ago! We were looking at the daisies together … and she thought she’s seen some Meadowsweet … and she went off in that direction. CHICKEN!!! CHICKEN!!!! Can you hear me?

SOUND (Chicken)

Queenie: Oh, there you are! I was worried.

SOUND (Chicken)

Queenie: Yes – it’s definitely a challenge that we’re hiking through meadows where the flowers are taller than you. It’s hardly surprising we keep losing you! So, what have you been up to Little Dazzy Donuts?

Well, I’ve been digging through my bag looking for the poems that I brought with me. I’ve got three here, all on the topic of hiking. I thought that perhaps we could read one now, before we hike off to the lookout up there on that hill.

Queenie: That sounds a great idea. When we get to that lookout, Chicken and I want to do some art. We’ve prepared ourselves by studying landscape painting, and we thought we’d give it a try. Landscape paintings are so wonderful – they’re full of nature, like fields or mountains or oceans. This feels the perfect setting to make our own. I brought along our watercolors, paper, and brushes, just in case. I tell you what, I’ll get our water bottles out, and we’ll take a drink while we listen to the first poem. Here you go, Chicken – there’s your rooster water bottle … and here’s mine with a picture of a hedgehog on the side.

Excellent. Well, this first poem is all about what someone discovered when doing a hike one day. As you’ll hear, it sounds like they discover a lot – although not all of it was what they hoped to discover. Here, I’ll read the poem to you now. It’s called, “What We Discovered”:

We set off on a hike
to see what we’d find
while stretching our legs
and relaxing our minds.

First we discovered
a meadow with flowers.
We discovered a forest
where we wandered for hours,

before we discovered a great spot
to sit down and eat
while we refueled our tanks
and rested our feet.

After lunch, we discovered
a forest and meadow...
hang on, we’ve been here before!
We really should know

that when we’re doing a hike,
take a map at all cost.
Don’t end up like us.
We’ve discovered we’re lost.

Queenie: Ha! That’s so funny, Little Dazzy Donuts. I like that they saw a meadow and a forest … and then saw the same ones again! The good news is that I always have a map with me when I’m hiking. It’s here in my hiking backpack. Let’s dig around a little and see what else is in here. I always try to carry everything that a hiker should take with them. Once you’re out here in the countryside, so much could happen, and so you have to be prepared. There aren’t any shops around here where you can pop in quickly if you need something.

I love how prepared you are, Queenie. So, what do you have in that backpack of yours?

Queenie: Well, in addition to my trusty map, I have a flashlight … and a granola bar … and a compass … and some nuts … and a first aid kit … and an apple … and my sun protection – so sun glasses and sun screen … and a bag of potato snacks … and a pencil … and a banana … and a hiking trowel … and a packet of cookies … and some matches … and a packet of peanuts … and a raincoat …. Oh, and some dried fruit.

My gosh – you certainly have a lot in your bag, Queenie.

Queenie – I do! I pack my bag based on Queenie’s first law of hiking … which is, take an item of food with you for every item that isn’t food. You really can’t have too much food in your backpack.

Okay then … well let’s continue our hike up to the lookout over there. I’m certainly glad that you’ve got a map with you Queenie. We’ve been walking for a couple of hours now … and we’ve taken several rights and several lefts, and so I’m not totally sure where the car is.

Queenie – oh, you worry too much, Little Dazzy Donuts. We know where the car is…  it’s exactly where we left it. It will still be there when we get back. Right, let’s take this narrow track here – I’m sure will take us up to the lookout.

You’re right, Queenie. Oh my – look at how pretty the view is from up here. You can see for miles.

SOUND (Chicken)

Queenie – Ha – you’re right Chicken. For a bird that can’t fly, being up here at the lookout sure gives you a sense of what it’s like to be flying high up in the sky. We’re looking down on everyone. Look – there are houses down there that look really small. And people walking around that look like ants. Wow – isn’t that our car all the way down there?

It is! So, you’re definitely right Queenie – in that we know where the car is. I’m not totally sure that we know how to get from here back to the car … but at least we can see it.

Queenie – Don’t worry, Little Dazzy Donuts – you’re forgetting that I have my trusty map here in my backpack. Okay then, Chicken … here’s your art paper, your watercolors, and a brush. I have mine here too. Let’s sit down on this boulder over here, and we can do a painting of this lovely view. I’m going to pretend to be Gwendolyn Bennett, and you pretend to be Georgi O’Keefe.

