The other afternoon, Gracie was in a funky mood. Very restless, and she didn't want to do anything except roam around, picking on her sister because Annelie was having fun playing with who-knows-what and Gracie wasn't. Everything was boring. Everything.
When she turned her funky mood on me, and found that annoying me was exactly the hilarious fun she was looking for, I was ready to scream.
So I woo'd her with poetry.
At first she didn't want to be woo'd. Gracie is a stubborn thing most days, always resistant to whatever cool thing her totally uncool mom and dad suggest. She said poems were boring.
"Then please stop annoying me," I said. "I'm going to read this book of poems I got from the library." I pulled the book Wicked Poems off the shelf beside me and opened it up. "I'm going to read 'Matilda Who told Lies, and was Burned to Death,' by Hilaire Belloc."
Gracie tried to feign boredom, but wasn't even close to successful, so I busted out my dramatic reading voice and went to town on the clever and amusing poem.
"I'm going outside, so you can stop reading to me," Gracie informed me when I was a handful of lines in.
"Poetry is meant to be read aloud. I'm not reading for you, I'm reading for me," I said, and continued on.
She stayed for the whole thing, and then another, which happened to be:
I'm in a rotten mood today,
a really rotten mood today,
I'm feeling cross,
I'm feeling mean,
I'm jumpy as a jumping bean,
I have an awful attitude-
I'M IN A ROTTEN MOOD!
I'm in a rotten mood today,
a really rotten mood today,
I'm in a snit,
I'm in a stew,
there's nothing that I care to do
but sit all by myself and brood-
I'M IN A ROTTEN MOOD!
I'm in a rotten mood today,
a really rotten mood today,
you' better stay away from me,
I'm just a lump of misery,
I'm feeling absolutely rude-
I'M IN A ROTTEN MOOD!
~ Jack Prelutsky, "I'm in a Rotten Mood"
a really rotten mood today,
I'm feeling cross,
I'm feeling mean,
I'm jumpy as a jumping bean,
I have an awful attitude-
I'M IN A ROTTEN MOOD!
I'm in a rotten mood today,
a really rotten mood today,
I'm in a snit,
I'm in a stew,
there's nothing that I care to do
but sit all by myself and brood-
I'M IN A ROTTEN MOOD!
I'm in a rotten mood today,
a really rotten mood today,
you' better stay away from me,
I'm just a lump of misery,
I'm feeling absolutely rude-
I'M IN A ROTTEN MOOD!
~ Jack Prelutsky, "I'm in a Rotten Mood"
Of course I shouted the all-caps parts at her, because shouting poetry is undeniably awesome. Gracie's funky mood was fixed, and we've since read a whole bunch of this fun collection of poems.
My personal favorite is "Macavity: the Mystery Cat," and Gracie's fave appears to be Macbeth 's "Witch's Chant" so far. But our book is not done yet, which she's excited about. She's found her new favorite book to be read at bedtime.
9 comments:
I just finished The Rook: A Novel by Daniel O'Malley (his debut book). It's a very funny supernatural British spy thriller. I read it TWICE, back-to-back. I loved it.
Kate
The last book I read cover to cover hungrily was Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Other than that, it feels like I've just been reading the same two things in an endless loop: the book that's getting ready to go to print and the manuscript I was getting ready to send my agent. I hope soon to have time to read somebody else's book!
Kate - ooh, I haven't read a good thriller in a long time. I'll definitely check it out - and probably recommend it to my mom and Grampa who LOVE spy thrillers, too. thanks!
Dianne - ooooh, that book is on my to-read list. Now I want to read it even more! And woo, I can't wait to add YOUR new books to my to-read pile!!
I'd like to read The Rook and the book of wicked poems - actually I'd like you to read the poems to me too.
I don't have a book to recommend. My reading lately has just been series after series of stupid murder mysteries. But OMG I need the Wicked Poetry book for Olivia!! She'd get a kick out of it and it might be a better approach to her own rotten moods than just banishing her to her room.
hahaha, that's wonderful. there is something calming about the cadence of a good poem, even if you yell it out good and loud. LOL
Debbi
-yankeeburrowcreations
Oh my gosh what a fun book! And a great way to pull anyone out of a funk! :D
Oh that is awesome! I ADore poetry! And I must read that collection
Very fun!Thankfully, I am not in a snit or a stew after reading your post.
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