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. I’m on my way into the Club. It’s really quite windy today, and it feels like I’m battling against the wind to make any progress. It almost feels like I take two steps forward, and the wind then pushes me back one. Oh well, I’ll get there eventually. Seeing as I’m not quite at the Club yet, why don’t we take advantage of this time to do our 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 just arrived at the Club. Let’s head in and see what’s happening inside.

SOUND (Door)

Oh, there’s nobody here. That’s strange. I was expecting Queenie and Chicken. Well, I’m sure they’ll be here soon – and when they arrive, I’m guessing they’ll be able to explain to me why there’s a spider’s web made of wool across the entire middle of the Club. I can’t imagine anyone else will have built that. While I wait, I’ll put the kettle on and find the biccies. If they’ve been out in this wind, they’ll most likely want a hot cup of tea when they get here.

SOUND (Kettle)

Oh, I can hear them arriving now.

SOUND (Door)

Hi Queenie … Hi Chicken.

Queenie: Oh, hi Little Dazzy Donuts.

My gosh – what have you two been up to?

Queenie: It’s a long story.

I can imagine it is. The two of you are all bound together with string … oh, and there’s a piece of rope wrapped around your waist, Queenie … and then wrapped around Chicken’s leg. What have you been doing?

Queenie: We’ve been flying our kites. Or, to say it more accurately – our kites have been flying us.

Isn’t it too windy for kites?

Queenie: We didn’t think so – and it turns out that we were wrong. In our defence, it was less windy earlier. It actually looked like the perfect weather for kite flying, and so we dug out a couple of kites from the cupboard, and went over by the farm stand to fly them. It all started well, but then the wind really started blowing.

SOUND (Chicken)

Queenie: As Chicken was just saying – it blew so hard, that Chicken’s kite lifted her right off the ground. I just about grabbed her in time, otherwise she could have blown away. To make sure it didn’t happen again, we got this piece of rope and wound it around my waist and her leg so that she was weighed down more … and was safer.

That sounds dangerous. I love the rope idea, though – it must have kept you safe, Chicken.

Queenie: It did – until the wind started gusting and blowing in all directions. When that happened, our two kites became entangled, and span out of control. As they fell to the ground, they span around and around … and, before we knew it, they’d circled us so many times that the kite string had wrapped around us tightly. We just couldn’t wriggle out, and so had to walk back to the Club like this. We’re bound together.

Okay – let me get some scissors and let’s see if we can cut you loose. Now, what happened to the kites.

Queenie: They’re long gone. The wind was just so strong that the string eventually broke, and both kites disappeared off into the distance.

Not your beautiful parrot kite?

Queenie: Yes – that’s the one. It headed off down the street, closely followed by Chicken’s dragon kite. Watching a dragon chasing a parrot made for quite an unusual scene.

SOUND (Scissors)

There you go. At least you’re free now … oh, and I made you both a cup of tea to warm you up.

Queenie: Thank you, Little Dazzy Donuts. That’s exactly what I need. I’ve been out in wind before, but that was the strongest wind I’ve experienced. I have no idea where it came from … or where it’s going. Ummmm … come to think about it where does wind go? It certainly seems really keen to get somewhere today.

That’s a great question, Queenie. I’m not sure.

Queenie: And, it must have come from somewhere … and so if all that wind left somewhere to blow here, what’s now in its place back where the wind came from? I mean, do we now have all of their air? …. Gosh, I sure have a lot of questions.

I know, why don’t you ask Sammy Showers. He’s a weather forecaster, and so must know about wind. How about you call him after your cup of tea and get some answers to your questions.

Queenie: What a great idea! I tell you what, while I drink my tea, do you happen to have a poem you can read to us? Perhaps one about wind.

I definitely do, Queenie. I have the perfect wind poem, in fact. It’s called, “The Windy Day” and is about what it’s like to fly a kite on a windy day – just like what you’ve experienced with Chicken. Here, I’ll read the poem to you now.

It started this morning

With the gentlest of breeze -

barely enough to rustle

the leaves in the trees.

By noon it was blowing

at more of a pace.

Enough to spread objects

all over the place.

All afternoon, it blew

with more and more might.

Snapped branches and bushes

disappearing from sight.

I should have known better,

that the timing’s not right

to head off outside

to try fly my kite.

It dragged me about,

and pulled me around,

Lifting both of my feet

clear up off the ground.

