Congratulations! Way to Go!
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This book is about different words used to congratulate someone
for reaching milestones in life and doing AWESOME things!
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You are amazing And we think you should know it. Be proud of yourself. It’s grand that you show it.
Did you finish your homework?
Or grow another inch?
Or jump off the high-dive
And not even flinch?
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You make us smile.
You are SO great!
It’s truly wonderful
You had a first date!
We’d say, “That’s delicious!”
If you’re learning to cook.
And it’s simply splendiferous
When you finish a book.
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You may have graduated
Or invented something quite grand
Or bought your first house
Or made a puppet with your hand.
You may have taught a class
Or earned a black belt in judo.
It’s all so remarkable,
To which we say, “Kudos!”
Congrats on losing,
If you lost some weight.
Congrats on winning,
If a fish took your bait.
Did you lose your first tooth?
Or learn to ride a bike?
Or get your first apartment?
Or finish a long hike?
“Splendid!” we’d say
For reaching first base.
And you look quite beautiful
When there’s a smile on your face.
Did you retire
Or fly a huge kite?
When you throw a ball,
It’s simply outta’ sight!
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You may win or lose.
We’re proud all the same.
You’re such a good sport
When you play a game.
It never matters
How old you are
When you learn to ride horses
Or drive a car.
We’re excited to hear
You got an “A” on a test
Or learned to play cards
Or checkers or chess.
Winning a footrace
Is not something we’ve all done.
But we’ve run many races
And we’ve had lots of fun.
Sometimes we’re last
And sometimes we win.
But we'd never do either
If we never begin.
Did you learn a new dance?
Like the polka or jerk
Or waltz or two-step
Or moonwalk or twerk?
Did you pay your taxes?
Did you fall in love?
Did you find some money
Or that missing glove?
Maybe you learned to
Button a button or tie your shoe
Or do a cartwheel or a headstand.
We’d say, “Good for you!”
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... and more!
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Dad is not a Gander, Mom is not a Goose
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This book is about the different names for males, females, babies,
and groups of animals (and some insects).
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There is something quite silly I've found.
I'll try right here to explain.
Not all female or mother animals,
Are called by the same name.
The males and the babies
Have different names, too.
I don't know whose job
Making up names was to do.
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My mom is called a lady,
My dad is called a man,
I'm called a little kid,
And I'll tell you what I can.
And males are called "men".
But, a male turkey is a "tom",
And a female is a "hen".
Or in an audience of squid,
All groups of animals have
Males and females and kids.
Could be in a herd of moose or buffalo,
Or bank of Komodo Dragons,
Or tower of giraffes, you know.
Human females are called "women",
Whether in a romp of otter,
Calves and cows and bulls,
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They could be in a drove of ox,
Or herd of gazelle or gnu,
Or herd of yak or gang of elk,
Or memory of elephants, too,
Or pod of walrus or crash of rhinos,
Or caravan of camels in the sand,
Or pod of porpoise, dolphins or whales,
Thunder of hippos or flamingo chicks in a stand.
Well, my dad is not a gander.
My mom is not a goose.
And I am not a gosling,
In a gaggle on the loose.
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My mom is not a ewe.
Dad is not a ram.
We are not sheep in a mob, drove or flock,
And I am not a lamb.
Babies may be owlets or shrewlets,
Snakelets, toadlets or froglets,
Ostrich or dinosaur hatchlings,
Or wormlets, eaglets or hoglets.
We could be in a barrel of monkeys,
Or in a mischief of mice,
Or a waddle of penguins,
Or flutter of butterflies.
We could be a family of sardines or beavers,
Cabinet of wren or a jellyfish smack,
Or a colony of weasels or frogs,
Or jackals or wolves in a pack.
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... and more!
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Rocks Never Sleep
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This book is about being valuable and very good at what you do.
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I live outside
And I sit in the sun
And in the rain and the snow.
That might not seem like fun.
I stay very still.
I sit in one place.
I can’t smile or frown
‘Cuz I don’t have a face.
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I don’t wish I could hum.
I don’t wish I could sing.
I don’t have a brain,
So I don’t wish anything.
I can’t skate in a rink.
Put me in water
And I will just sink.
I don’t have a skateboard.
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I can’t blow bubbles.
I can’t run or play.
I just sit here and sit here,
Day after day.
I’m kind of rough,
Gray, black, white and pink.
I never take baths
‘Cuz I never stink.
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Rocks never sleep
So I don’t have a bed
And I don’t need a pillow
‘Cuz I don’t have a head.
I don’t run around.
I can’t ride a bike
And without legs,
I can’t go for a hike.
