JUST-SO FUN AND FACTS

by Jacqueline Jules

The Elephant’s Child, Rudyard Kipling’s wonderful just-so story is a staple of children’s literature. Children never fail to be amused by this zany explanation for why the elephant has such a long trunk. They also love retellings of why the chipmunk has stripes or why the zebra has stripes.

Personally, as an avid bird lover, I have always been fascinated by traditional tales about why each bird species has such distinctive feathers. There are tales from around the world depicting a time when birds were naked and not at all happy about it.  “How Buzzard Got His Feathers” from the Iroquois is a famous one. There are also stories of birds who borrowed or stole feathers from other birds. Authors often take a pinch from one story and a pinch from another to create something entirely new. And that’s what I did when I decided to write an explanation for why the peacock has such amazing plumage.   

In Feathers for Peacock, I dispute the old saying, “Proud as a peacock.” Is the peacock really boastful or vain? Peahens, the female of the peafowl species, like males with flashy colors. When the peacock displays his feathers in a giant fan, he is trying to catch a wife so he can become a daddy. Is that so wrong? In my mind, the peacock got a bad rap. He is no more boastful than a bat is blind. Besides, how could I write a just-so story saying that the peacock was awarded a gorgeous appearance as some kind of punishment? Wouldn’t that be counter to all sense of fairness?

In Feathers for Peacock, the poor peacock arrives late on the day all the other birds receive their warm colorful feathers. No one had remembered to invite him to the party. Peacock is left shivering and crying. When his friends see the mistake, the community responds humanely, and Peacock, rather than being an example of vanity, becomes an example of generosity and kindness.

Ask your students to brainstorm sayings about animals such as “slow as a snail,” “fast as a cheetah,” “lazy as a sloth.” Afterward, challenge them to write a story about how that animal behavior came to be. Encourage your students to be critical thinkers and research if the adage is actually true. For example, “Blind as a bat.”

Choosing a distinctive trait of an animal and explaining why it came to be in a story is a fun exercise for writers of any age. Go one step further the way I did in Feathers for Peacock and ask your students to add a nonfiction addendum called Fun Facts About (whatever animal the story is about).

Animal stories provide a perfect opportunity for creative thinking and research.

Happy Writing!

www.jacquelinejules.com

  

IF YOU COULD FLY ON A GIANT BIRD

by Jacqueline Jules

In my picture book, Princess and the Ziz, a princess flies all over the world on the back of a giant yellow bird.  The Princess and the Ziz is my own retelling of a very old Rapunzel tale involving King Solomon’s daughter who was rescued from a tower by a giant yellow bird called the Ziz.

During author visits, I often challenge young writers to imagine what it would be like to ride on the back of a giant bird. Where would you want to go? I’ve had many lively discussions with students about where they would like to go if they could ride in the air with a bird. While some students say the Bahamas, Disney World, or some other vacation spot, others tell me they’d like to visit grandparents or other relatives. One student told me she would like to fly over the rainbow with a giant bird. Now wouldn’t that make a good story!

Once a destination has been decided, students can brainstorm what they would see. If you are flying over Antartica, you might see penguins and snow. If you are flying over the jungle, you would see lots of greenery. Ask younger students to describe the scene in as much detail as possible. Older students could combine this writing exercise with geographic research. For example: If you were flying over Egypt, you would see pyramids. What else?

From there, students should consider what they would hear on their journey through the air. On the back of a bird, not enclosed the way you are in an airplane, you would hear the wind and the flapping of wings. Could you describe that? If you were flying over a city, you would hear the noise of traffic and building construction. What would that sound like? This could be an opportunity to encourage your students to use onomatopoeia. Students could make up their own words to imitate what they might hear from way up in the sky.

Finally, how would it feel to be in the sky on the back of a giant bird. Would you be frightened or excited? Would it be chilly? Would the ride be smooth or bumpy?

Visit my website for a writing template  to use in your primary classrooms.

The Princess and the Ziz is certainly not the only book which depicts a character flying in the sky via a giant bird. In Roald Dahl’s The Minpins, Little Billy flies around the world having adventures on the back of a giant swan. Fairy tales also depict characters riding on the backs of birds. Thumbelina in the story by Hans Christian Andersen flies on the back of a swallow.

Ask your students to write their own story about a character flying with the help of a friendly bird. Imaginations and feathers can soar through the clouds. Happy Flying!

www.jacquelinejules.com 

WRITING POURQUOI STORIES

by Alexis York Lumbard

When I stumbled upon the fable Why Trees Lose Their Leaves in an old collection of Native American stories, I hadn’t yet developed an appreciation for the pourquoi form.  As many of you know, a pourquoi tale is a specific kind of fable, one that explains “why” or “how” something in the natural world came to be.

According to the old storytellers, the reason deciduous trees lose their leaves each winter is that long ago a poor sparrow injured his wing and couldn’t migrate with his family as winter approached.  Seeking shelter from the cold, sparrow hobbled from tree to tree begging for help.  Only Pine, who has the least to offer, shows compassion.  For this reason Pine alone remains green against the snow, evergreen evermore.  The bareness of trees, according to this pourquoi fable, reminds us how terribly empty selfishness can be.  Thanks to this pourquoi story, I now view the winter landscape in a fresh and thoughtful light.

Seeing with an eye of wonder is what children do best. Why does a chameleon change color? Why is the sky blue? Why do zebras have strips?  Ask a child such questions and you will see their bright eyes widen with possibility.  Many will whip up hilarious answers. The more fun something is, the more inclined children are to do it. This exercise will show them how fun creative writing can be. 

 Creative Writing with Pourquoi Stories—Five Easy Steps

1)    Define the Genre-Pourquoi stories are traditional stories that explain “how” or “why” something in nature came to be.

2)    Read Several Examples—There are many traditional African and Native American pourquoi stories.  Ashley Bryan has several, so too does Joseph Bruchac. 

3)    Review the Three-Act Structure—Pourquoi tales generally share a few common characteristics.  Firstly, they begin “a long time ago.” Secondly, someone misbehaves.  This someone is often an animal and their bad behavior causes problems for everyone.  Thirdly, a higher being or magic force steps in to solve the problem, punishing the naughty animal by changing forever their outer appearance.

4)    Animal Selection-Ask the children to chose an animal to write about. They may choose any animal that arouses their curiosity. 

5)    Pen Your Own Pourquoi--Ask your kids to use all the creative powers they can muster to come up with an imaginative explanation for why their animal looks they way it does.  Make sure they follow the 3 Act Structure.  Perhaps the will enjoy acting out or illustrating their new fables.  If there is time, they might enjoy comparing their explanation with a scientific one.

I hope this exercise gives everyone a good laugh!

 

Alexis York Lumbard grew up in Northern Virginia where she eventually received a B.A. in Religious Studies from George Washington University.  She currently lives in Natick, Massachusetts with her husband, three daughters, two hairless cats and a book-eating bunny rabbit.  She has five picture books with Wisdom Tales Press including, The Conference of the Birds, Angels, Everyone Prays: Celebrating Faith Around the World, Pine and the Winter Sparrow, and the upcoming, When the Animals Saved Earth.  For more about her work please see www.alexisyorklumbard.com