With a gust and a blow,

it lifted me higher,

as I dodged rooves and chimneys

and telephone wires.

Eventually it dumped me

from quite a great height,

and I landed up here,

still holding my kite.

Which is how I’ll explain

what happened to me,

if I ever get down

from the top of this tree.

Queenie: Thank you for the poem, Little Dazzy Donuts. I’m glad that we didn’t end up at the top of a tree. I don’t know how we’d have got back down again … Okay, I’ve finished my tea, so let’s call up Sammy Showers. He should be at the radio station right now, giving his daily weather forecast. Let’s see if he can answer my questions. I’ll call the station now.

SOUND (Phone)

Sammy: That’s the forecast for today here on your local radio station. Sammy Shower’s Summary is: it’s going to be very windy – and so stay safe and watch out for falling trees and debris….. Okay, it looks like we have a caller on line 1 – that’s unusual as we don’t normally have anyone calling up during the forecast. Let’s see who’s there. Hello caller – welcome to the weather forecast with Sammy Showers.

Queenie: Hi Sammy! It’s Queenie.

Sammy: Oh, hi, Queenie. How are you today?

Queenie: I’m wind-swept Sammy. Very wind-swept. Thank you for asking.

Sammy: So, how can I help you?

Queenie: Well, I have a few questions about the weather, and wondered if you’d have time to answer them?

Sammy: Sure – what would you like to know?

Queenie: Having been blown about a lot today, and having almost lost my best friend to a big gust, I thought I should learn more about the wind. In fact, I thought I should start by finding out what wind actually is.

Sammy: What a great question! Wind is the movement of air, and so it’s air in motion. You can’t see it, or hold it … but you can feel it.

Queenie: Yes – I definitely felt it today. So, what causes wind?

Sammy: It has a lot to do with how the sun warms the Earth. Our atmosphere is full of particles that you can’t see. Those particles are all squashed into our atmosphere, creating what’s called atmospheric pressure – just like the sort of pressure you get when you fill a balloon with air. Well, in places where the Earth is warmed a lot by the sun, those particles are heated and they rise – reducing the atmospheric pressure and creating what we call Low Pressure. As the hot air rises, cold air moves in to replace it from places with higher atmospheric pressure. All of that movement of air causes wind.

Queenie: Well, that makes sense. I like a little bit of wind as I can then fly my kite … but I wonder what causes strong winds, like we have today?

Sammy: That has a lot to do with the difference between the high pressure and the low pressure – the more the difference, the faster the wind will blow. It can be as light as a gentle breeze, all the way up to a hurricane.

Queenie: I guess that it’s like blowing up a balloon, and then letting go – all of that air that’s pressurized inside the balloon will rush out to where the pressure is lower outside of the balloon.

Sammy: Exactly! So, on days like today, you’re just outside of that balloon feeling a big gush of wind!

Queenie: Okay, so my last question is about storm names. I’ve heard about storms and hurricanes getting names, but they never seen to name one after me or Chicken. I was wondering who I need to write to in order to encourage the naming of a Storm Queenie or a Hurricane Chicken?

Sammy: In the United Kingdom and Ireland, storms are named by the Met Office and Met Eireann. They’ve used names like Brendan, Iris, Noah, and Olivia. Elsewhere in the world, Hurricanes and typhoons are named by the World Meteorological Organization – working through the letters of the alphabet. Now, there hasn’t been a Storm Queenie or Chicken – but there has been a Typhoon Queenie in Asia back in 1945.

Queenie: 1945 was well before I was born, and so I hope they use my name again soon.

Sammy: I tell you what, why don’t we name today’s windstorm after you?! It won’t be the official name as today’s wind isn’t fast enough to have an official name – but unofficially, we’ll call today Windstorm Queenie, and I’ll use that name with every forecast I do today.

Queenie: That sounds wonderful. Thanks, Sammy, for all of your help!

Sammy: My pleasure Queenie. Chat again soon ….. well, you heard it here first everyone – be careful out there with Windstorm Queenie – it’s going to be a rough one today.

SOUND (Phone)

So, Queenie – how did it go with Sammy?

Queenie: It went really well. I now know all about what wind is, where it comes from, and why it happens. Oh, and the big news is that Sammy has given a name to today’s windstorm … it’s now called Windstorm Queenie.