Now this all might seem
Like I’m a big useless lump
But this big rock on a hill
Is a quite useful bump.
No, I might not look
Or even act like you,
But I have an important
Job that I do.
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... and more!
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Call Me 'Your Majesty'
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This book is all about our wonderful cats.
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I come from a long line
Of kings and queens
So call me “Your Majesty”.
That’s appropriate, it seems.
I know how to rule.
That comes naturally.
This house is my kingdom
I know you agree.
It’s really quite fun
Being a cat
And the boss of everything.
You can’t beat that.
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I stay snug on my throne.
I know that you thought
That chair was yours,
But, really, it’s not.
I am a watcher.
I like to watch you.
I am most curious
To see what you do.
I watch when you’re reading
And when you eat.
I watch you on the toilet
When you take a seat.
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Maybe you’re wondering
How I got up there.
It’s my most favorite place
To just sit and stare.
Of course I can get down
When I climb high in a tree.
But it’s easier if a fireman
Will come rescue me.
Yes, cats are for napping.
We do that the best.
After all of our thinking,
We need the rest.
It may look like I’m sleeping
And feeling no strife,
But, I’m actually planning
The rest of your life
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I let you settle in your chair
When you want to read
And then I’ll jump up
And take the space that I need.
I’ll bring you mice
And I’ll bring you bugs
And maybe a snake
In trade for a hug.
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I stay off of the counters
When you are at home.
But when you are gone,
They’re mine to roam.
I love to hear
Your voice when you call
But the can opener sound
Is my most favorite of all.
I love to eat.
Stinky fish is so good.
My meow is to tell you,
“Hurry up with my food!”
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... and more!
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Important Things About Camping
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This book is about camping- all of the truth and only the truth!
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We’re packing the car to go camping.
My friend is going, also.
This is her first time camping.
I will tell her things she should know.
There are important things about camping
For which I must prepare you.
It’s quite a bit different than staying at home
And you’ll be smiling when we are through.
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If something is tickling your leg,
Like maybe it’s crawled up your pants,
Check, ‘cuz you’re probably standing
On a hill belonging to ants.
Don’t stand up in the canoe,
Like sometimes you can in a boat
And always wear the life vest
So if you fall out, you’ll float.
If you accidentally drop the paddle
When we’re far away from the shore,
We can row really fast to get it.
We’ve done that two times before.
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So we don’t pick the flowers or plants.
We stay on the paths when we roam.
We keep safe distance from wildlife
And remember we’re guests in their home.
When it’s time to get ready for bed,
I wear my regular clothes
Because changing into pajamas
Is really just way too cold.
We don’t need to set the alarm.
When it is time to awake,
We get out of the tent when the sun heats it up.
We can’t stay in or we’ll bake.
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... and more!
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The Day of the Box
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This book is about adventures in imagination.
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What a treasure I found
In my yard today,
A great big box
With which I could play.
Anything I thought of,
This box would be,
Anything that I wanted,
Anything just for me.
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First I climbed up a mountain
With walking stick in hand
And from the top of the peak
I looked down on the land.
Then the box was my wagon
To which I hooked up my horse.
That horse really was
My dog Rufus, of course.
We caught fish with a rod,
Saw dolphins and whales
And even a sea serpent
And other ships with big sails.
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... and more!
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If I Were a Dragon and You Wanted Cake
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This book is about friends and being together.
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If I were a dragon
And you wanted cake,
I'd blow fire on some batter
And that cake would bake.
If you rained and rained,
When you were done,
I’d be the rainbow
That came out with the sun.
If you were a bird
And I were a nest,
I'd be the place
You'd want to rest.
And if I were music,
You'd be a drum
So we'd play together
And people would hum.
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If you were a dog
And I were a stick,
You could chase after me
And then do a trick.
If you were a stream
And I were a fish,
You'd flow and I'd swim
To wherever we wished.
If we both had
The same father and mother,
We’d be related,
We’d be sisters or brothers.
If you were an elephant
And I were a mouse,
We both wouldn’t fit
In my tiny house.
If you were the earth
And I were a star,
I’d shine down on you
From above really far.
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... and more!
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One Ant Can't
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Just be a Kid
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Stress and worries disappear when we remember to be a kid.
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“Just be a kid,”
My kid said to me.
“You’re becoming quite cranky.
That’s no way to be.”
“Get up. Go outside.
Go lay in the sun.
Do you even remember
How to have fun?”
So, I put down the paper
And pen on the table.
“Can I really have fun?
Do you think I am able?” |
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“You’ve been locked up
Inside for awhile.
