This is my second year participating in Kaitlyn Sanchez’s Fall Writing Frenzy. (You can read all about this year’s contest here.) The challenge is to write a 200-word or less Fall-themed kidlit story based on one of the photographs chosen for the contest. Last year I wrote what felt like a section from a middle grade fantasy quest novel, The Road Ahead. It was a fun departure for me, so I was excited to see what this year’s images would inspire.
Because I love writing stories set in the deep past, I prefer images without people or obviously-modern scenes. That eliminated most of the photographs for this year, so instead I went more for vibes and settled on this image. I hope you enjoy my hammock-inspired board book!
Hush! Hammock
By: Katie McEnaney (c) 2023. 66 words.
One Grandpa sleeping. Sway, sway, snore!
Two legs tiptoeing. Hush, hush, creep!
Three bees flying. Buzz, buzz, look!
Four flowers swaying. Swish, swish, wow!
Five fingers plucking. Grab, grab, sniff!
Six legs landing. Tap, tap, sip!
Seven seconds passing. Stare, stare, sting!
Eight tears falling. Ouch, ouch, owieeeeee!
Nine hugs given. Squeeze, squeeze, kiss.
Ten hammock pushes. Sway, sway, snore!
One toddler sleeping. Hush, hush… sleep!
Katie, I love your story! All the feels. ☺️
Absolutely adorable, Katie. I love it!
I love your poignant lyrical counting story and amazing use of onomatopoeia, Katie. It would work beautifully as a bedtime read, too!
I love all the simple sound and action words, as well as the repetition. Reminds me of a lot of picturebooks I read to my kids when they were really little with that and the numbers. I can even imagine the artwork that would go with this. Fantastic! 🙂
Clever story! Love that it’s educational as well!
Love this, so adorable. I could absolutely see this as a counting board book!
Loved this concept story. Beautifully written! Good luck! 😀
I love that you made this a counting story too. Very clever!
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