Spring Fling Contest: Suzy’s Bracelet

Posted on April 1, 2021 by rosecappelli

I love writing contests! Maybe it’s the challenge, maybe it’s the focus, or maybe it’s just because it’s fun. Yesterday I received word that I got an honorable mention in Vivian Kirkfield’s 50 Precious Words Contest, and I was thrilled. Today I’m back at it again for the 2021 Spring Fling Kidlit contest organized by Kaitlyn Sanchez and Ciera O’Neal. Basically, it boils down to matching a story of no more than 150 words to a spring GIF (or creating your own GIF). Hope you enjoy reading it! The link to the GIF is here.

Suzy’s Bracelet (145 Words)
by Rose Cappelli

The link to the GIF is here.

Suzy skipped along, her new bracelet shimmering in the sun. What fun to celebrate spring with a picnic in the park! Before joining her friends, Suzy laid her bracelet on a bench. She couldn’t risk her treasure slipping off and getting lost or broken.

The friends raced and climbed and tumbled. When it was time to eat…

 “My bracelet!” shrieked Suzie. “It’s missing!”

Suzy checked beside the bench. She dug around the snacks in her lunch bucket and combed through the tall grass.

Her friends helped, too. Tanya overturned rocks. Billy poked in a leaf pile. Marcy rummaged under trash. Yuck!

They searched and searched and searched until…

Caw! Caw!

Was someone laughing?

Instead of looking down and through and in and under, they all looked…

up!

There, in the crabapple tree, perched two cackling crows, a nest…

and Suzy’s bracelet shimmering in the sun.

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Sharing Our Stories: The Sunset Challenge

Posted on March 20, 2021 by rosecappelli

When Ruth challenged us to write about a sunset, my mind immediately drifted back in time to one of the most magnificent sunsets I’d ever seen. It was at the end of a kayaking trip with some friends (I previously wrote about it here). The challenge was to write about the sunset without using color words and to give a sense of the season without using seasonal words.

At the End of the Day

We pulled our kayaks to shore
aware of the heron standing guard.
A gentle breeze rippled the water,
crept inside our jackets,
cooled our sweaty arms.
The sky glowed,
blushed with a sailor’s delight.
We turned to the fire in the clouds,
the embers of a perfect day
bidding farewell.

Posted in Sharing Our Stories Magic | 7 Comments

Poetry Friday: Moonbeam

Posted on March 19, 2021 by rosecappelli
Olhar Digital

One morning a few weeks ago, I was scrolling through the New York Times headlines on my phone and came across an article titled “The Moon Has a Comet-Like Tail” by Robin George Andrews. With words like “beam” and “magical” in the short preview, it sounded so poetic. In addition to being a fascinating read, I thought it might provide material for a found poem.

Moonbeam

Meteorites bombard our volcanic pearl,
cause sodium atoms to fly…
high.
A mystifying moonbeam
in twilight skies
dusts earth with dandruff,
creates curiosity…
wonder…
magic…

Thanks to Linda who has the Poetry Round Up today at Teacher Dance.

Posted in Poetry Friday | 15 Comments

Perfect Picture Book Friday: Birdsong

Posted on March 12, 2021 by rosecappelli
Amazon.com: Birdsong (9781771644730): Flett, Julie, Flett, Julie: Books

Perfect Picture Book Friday: Birdsong

Title: Birdsong

Author: Julie Flett

Illustrator: Julie Flett

Publisher: Greystone Books

Audience: Ages 4-8

Themes: seasons, nature, intergenerational friendship

Opening lines: It’s a mucky spring morning as we pack up the last of our belongings and leave our little home in the city by the sea.

I’m going to miss my friends and cousins and aunties and uncles. I’m going to miss my bedroom window and the tree outside.

Synopsis: (from the jacket flap) When a young girl moves to her new home far away from the sea, she feels lonely and out of place. But soon she meets an elderly woman next door, who shares her love of nature and art. As the seasons change, can the girl navigate the failing health of her new friend?

Why I Like This Book: I was grabbed by the lyrical language from the first page. The simple illustrations are perfect, enhancing the text but never overpowering. The words and art combine to help us feel Katherena’s loneliness and her delight in finding a new friend. I especially like how the passage of the seasons marks Katherena’s growth in dealing with her emotions and the gradual decline of her friend, Agnes.

Resources: There is a downloadable Companion Guide for Teachers and Parents on Julie Flett’s website (www.julieflett.com) that has discussion questions and many art related activities.

For a list of wonderful picture books, please visit Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books.

Posted in Picture Book Friday | 4 Comments

SOS: Catching Up

Posted on March 11, 2021 by rosecappelli

Today I’m writing a response to the invitation on Sharing Our Stories: Capture a Slice of Life.

I have a friend who isn’t able to drive long distances due to some vision issues. At one time, she was more than just a friend, she was a member of my extended family. But divorce has a way of distancing friends, and although we continue to see each other at family celebrations (pre-Covid), I had not spent a lot of time with her in, well, a very long time. But when I learned that she did not have a ride to receive her second vaccine shot at a pharmacy 80 miles away, I volunteered to drive her.

The round trip ride took three hours, and we never ran out of things to talk about – children, grandchildren, the state of the world, books, music, retirement. I had not been to her house in, well, a very long time, but today I got to meet her new kittens, Will and Grace, and see the addition she added.

Maybe there are a few silver linings in this mess of a pandemic. It was a very good day, indeed.

Posted in Sharing Our Stories Magic | 5 Comments