We’ll start slow with a walk
Until you can smile.”
“Next, we’ll run up that hill.
After that, we’ll roll down
And laugh at the bottom
While our heads spin around.”
“You could chew bubble gum,
Find that kid inside you.
If that doesn’t work,
You can always chew two.” |
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“Fit in some time
As through life you go.
Take an hour in a boat.
We both can row.”
“Do something you used to
Before being grown up.
Ride roller coasters
And try not to throw up.”
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“But, what really helps
My brain in a muddle
It’s after a rain
Jumping in a mud puddle.”
“If it’s too hot out,
We could go to the museum
And the animals at the zoo, well,
We could go see ‘em.” |
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... and more!
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Tell Me a Story
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It's hard to decide which story you'd like to hear.
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Please tell me a story,
Any story, any kind.
I love them all,
I think you will find.
I like them all,
Both short and long.
You can just say the words
Or sing me a song.
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Long as a movie
Or a short nursery rhyme,
I’ll stay here and listen.
I have the time.
Will it be about you
When you were a child
And walked uphill both ways
To school for ten miles?
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Maybe you’ll tell me
Of earths turning ‘round
And the stars and the planets
And the suns they surround.
Will there be a moral?
Will it teach me a lesson?
Will it be a mystery,
Always keepin’ me guessin’?
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So, will it have animals?
How about a pig?
Or maybe an ant
Who wants to be big.
Or could it have
A bug or a lake
Or buildings or rockets
Or just one snowflake? |
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... and more!
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Perfectly Me
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This book is about being perfectly oneself and that is exactly right.
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There is a big castle
With a King and a Queen
And the most beautiful plants
All around could be seen.
As tall as the sky
Stood a majestic Oak tree
And in the dirt underneath it
Was a little brown seed. |
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The seed lay in the Oak’s
Shade from the sun,
Wondering and wondering
What it would become.
“Oh, my!” gasped the seed.
“I could grow tall like you
And give shade to others,
Just like you do.”
The Oak said, “We’re all
Important as can be,
Whether giving or taking
The shade from a tree."
“Does my root look like yours?”
Said the seed to the Oak
As it pushed out its stem,
Through the dirt it did poke.
The Oak answered, “That’s a strong stem
And a superb-looking root.
Whatever you are,
You’re perfectly you."
“Grow tall or grow short,
Be flowers of blue,
Or a tree or a bush
But be perfectly you.”
"However you grow,
Whatever you do,
You'll be awesome and special
And perfectly you!"
Said the Oak, "When you're ready,
You’ll know what to do.
You’ll see the plan
Will be perfectly you." |
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The seed said, “I’ll do what I can
And not what I can’t.
Maybe not more
Than turn seed into plant."
This new plant grew more stems
With buds, roots and leaves,
Hoping to be a great Oak
If it just believed.
Just then at the castle
The queen said to the king,
“Tonight to our party,
What flowers should I bring?“
"They need to be special
And perfect and rare,
Flowers no-one has seen
Around anywhere.”
And the King said, “Let’s go
For a walk. You may find
Something quite like
What you have in mind.”
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Her Stripes are Purple
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There's a stranger in town who lends a lesson in differences and acceptance.
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Her stripes were purple
Our stripes are green.
With a strange hat on her head,
Hair could not be seen.
“We can’t understand her.
She’s not from around here.
She does not look like us.
And her clothes are quite queer.”
“Maybe she’ll hurt us.”
Another did say.
“We don’t want her here.
She MUST leave today."
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With tears in her eyes
She gave a slight bow.
I wanted to help,
But I didn’t know how.
Then our own Mayor Jane
Stepped into the crowd
And said, “Stop all this trouble!”
In a voice really loud.
She looked at us all
And then into each face
And said, “Not everyone here
Is from the same place.”
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She said, “It’s easy to say
How I think you should be.
It’s easy to say
You should be just like me.”
“We all like sweet people
But what really is tough
Is loving them also
When they're acting up".
"If we only liked dogs
And cowboy hats,
Who’d wear the caps
And who’d love the cats?"
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“You think how you think.
You do what you do.
What if nobody here
Had ever liked you?”
“We mustn’t be rude
Or ready to fight.
Try being respectful.
Try being polite.”
“We don’t all agree
Berry cake is the best.
With all the cakes in the world,
Who’d eat the rest?” |
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“If you only liked green
As much as I do,
Who’d buy the red ties
Or ones that are blue?”
“Include this stranger.
It’s in our best interest.
See how we’re the same,
Not how we are different.”
“If we only liked baseball,
Who’d play other sports?
