Don’t Snore, Snowdrops (wc 141)
“Spring! Spring! Spring!” Little Snowdrop bounces in delight. “Let’s stand tall together, bright and beautiful!”
grumble slump go Snowdrop’s siblings.
“Shush Snowdrop.”
“It’s still snowy.”
“Let us sleep!”
“There’s so much sunshine!” Snowdrop glows with happiness.
Sun is just the thing to get everyone’s stalks standing straight.
But Snowdrop’s brothers pretend they can’t hear.
“The days are warmer!” Snowdrop shivers with excitement.
When the snow melts, their white tepals will be striking.
But Snowdrop’s sisters flap their leaves to shush her.
Snowdrop flutters in frustration.
It’s not time to slouch and sleep.
Spring is the time to drink deep of the melting snow and shining sun.
Spring is the time to grow!
What to do?
Snowdrop smiles.
“If we’re not standing tall soon they might
…mow the lawn.”
eek shriek
In a blink, a wink.
shimmy shake
They all stand together.
We know that flowers have petals, but that’s not the word Snowdrop uses.
Flowers are made of several types of parts.
One part is the petal. They are usually colorful and help bees and other pollinators find the plant.
Another part is the sepal. These are usually green and protect the petals before the flower opens.
Tepal is the word for when the petals and sepals look so much alike that it’s hard to tell them apart.
Flowers that have tepals include tulips, lilies, and snowdrops.
Flowers that have colorful petals and green sepals include dandelions, roses, and strawberries.
Many thanks to Ciara O’Neal and Kaitlyn Sanchez for hosting SpringFling KidLit Contest.
The rules for the entries are that it must be for children (12 and under), inspired by and include a Spring themed gif, and 150 or fewer words. Check out everyone’s fabulously springy entries here.
Love your title, the time-lapse gif, and this sweet story about snowdrops. Great job, Katie!
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Thanks, I really enjoyed yours too – so creative!
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I love this and the title made me laugh, it really sets the voice for your story. Perfect ending! Good luck!!
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Thanks, you too!
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Fun! I love that surprise ending.
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Thanks, it was inspired by the “rogue” flowers in my yard that I make sure to avoid when it comes time to mow.
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Katie, great story! Loved the added “backmatter”! 🙂
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Thanks, I know my kids always love those little tidbits so if there’s something applicable I try to remember to add it.
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Very cute; clever Snowdrop!
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Thanks!
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Katie!
I enjoyed reading your delightful entry. I learned a new word—tepals.
All the best.
Suzy Leopold
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Thank you!
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Oh, my word! I learned something new:) How neat is that?! Loved this playful, vibrant story!
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Thanks, I had a lot of fun with it.
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Thanks for sharing this fun and inspiring story with us for Spring Fling Kidlit, and what a cool gif!
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Thank you for setting it up, it’s such a great community building experience!
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Such a complete and compelling story! Love how you incorporated so many elements in so few words. Also, wonderful explanation about the difference between petals and tepals. Yay backmatter !
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Thanks! I love backmatter, so if there’s a reasonable tie-in I take the opportunity.
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I had never heard of tepals before. Thanks for teaching something new in a sweet story!
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Thank you. We were studying plant parts fairly recently and so when I was hunting through spring gifs, this one stood out to me.
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Love the story and the back matter. The solution for Snowdrop was perfect! Good luck. (And I couldn’t help but notice the double entendre of your reply to the last post. :-))
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Thanks!
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Hi Katie! I love your ode to these hearty early flowers and Snowdrop trying to get her siblings to stand tall. The additional science you added here on your blog is a nice bonus, too. Thank you for commenting on Wiggle Room! Good luck this spring!
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Thanks, and I’m glad the comment went through (my browser kept glitching when I tried to comment.)
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Sweet story!
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Thanks!
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Love Snowdrop’s growth mindset. What a positive little flower. The back matter is so interesting too. Good luck, Katie!
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I don’t know if the plant growth pun was intended, but it’s certainly appreciated. Thank you, and good luck to you too!
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Love the humor here. With seven kids, this reminded me a lot of trying to snap a picture with them. Bwhahaha! Love the backmatter.
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Thank you, and thanks for hosting this fun event!
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This is lovely!
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Thanks!
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