Who Can Resist a Puffin? A Poem, Book ‘n Website

Babies, chocolate and puppies are hard to resist. So are puffins – that rotund black and white seabird with expressive eyes and mango-colored feet and bill. In fact, my girls’ favorite poem while growing up featured a muffin-shaped puffin.

“There Once Was a Puffin” by Florence Page Jaques is best recited with a lilting  voice, a staccato cadence and lots of enthusiasm. We even incorporated some exaggerated breathing.

But, no matter how you choose to interpret it, “There Once Was a Puffin”  is a great poem to memorize and recite in unison. We still quote snippets of it when having tea, eating pancakes or even when we’re feeling blue.

There Once Was a Puffin

Oh, there once was a Puffin
Just the shape of a muffin,
And he lived on an island
In the bright blue sea!

He ate little fishes,
That were most delicious,
And he had them for supper
And he had them for tea.

But this poor little Puffin,
He couldn’t play nothin’,
For he hadn’t anybody
To play with at all.

So he sat on his island,
And he cried for awhile, and
He felt very lonely,
And he felt very small.

Then along came the fishes,
And they said, “If you wishes,
You can have us for playmates,
Instead of for tea!”

So they now play together,
In all sorts of weather,
And the Puffin eats pancakes,
Like you and like me.

If you want to learn more about this colorful “clown of the sea,” read “Puffins” by author Colleen Sexton on the Big Universe picture book website. Published by Bellwether Media, “Puffins” is among the Level 2 Blastoff! Readers series book selections for beginners. Level 2 offers early readers simple sentences, but with more text and less repetition of high-frequency words than the series’ Level 1 books.

Puffinpalooza.com also provides vivid pictures  of this cartoonish creature, as well as lots of facts and teacher resources, including lesson ideas, coloring sheets, vocabulary lists and a crossword puzzle. You will find two additional puffin poems on the website’s poem page.

* Photo credit: Tom Curtis/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Kid-Friendly Poems for Valentine’s Day

February and poetry go together like butter and bread. Valentine’s Day poems are especially appealing to elementary children if they are funny and read out loud. Other interactive poetry grabs attention and helps channel pent-up wiggles on these wintry days.

Poetry provides a valid link to literacy. According to Ontario’s Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat website:

1.  Poetry awakens our senses, helps us make connections to others, and leads us to think in synthesizing ways, as required by the use of metaphor.
2. Paying attention to the language and rhythms of poetry helps build oral language skills.
3. Children with well-developed oral language skills are more likely to have higher achievement in reading and writing.

 Some Valentine’s Day poems to get you started.

 I Love You More Than Applesauce

By Jack Prelutsky

I love you more than applesauce,
Than peaches and a plum,
Than chocolate hearts,
And cherry tarts,
And berry bubble-gum.

I love you more than lemonade,
And seven-layer cake,
Than lollipops,
And candy drops,
And thick vanilla shake.

I love you more than marzipan,
Than marmalade on toast;
For I love pies
Of any size,
But I love you the most.

Veggie Valentine

- Author Unknown

You may not “carrot” all for me

The way I care for you

You may “turnip” your nose

When I plead with you

But if your heart should “beet” with mine

Forever “lettuce” hope

There is no reason in the world

Why we two “cantaloupe.”

Making Valentines
- Author Unknown
In February, what shall I do?
I’ll make some valentines for you.
The first will have a cupid’s face;
The second will be trimmed with lace.
The third will have some roses pink;
The fourth will have a verse in ink.
The fifth will have a ribbon bow;
The sixth will glisten like the snow.
The seventh will have some lines I drew;
The eighth, some flowers – just a few.
The ninth will have three little birds;
The tenth will have three little words:
I LOVE YOU!

My Valentine Heart
- Author Unknown

 When I say I love you                       (Point to lips)
It comes from my heart                    (Hand on heart)
You hear it in your ear                      (Point to ear)
And it sounds very smart                 (Point to head)
I love it when you’re proud of me (Stand real tall)
You say it all day long                        (Stretch arms wide)
And when I hear you say it              (Point to ear)
My heart sings a merry song           (Hand on heart)

I Made My Dog a Valentine

By Jack Prelutsky

I made my dog a valentine,

she sniffed it very hard,

then chewed on it a little while

and left it in the yard.

I made one for my parakeets,

a pretty paper heart,

they pulled it with their claws and beaks

until it ripped apart.

I made one for my turtle,

all he did was get it wet,

I wonder if a valentine

is wasted on a pet.

If you are looking for additional Valentine’s Day literature ideas, check out this extensive bibliography aimed at the elementary-age child – courtesy of the LRC/Sivia Center in Gainesville, Fla. Other illustrated poems for kids can be found in the poetry section on the children’s picture books website Big Universe.