March 2017 – Page 3 – Polilla Writes

A couple of weeks ago Vivian Kirkfield, children’s author, mentioned her writing challenge would be starting again soon. She set it up last year for the first time and the response was so positive, and fun, she’s doing it again. If you want to enter, you have from March 2-6 to visit her website and post a link to your story on your blog or website, or if you have neither of those you can post your story on her site. GO HERE to read all about it and take part in her 50 Precious Words writing challenge.

I’m posting her guidelines here, underneath which you will find my entry. (If you are going to enter Vivian’s writing challenge, do not post your entry here, post it either on your own site or hers.)

#50 PRECIOUS WORDS WRITING CHALLENGE GUIDELINES (as found on Vivian Kirkfield’s site)

1. Write a story appropriate for kids ages 12 or under, using only 50 words…they can all be different words, or you can use some of them over and over…just as long as the total word count of the story is 50 or less.

2. It can be prose, rhyme, free verse, silly or serious…whatever works for you.

3. Title is not included in the word count.

Okay, you can count the words in my entry – exactly 50 unique words, not including the title:

Magic Rainbows

Curious eyes spy bands of colour

carried on summer breeze,

sparkling in sunshine,

floating down to magically disappear.

Another,

then more.

Furry little face pokes through grasses;

children are playing.

Poof!

Swirly rainbow globe bobs nearby.

Twitchy wet nose sniffs close,

closer,

touching the pretty thing.

POP!

Tiny soapy shower.

Let me know what you think and if you are taking the challenge, too.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂


Book: The Very Fairy Princess: 
        Sparkles in the Snow
Authors: Julie Andrews & Emma Walton Hamilton
Illustrator: Christine Davenier
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Date: October 15, 2013
Genre: children's picture book
Pages: 32
Price: $18 - $20
My rating: delightful story that will encourage young readers

The Very Fairy Princess: Sparkles in the Snow was written by mother-daughter team, the famous Julie Andrews and her accomplished daughter Emma Walton Hamilton.

Geraldine is a little girl who believes in her heart that she is a fairy princess. She wears her tiara all the time and is cheerful and helpful (most of the time) because she has a SPARKLY feeling inside.

Gerry is excited because they are having a Winter Wonderland Festival at school. The best part is the concert when she gets to sing with the chorus. She does everything she can to impress their music teacher so he will be persuaded to select her as the one to sing the solo. When he announces that there is a professional singer coming to be the soloist Gerry is very disappointed.

The day of the concert is a snowy one – just right for a Winter Wonderland – and that cheers up the fairy princess. She and her family get ready to go to the school as she warms up her voice. When they finally arrive through the storm the music teacher, Mr. Higginbottom, tells them the storm has prevented the soloist from making it to the concert. He has to make a decision. That’s when Gerry discovers she’s forgotten her shoes! (She does something very creative, which, apparently, is something the author, Julie Andrews, did as a child to remedy a similar situation.)

Here are some of Geraldine’s rules of life as a fairy princess:

try to spread joy and wonder whenever and wherever you can
take a frown and turn it upside down
always be well prepared
always be happy to lend a hand in a crisis

The Very Fairy Princess: Sparkles in the Snow is entertaining, realistic, and funny in the right places. It’s easy to read and holds the reader’s attention. Children will be encouraged to believe in themselves and to have a positive attitude. (Personally, I believe this book is especially helpful to little girls who often feel insignificant.)

The illustrations by Christine Davenier are delightful and so precisely capture the heart of the story. Through the descriptive artwork the reader is given a rounded-out view of the story so that the main character is understood even better.

You can find The Very Fairy Princess: Sparkles in the Snow by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton on my BUY THE BOOK page.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