Well, that sounds perfect! Windstorm Queenie – how great to have a storm named after you. Actually, that reminds me of another poem. It’s called “The Hurricane”. I’ll read it to you now …

It first struck the garden

with eye-watering force,

before knocking down plants,

smashing open the door.

It rolled through the hallway

spreading papers and mud,

falling furniture landing

with an ear-shattering thud.

It blew through the kitchen

and then up the stairs,

leaving a trail of old clothes

and tipped over chairs.

It stormed through the bedrooms –

where toys and books flew,

the bathroom was next,

and the living room too.

All that was standing,

was left lying down,

and the house was messiest

one in the town.

It’s all the devastation

you’d expect there to be,

with a direct hit on home

from Hurricane Me!

Queenie: I do like that poem, Little Dazzy Donuts! Hurricane Me! That’s a little like Windstorm Queenie!

Oh, I completely forgot. With all of the excitement around the kite flying and calling Sammy, I forgot to ask you about this woolen spider’s web here in the Club.

Queenie: Oh yes! It’s impressive, don’t you think?

Very! It’s like a real spider’s web, only it’s made from wool. Did you two make it?

Queenie: We did! It all started when we were digging out the kites from cupboard. We found a spider in there, and it seemed like the wrong place for a spider. I mean, spiders need to be places where they can spin webs and catch food in them … and there certainly isn’t any food in our storage cupboard. That poor spider was going to get very hungry – so we decided to take it outside.

That was a nice thing to do. So, how did it turn into a woolen web in the Club?

Queenie: Oh yes – well, we watched the spider out of the window. As soon as we left it out there on the bush, it began work on a web. It started with a long silky thread … and it waited for the breeze to carry that thread from the bush over to the window of the Club. Once it did that, the spider then walked across the thread and started making a web by adding other anchor points. It took a while, but eventually the spider had a framework of a web …. and it then went around in circles adding sticky thread. It was so amazing to watch.  

It sounds it. And you then decided to try it yourselves?

Queenie: We did. We found this wool in the cupboard, and used the same technique as the spider. Mind you, it took a long time. It turns out that spiders are so much better at it than Queenies and Chickens. And the spider didn’t have to use a ladder either…. You know, I bet that spider is still out there now. Let’s see. It was just outside of this window here.

Oh yes – there’s the web. My gosh, that poor spider is being flung around in the strong wind.

Queenie: I hope the web holds. Poor Spidey is getting blown all over the place. Ummmm … I wonder if we should fetch it in, and keep it safe in here until after the wind has died down? It can’t be much fun out there.

Before you do, how about I read you one more poem? You can then rescue the spider while I wrap up the episode. This final poem is called …. “Layering”. Here, I’ll read the poem to you now …

No matter the season,

I love it outdoors!

In Summer, I’m out there

in t-shirts and shorts.

Come Fall and then Winter,

it gets chilly and wet,

so I’ll share a life lesson,

you should never forget.

When you’re heading outside,

layer on clothes.

As many as you can,

from your head to your toes.

They’ll protect you from wind,

and even from snow,

wearing layer upon layer,

is the way you should go.

Pull on multiple pants,

and five to ten socks.

Wearing sweater upon sweater,

is nothing to knock.

If you’re layering right,

you'll double in size.

The only parts of you visible

are your nose and your eyes.

It will take you an hour,

but when you are done,

you’ll be ready to head off

for some seasonal fun.

Oh … something I missed

right at the start,

don’t miss this key step,

else it all falls apart …

if you’ve started your layering,

you’ve started too soon,

as your first step is always

to use the bathroom.

Queenie: Thank you for the poem, Little Dazzy Donuts. Okay, wish us luck … Chicken and I are braving Windstorm Queenie to go and rescue the spider. Just in case, I’ve tied one end of the rope around me and Chicken, and I’m going to tie the other end to the door handle – so we can’t blow away. If you hear us screaming, come running to save us.

I will. Good luck!!!! Well, while Queenie and Chicken rescue the spider, I’d like to remind everyone that there are lots of ways to join in with the club. If you go to kidspoetryclub.com, you can see the PodSnack video for the episode, plus there’s information on how to send your poems and drawings into the club. Our current competition on gratitude just closed, and we’ll announce the winners in next Monday’s episode. We’ll then announce the topic for our new competition. You can learn more at kidspoetryclub.com.

It has been so lovely to spend time with you! Thank you for joining me, Queenie, Chicken, and the amazing Sammy Showers. 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 brand new topic, and new poems.

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!!!

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