If we only like long pants,
Who’d wear all the shorts?” |
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”You can always find people
With whom you agree
Or who think they know best
Of how others should be.”
“If we were all doctors,
Who’d be a teacher?
Who’d take care of kids?
Who’d be a preacher?”
“Love one another.
That’s easy to say,
But hard to remember
When I don’t get my way.” |
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”We all make mistakes.
We all fight and bawl.
It’s what we do after
That matters most of all.”
“We all have the same feelings.
Inside, we’re the same.
To not treasure our difference,
That would be a shame.”
“Trust without reason
Is a brave thing to do.
That’s exactly how we
Make friends that are new.” |
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Just be a Dog
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Our dog reminds us how to live a good life!
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“Just be a dog,”
My dog said to me,
“It isn’t so hard
To be happy, you see.”
“You’ll get what you need.
There is nothing to fear.
The best of the best
Is already here.”
“To be like your gerbil
All day on a wheel,
Exhausted and cranky
Is what you will feel.”
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“See, it wouldn’t be good
To be like your cat,
Waiting all day
For a stroke or a pat.”
“If a kiss and a hug
Is good for you,
Nuzzle up to your people.
They need one, too.”
“Your people are here
For loving, that’s all.
Climb right in their lap
If you are still small.”
“Don’t wait for others
To give you your joy.
If you want to play,
Get out your own toy.”
“Just do what I do.
I really won’t mind.
We’re meant to be happy,
This you will find.”
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“Work hard, but remember,
Take time to play,
For all that you have
Is just this one day.”
“Sleep on the couch,
Snooze by the door,
Move to the bed, then,
Try out the floor.”
“Lay in the sun
If you need a rest.
Curl up on the rug
By the fire- that’s best.”
“Enjoy the whole world
When you’re out on a walk,
Whether hours and miles
Or just for a block.”
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“Find wondrous sights,
Inhale the great smells.
The world is amazing,
With a tale to tell!”
“Whenever you do
Something awful, well, then,
Be very sorry
And don’t do it again.”
“Be quick to forget
You’ll miss out on fun
If you’re always mad.”
“The very best happens
When you’re loyal and true.
Then people and love
Are all around you.” |
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There's a Bug in the Car
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Join us on our trip in the car with a bug as a passenger!
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There's a bug in the car
On the seat beside me.
Is he travelling around
To new places to see?
Did he catch a ride?
Is he just going along?
Do bugs even know
When they don’t belong?
Or maybe they do
Belong everywhere
Because they crawl, hop and slither
And can fly in the air.
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Can he read the signs
That are up ahead?
If he’s never been there,
Will he know what he’s read?
Where is he going?
Did he tell his mother?
Will he phone when he gets there?
Is he meeting his brother?
What if he needs
Something to eat?
Will he find crumbs
Under the seat?
Is his sister here, too?
Is she hiding somewhere?
Because I feel something
Moving up in my hair. |
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Do you think he threw
His suitcase in the back?
Did he pack a clean shirt
And maybe a snack?
What if he finds
He hates where we’re going?
Will he hop on a boat
And try out some rowing?
Now he’s decided
To climb on Dad’s hat.
Is he helping him drive
Or just reading the map?
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I hope he is not
A bug who will bite
Or lay a bug egg
When out of sight.
If this kind of bug
Lives just one day,
It’s a really good thing
We’re almost half-way.
He’s really quite smart
Riding with us.
Sometimes it’s faster
Than taking the bus.
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... and more!
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Scud the Dog
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This is a true story about a puppy rescued by a Marine in a war.
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My people are scared.
They run and they call.
They’re packing their things,
As the bombs fall.
I can’t find my mom.
She’s out herding the sheep.
She’s one of the dogs
My people keep.
I hear a man say,
“We can’t carry that pup.
He can’t come with us.
He just won’t keep up.”
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I tried to follow,
But I can’t run that fast.
I sat there & watched them,
Through the desert they passed.
The sounds hurt my ears,
The air fills with smoke,
My eyes are both burning,
I’m starting to choke.
A bomb fell right by
Where I decided to sit.
I flew through the air,
Landing in a deep pit.
Afraid and trembling,
I curled up in a ball
And stayed in that crater
‘til the bombs did not fall. |
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Then all was silent.
There was nothing to hear,
Until a calm voice
Softly spoke in my ear.
“New people are coming.
They come to get you.
You’ll not herd sheep.
You’ve a new job to do.”
“This work you are given
Will be fun, you will find.
You’re perfectly suited.
I know you won’t mind.”
“Marines are now driving
Down this dirt road.
Your job is to help them
Remember their home.
