Below is the second installment of the silly stories my students and I co-constructed. They provide the characters, setting, and problem and I wrap it all together while also practicing my own picture book writing. Two for the price of one! Enjoy!
Owl Surprise
A rainbow of leaves decorated the sidewalk outside Jemma’s den.
Fall was Jemma’s favorite season, but seeing the leaves whirl and twirl towards
the ground left her backyard tree and her heart bare.
“I wonder if the tree feels sad when the leaves leave,” she
wondered.
Her wondering bounced around in her brain all the way to
school.
“What’s wrong, Jemma?” her teacher asked.
“I feel bad that my tree lost its leaves. It looks so….so
sad.”
“Well what would make it happy?”
Jemma thought about it. “The tree probably feels lonely and
wants company.”
An idea jumped into her head. “A TREEHOUSE!”
When Jemma got home, she drew out her idea and gathered
materials.
That weekend, construction began.
Before winter arrived, Jemma’s tree had a treehouse. Jemma not
only planned and built the treehouse, she also decorated it. Her treehouse was
colorful and inviting.
Very inviting.
Before she knew it, her treehouse was a meeting place for
the rest of the neighborhood animals. Jemma watched the visitors laugh, eat,
and play from the safety and warmth of her den.
Squirrels, rabbits, and songbirds visited during the day. Jemma
loved it.
Skunks, raccoons, and opossums visited at night. Jemma slept
through it.
The treehouse brought everyone together and made many
animals smile.
But one animal was not happy about the treehouse. The owl.
Jemma probably never noticed her since she came out a night, but a hole near
the top of the tree was her home. Until now. . .
“Hoo hoo hoo took away my home?” she hooted night after
night.
The owl regularly visited the night gatherings, requesting
the animals leave her tree. They refused.
So she stayed up late and visited the daytime visitors to
see if they would listen.
They didn’t but someone else did.
Jemma saw the encounter and heard Owl’s plea to leave the
tree.
The next day, a sign was placed on the treehouse. It read,
“Treehouse closed.”
Jemma went to work re-decorating the treehouse. She added
new pictures, new furniture, and hoped to soon add a new visitor.
One afternoon, Jemma created a special card and placed it
right near the hole at the top of the tree.
That night, Owl saw the card.
“Hoo hoo hoo made this for me?” Owl opened it and instantly,
a smile shot across her beak. She flew down to the treehouse’s entrance.
Waiting for her at her new house and her new friend.
“Hoo hoo hoo wants to celebrate?’ Owl asked.
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