Thank you to Kaitlyn Sanchez & Ciara O'Neal for hosting the #springflingkidlit writing contest and to all the contest prize donors. Time and time again I am in awe at the generosity of the kidlit writing community.
RAINY DAY TREASURE
By Ellen Meeks
Lola and Luke slide on their boots.
The rainy spring weather left them a treasure.
Puddles!
Lola stomps. Luke jumps.
Splashing,
sloshing
and. . .
“STOP!”
Lola pulls two worms up from the puddle.
“Ms. Doro taught my class about worms. They’ll die on the sidewalk.”
“But where do we put them?” Luke says.
Lola knows.
In the tulips.
"Did you know worms eat dead roots and leaves, then POOP them out to make new dirt?”
“Whoa! We live on a world of worm poop?”
Back and forth,
from puddles to plants.
“Put those worms by the cherry tree. When worms dig holes, air gets to the roots,” Lola says.
Dripping palms tickle from slimy wiggles.
The worm rescuers can’t hold in their giggles.
Lola and Luke lower their chins to the dirt and watch the worms dig down.
Luke says, “The rainy day brought us more than one treasure.”
A HUGE shout out to Allison Strick for creating this custom GIF for me. I won getting a custom GIF in a twitter lottery.
I screamed when I saw I won.
Then I cried when I saw the image she created from the story I wrote. This is the first time I've had anyone illustrate my work.
Check out more of her amazing art at https://www.allisonstrick.com/
I gotta send some love to my CP's (you know who you are.) I fiddled with the story, created different versions, and tweaked lines. They were always willing to take another look and give feedback.
I found a lot of joy in writing this. I wanted to create characters that had agency and used their knowledge and teamwork to improve the world around them- even if their world is just the size of their backyard.
The kids started out thinking they would just be playing in the puddles, but then found some worms that needed help. They changed their plans and got to work.
Kids have power to do seemingly small things, but they are building the habit of doing good. That habit will lead to greater things each time. I write for the kids. They inspire me.