Update: TEENY HOUDINI won an honorable mention in the contest
It's time!
What time it is?
Valentiny time!
Here's an event I can't resist—Susanna Leonard Hill's 6th Annual Valentiny Contest. This year, kid-lit writers were invited to produce a 214 word Valentine's Day story in which someone feels brave. What a great excuse for writing a sweet rhyming tale for young readers. If there's a kid in the room with you now, please share my little story with them.
And now, weighing in at 214 words, give a round of applause for my entry—TEENY HOUDINI. Good luck to everyone participating. And thanks, Susanna, for the inspiration!
What time it is?
Valentiny time!
Here's an event I can't resist—Susanna Leonard Hill's 6th Annual Valentiny Contest. This year, kid-lit writers were invited to produce a 214 word Valentine's Day story in which someone feels brave. What a great excuse for writing a sweet rhyming tale for young readers. If there's a kid in the room with you now, please share my little story with them.
And now, weighing in at 214 words, give a round of applause for my entry—TEENY HOUDINI. Good luck to everyone participating. And thanks, Susanna, for the inspiration!
TEENY HOUDINI
In a vole hole tiny-teeny
lived a vole they called Houdini.
She was always disappearing when the neighbors happened by--
being timid, small, and shy.
She had heard that Bear was grumpy
and that Hare was awfully jumpy.
Otter badgered, Badger bothered, Jaybird jabbered—so they said.
So the vole stayed home in bed.
Through the winter, cold and snowy,
she was never bold or showy.
All alone, she practiced magic tricks that no one ever saw.
Then…the world began to thaw.
Buoyant Badger came to greet her.
Active Otter tried to meet her.
Hare and Jaybird thumped the ground and squawked, “We’ve come to pay a call.”
Friendly neighbors, one and all.
Bear (who’d once been small and worried
in a world too loud and hurried)
knew a kind and gentle word or two could ease a frightened mind.
So he made a Valentine!
Hi Houdini. We may seem to be
a scary bunch of enemies.
But we are gentle forest friends who want play and share.
Will you join us?
Love, the Bear.
Filled with magic inspiration
from that heartfelt invitation,
small Houdini started creeping out, with hat and wand and cape--
in a daring,
bold
ESCAPE!
Yes, Houdini’s tricks amazed the crowd.
She was brave!
And they were proud.
"Houdini-hip-hooray!"
In a vole hole tiny-teeny
lived a vole they called Houdini.
She was always disappearing when the neighbors happened by--
being timid, small, and shy.
She had heard that Bear was grumpy
and that Hare was awfully jumpy.
Otter badgered, Badger bothered, Jaybird jabbered—so they said.
So the vole stayed home in bed.
Through the winter, cold and snowy,
she was never bold or showy.
All alone, she practiced magic tricks that no one ever saw.
Then…the world began to thaw.
Buoyant Badger came to greet her.
Active Otter tried to meet her.
Hare and Jaybird thumped the ground and squawked, “We’ve come to pay a call.”
Friendly neighbors, one and all.
Bear (who’d once been small and worried
in a world too loud and hurried)
knew a kind and gentle word or two could ease a frightened mind.
So he made a Valentine!
Hi Houdini. We may seem to be
a scary bunch of enemies.
But we are gentle forest friends who want play and share.
Will you join us?
Love, the Bear.
Filled with magic inspiration
from that heartfelt invitation,
small Houdini started creeping out, with hat and wand and cape--
in a daring,
bold
ESCAPE!
Yes, Houdini’s tricks amazed the crowd.
She was brave!
And they were proud.
"Houdini-hip-hooray!"
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