Transcript

Welcome to the Kids’ Poetry Club podcast. Before the fun starts, here’s a quick reminder that all episodes come with free support materials. Just go to kidspoetryclub.com to see YouTube videos of illustrated poems and to download a pack of activities based on this week’s episode. It’s all free. Okay … let the fun begin …

Let's have some fun 

with things that rhyme

welcome Kids 

it's poetry time!

Hip Hip Hurray!

Welcome back to Kids Poetry Club with me, Little Dazzy Donuts, and a massive thanks to Mary who is today’s STAR of the episode for reading out the introduction poem that you just heard. Remember that you can also be a STAR of the episode – just check out the Kids’ Poetry Club website for more details.

I hope you’re feeling ready for some rhymes and fun today because we're going to spend the next 15 minutes listening to three poems on this week's chosen topic - are you going to guess what the topic is? Plus, we have a new guest here t the Club who has just moved into the neighborhood. I can’t wait for you to meet her. So, while I play our intro music, get wriggling around to find a comfortable spot ... I’m so excited! It's time for this week's Kids’ Poetry Club!

Music

Before we play "guess the topic of the week", let's start off with club registration. If you have been to the Club before then you know that this is where you get to shout out your name and get a club point for being here. How about I show you how …. Here goes …. Little Dazzy Donuts! 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!

Do you remember what our topic was last week?

Well, it was Feeling Poorly, and we had fun poems about ailments that just sounded like they were illnesses, about somebody who was falling apart, and about an elephant with a cold.

So let’s see if you can guess this week’s topic.

Last week, I played four sounds all at the same time, and it felt like you worked it out really quickly, which makes me think that you’re ready for an even bigger challenge. So, this week, I’m going to play you five sounds at the same time. Does that sound more challenging for you? I hope so. Here goes. Listen carefully, and see if you can figure out what the topic is this week.

SOUNDS

So, did you guess it? I bet you did. Yes, this week’s topic is Sports. By any chance did you identify the five sports that those sounds came from? Why don’t I play them again and see if you can spot all five. Here goes ….

Did you manage to spot them all? Just in case you didn’t, there was table tennis (which is also known as ping pong), then there was basketball, swimming, tennis, and golf. If you spotted any of those, then you deserve a massive cheer!

SOUND

Now that we know that today’s topic is Sports, why don’t we listen to our first poem of the episode, and after that we can meet our special guest. This first poem is called “Harry the Hedgehog”. By any chance, have you ever seen a hedgehog? They’re small nocturnal animals, which means they’re mostly active t night, and they’re covered in spines – a bit like a porcupine … although hedgehogs and porcupines aren’t related in any way. The term hedgehog has been used to describe them for over 500 years, and they got their name because … you guessed it … they are often found in and around hedges. One other interesting fact about hedgehogs is that they roll up into a tight ball for defend themselves – I bet all of those spines come in handy when that happens.

Now, I wonder how good hedgehogs are at sport – after it, that’s our theme for today. When I was a kid, and so when I was REALLY Little Dazzy Donuts, I wanted to be good at sport, but I really wasn’t. I tried it all – soccer, swimming, rugby, running, cricket, and much more. I had a lot of enthusiasm, but very little skill or ability, and so I was often the last person picked for any sports team. Deep down, I hoped that eventually I would find a sport that I was good at. Just like Harry the Hedgehog in our first poem.

But before we hear the poem, we first need to find out how the poem will arrive. Ummm …. What do you think? We have had poems being delivered in so many different ways … how do you think our first poem will arrive?

Here it comes ….

SOUND

It came by plane! Well, now it’s here, let’s listen to our first poem, called “Harry the Hedgehog” …

Harry the Hedgehog was never picked for the team,

regardless of what sport they’d all play.

He’d stand on the side, and wait for the day

when the coach would say, “Bowling today,”

and he’d curl into a ball and bowl those pins down.

That’s when Harry would be king of the town.

Until that day finally appears,

he's stood at the side, and his teammates he cheers!

CHEER SOUND

It sounds like Harry and I faced the same issue with sports. I hope he gets to bowl soon. I can imagine that hedgehogs are ideal at bowling if they curl up into a tight ball.

Well, back at the beginning, I mentioned that we would have a special guest this week. As you know, Queenie often pops into Kids’ Poetry Club, and I’m fairly sure that she’ll be coming in next week to talk more about the current competition that she’s running about poems that include the word gray. In the meantime, you can read all about the competition at kidspoetryclub.com. Seeing as Queenie couldn’t come this week, I’ve invited a new friend to join us. Her name is Gertie, and she has just moved into the neighborhood – just a few houses down at number 3030. I bumped into her yesterday, and we had such a long and interesting chat. In fact, she’s one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met.

Here she is now … Gertie … welcome to Kids’ Poetry Club!!!

It seems like Gertie is a little nervous about talking to you all at the Club. So, Gertie, why don’t you take some deep breaths, and then tell us all about yourself. When we met yesterday, you told me all about all of the different sports you’ve played – why don’t you share some of those stories with us.