SOUND (Chicken)

Wonderful! While you do that, why don’t I read our second poem? It’s called, Take A Hike. It’s about someone going on a hike and meeting with a number of mishaps. Here, I’ll read it to you now:

I’ve been chased by a ram,
and chased by a bull!
I slipped and I tripped.
Banged my head in a fall.
I’ve got cuts on my elbows,
and scrapes on my knees.
I’ve been stung by some nettles,
some wasps, and some bees.
As a result, I’m now wondering
why some people I like
suggested this morning
that I go take a hike!

Queenie: What a funny ending! Go Take a Hike!!! You know what, Little Dazzy Donuts … based on your poem selection today, I’m wondering if you really like hiking. Your poems make it sound really yucky – when hiking is actually wonderful! It’s a great way of being in nature, getting some fresh air, seeing plants and animals, and just escaping from all of the stresses of daily life.

You’re right, Queenie. I do hope that my poems don’t put anyone off hiking. Now, how are you two getting on with your paintings?

SOUND (Chicken)

Queenie: Well, as Chicken was just saying …. We’re almost done here. It’s such a pretty view, and I think that Chicken has done a wonderful job of capturing it in her watercolors. Look at how amazing her painting is, Little Dazzy Donuts.

Oh it is … she has even captured the different shades of gray and white in the clouds. I really like how it feels like the horizon is way off in the distance, and there are so many fields of different colors of green.

SOUND (Chicken)

Queenie: Chicken says that this view really inspires her. Also, she has tapped into some of the great landscape painters that we’ve looked at in her books.

So, how did you get on with your painting, Queenie?

Queenie: Well, perhaps I’ll describe it as…. abstract. It certainly doesn’t have the level of detail in it that Chicken’s has.

Let’s take a look. Ah, yes – I see what you mean. Still, I can definitely tell what you’ve painted, and you’ve captured the many different colors we see in front of us. Oh, and I particularly like how you’ve included the cars all the way down there – they look like ants.

Queenie: Actually, Little Dazzy Donuts - those are ants. I didn’t bother to paint the cars. I don’t like mechanical things like cars messing up my landscape painting about nature. Give me a good old ant any day.

Wonderful – well, the sun will be going down in a couple of hours … and so how about we have our picnic, and then make our way back to the car?

Queenie: Yippee!!!! I’ve been carrying this picnic around all day – it will be nice to finally enjoy it. Those avocado and peanut butter sandwiches will be really yummy now after all of our walking.

Perfect – well, while we enjoy the lovely picnic that you packed for us, Queenie, why don’t I read our final poem. Coincidentally, it’s about a picnic that someone is having out in the countryside – just like us. Here, I’ll read it to you now … it’s called My Picnic:

I found a nice spot
and laid down my blanket,
then went back to the car
to go fetch the hamper.
I opened it up,
and got out the treats,
the vegetables and fruits,
and three types of cheese.
I had biscuits and cake,
and juices galore,
enough for us all,
and a large number more.
I arranged it all nicely,
then went back to the car
to fetch cushions and napkins.
Though the walk wasn’t far,
the animals pounced quickly
and as you’d predict,
I went hungry the day
that my picnic was nicked.

Well, I’m glad that our picnic wasn’t nicked, Queenie. Okay, so how about we work out how to get back to our car? We’ve taken so many different tracks, trails, and paths, that I’m not at all sure how to get from up here back to our car down there. How about we check out your map, Queenie, and figure out the fastest way of returning to our car.

Queenie: Oh sure – let me get it out of my bag …. Here it is.

Wonderful. Let’s open this up, and find out where we are on the map … ummm … Queenie … did you know that this is a map of the City of Paris?

Queenie: Of course I did. I take it with me on every hike.

Why?

Queenie: Well, my hiking guide says that it’s really important for a hiker to take a map with them … and this is the only map I have. I found it around the Club, and nobody seemed to ever use it, and so I’ve borrowed it for all of my hikes. That said, I’ve never actually used it. I figured that it would be perfect for when I do a hike in Paris, but it hasn’t proved very helpful for any of my hikes around here.

Oh well, I’m sure we’ll find our way back to the car. Let’s pack up our picnic things, and head off. While you put them all back into the backpack, I’ll 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 then Queenie … which way do we head?

Queenie: Well, I’m sure that it’s this track here … no, hang on … silly me, that’s not right – it’s actually that track over there….  Ummm … come to think about it, I was right first time. Ummm … do you have a coin we can flip, Little Dazzy Donuts?