They’re far, far away
From those they hold dear
And some have forgotten
How to hold loved ones near.
Shrapnel and sand
Were all over me.
I tried to climb out,
But it made my paws bleed.
So I cried and I barked
And hoped they would hear.
Their trucks kept on coming.
They were very near.
“Stop the truck!” the man shouted,
“There’s a dog. He sounds hurt.”
He slid down in the crater and
Tucked me in his shirt. |
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Back in the truck,
I was so happy they’d come!
He looked down in my eyes
And thought of his home.
His heart beat some faster,
As when love makes them do.
It was right at that moment,
My big job, I knew.
The men then decided
I needed a name,
So out of the bombings,
“Scud”, I became.
Memories of home,
Good, bad and all,
People and feelings,
I made them recall.
Against regulations,
As no dogs should they keep,
In an old ammo crate,
In the day, I did sleep.
And it smelled just like heaven
By his feet, at the end
Of his sleeping bag, where,
The nights I did spend.
I loved my new person.
I stayed right by his side.
Whenever he left me,
I sat there and cried.
I loved chewing boots
And destroying shoe laces.
How excited this got them!
They made great funny faces! |
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With cuddles we brought back
Their family scenes.
What marshmallow hearts
Had these big tough Marines.
We played fetch with a shoe
And shared MRE bags.
My favorite, by far,
Was the ham and eggs.
Trust and care of each other,
So fragile we’d be.
Sometimes I was teacher,
At times they taught me.
32 missions
Along I did travel,
And 1,000 miles
As the war did unravel. |
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... and more!
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Just Make a Plan
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Sometimes a plan helps when something seems too hard to do.
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Last week my friend came to my house
And brought a cute little fuzzy gray mouse.
Now my friend came to get
This little toy pet
I’ve lost it and I feel like a louse!
This little mouse is missing
In my mess-of-a-room, I am guessing.
Stuff is lying around
I can’t see the ground
And cleaning it up seems depressing!
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It could be just anywhere…
Under my bed, by the door or on a chair.
There’s no time to delay-
Wish I had put it away!
Oh, I could just pull out my hair!
If I find the mouse today,
Everything will be OK.
This problem, you see,
I can fix- only me.
But I have to get going right away.
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I need a plan to begin
To clean up this mess I am in.
I'll start with this pile
And then make an aisle.
With this stack right here, I’ll dive in.
I’d rather have a maid who'd stay
And clean my room each day.
But maids cost a lot
And money, I haven’t got.
‘Sides I don’t know how much to pay.
I’d get a maid if I had cash.
‘Cause under beds maids NEVER stash
Broken crayons, torn socks,
Old cookies, smashed blocks.
Maids throw away all that trash.
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A million dollars would sure help right now.
Then I’d get a maid, here’s how…
I’d put a sign on a tree
“Clean my room with me.”
Oooh, I stepped on a green jack! OH, OWWW!
Oh, if I had lots of dough
I’d buy a huge house and yard to mow.
It would have seven floors
With thirty-three doors
And five staircases- one just for show.
In one room I’d put dolls and cars,
In another, my bugs kept in jars.
One room I would use
For favorite things I would choose,
Like a telescope for looking at Mars.
My bedroom would be one whole floor.
On that floor there’d be no door
‘Cause we’d need lots of room
For skateboards to zoom
And bike-riding and skipping and more.
I would buy my sister a TV
And she’d let me in her room to see
Movies every day
And then we would play.
Or she might lock me out with her key.
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For my brother, I’d buy a huge bed
So he’d never fall out on his head.
It’s a trampoline, too,
We’d jump on – WOO-HOO!‘
Til the bottoms of our feet turn bright red.
Money and maids I do know,
Won’t help this problem to go.
For this problem is mine.
I can fix it this time.
Sometimes you do things alone.
Doing things that are hard to do.
When there’s no-one to help you, but you,
I just make up my mind
And again I will find
Even the hard things I really can do.
Maybe I have too much stuff.
But when is enough… enough?
I guess it would be…
When over piles you can’t see
And when finding things gets pretty tough.
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Crawling on knees and hands
Is the first clean-up plan.
Next I will clear
This tall stack right here
‘Cause eight feet is how high it stands.
Looking around while I creep.
My favorite shirt’s by the ant farm I keep!
There's the book that I got
From my Great Great Aunt Dot
And the pillow I use when I sleep! |
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Fisher Dickens Coloring Book
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The Fisher Dickens coloring book
contains pictures from all of my books.
(Previously not available online!)
These little books are specially made
so that the pages tear out easily
for sharing!
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