Okay … so while Gertie goes for some fresh air and composes herself ready for our chat, let’s hear our second poem on today’s topic of Sports.

Whereas our first poem was about a hedgehog and bowling, this second poem is about a tortoise and soccer. If you’ve listened to other episodes of Kids’ Poetry Club, you will most likely know that I grew up in England, and now live in the United States of America. Interestingly, the sport that Americans call soccer is called something completely different in most other countries around the world. In England, it’s called Football – and that name, or something very similar to it, is used in around 60 countries around the world. Here in the United States though, as in Canada and a few other countries, it’s called Soccer because there’s a completely different sport that already uses in the name of football. I suppose it would be confusing to have two sports both called the same name in the same country!

In this second poem, we hear of a Tortoise that plays the soccer. Gertie very kindly bought the poem with her today, and so I have it here ready to read to you. But, before I do, let me first check how Gertie is doing, I’ll quickly open the door and check on her.

SOUND

Hi … Gertie … how are you doing ….

Well, it sound like she needs more time, and so let’s hear our second poem, which is called “Tortoise”.

I asked my friend, Tortoise, to play on my team,

and I thought that I’d put her in goal.

But she missed every shot,

and we trailed at the half,

she just didn’t seem right for the role.

Her reactions were slow,

and her diving was poor,

I’m sure that no-one could tell,

she’d have been the best goalie ever

if she’d just gotten out of her shell.

Poor Tortoise – it sounds like she could have done better in goal … but she needed to get out of her shell. Of course, that could mean two things – it could mean actually taking off her shell… or, it could mean that she needed to become more confident. Either way, I hope that she sticks with being a goalie, gets better and better, and becomes the star of the team. I know that I’d love to see  soccer team with a tortoise for goalie!

Okay, while you were listening to the Tortoise poem, I had a nice chat with Gertie, and she was actually telling me that she used to play in goal for a professional soccer team. She has a wonderful story about how she once won a game for her team by saving a penalty kick in the last minute of the match. In fact, here’s Gertie now … Gertie, would you be okay to tell everyone the story you were just telling me about when you saved the penalty …

Well, it looks like Gertie needs more time to share her amazing stories with us. So let’s invite her back in a few weeks’ time when she has gotten over her nerves about speaking to all of you wonderful listeners at the Club.

Oh, gosh. Somehow we have made it to the final poem of the episode. How did that happen so quickly? I’m sure you remember our topic of the week …. Yes, it’s Sport … and our first two poems were about a hedgehog going bowling and a tortoise playing soccer. This final poem is about a different type of sport – it’s actually about a race – to be more specific, it’s about a Rat Race. Although I’m not exactly sure what sort of Rat Race this poem is about – after all, the term “Rat Race” is sometimes used to refer to hectic, busy lives where people are always on the go and working. I wonder if the poem is about that sort of rat race?

Before I can read the poem to you, we need it to be delivered into the club. But how is it going to arrive? Earlier we had a poem come via plane. How do you think this final poem will turn up? Here it comes ….

Wow! It came on the back of a galloping cow! That cow looked like it was in a hurry to get somewhere. I’m glad it found the time to drop the poem off on her way.

Okay then … here’s our final poem of the week, called “Rat Race” …

Mom says she’s in the rat race,

which is a strange thing to be in,

given I’ve never seen here training,

so there’s no way that she’ll win.

I bet that rats can run real fast,

if the distance is quite short,

and the rats have a real advantage

with Mom not good at sport.

If the race takes them through the town,

those rats will all still win,

because the race will pass a coffee shop,

and Mom will just pop in.

I bet those rats are training now –

they'll all be at the gym.

Whereas Mom is sat here eating cake –

if it’s a food race, then she’d win.

In light of all the things I’ve said

about Mom not running fast,

I think it’s best if she goes to work,

and forgets of racing rats.

You know what ….in that poem, I think the mom was referring to a different sort of Rat Race. I’m not sure that she was ever going to actually race rats. That said, perhaps that poem would be a great one for you to do as a drawing. It sounds like to fun to draw a picture of somebody racing rats.

Well, sadly, we have reached the end of our club time for this week. Don’t forget that there are lots of ways to join in with the club. If you go to kidspoetryclub.com, you can see the PodSnack videos for this episode and can download the episode’s PodPack of activities. They’re all free. Plus there’s information on how to send in your poems and drawings, how to send a poem into Queenie’s gray competition, and also how you can be the STAR of the episode who reads out our introduction poem. You’ll find everything you need at kidspoetryclub.com. Also, if you go to the website, you’ll see a wonderful drawing of one of this week’s poems by our Club illustrator, Dot Cherch.

It has been so lovely to spend time with you! Thank you for joining me and Gertie - I hope you enjoyed yourself, and hope you will be back for more next time the Club meets when Queenie will be popping in again to see us all. Until then, stay happy and stay rhyming ... and 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!!!

MUSIC