17-1 (06)
release dates: April 22-28
TM
TM
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
© 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
By BETTY DEBNAM
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Celebrate National Poetry Month
Meet Robert Louis Stevenson
My Shadow
Childhood
Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh,
Scotland. He was often ill as a child, suffering from
tuberculosis, an illness that makes it hard to breathe.
He suffered from health problems throughout his life.
In college, Robert Louis Stevenson first
studied engineering, then switched to
law. Although he became a lawyer, he
decided he wanted to write rather than
practice law.
Seeking adventure
As soon as he graduated from college, he began a life of
traveling. His first books were about his journeys.
He married an American, Fanny Osbourne. He, his wife
and stepson traveled for years, looking for a climate that
would be good for Stevenson’s health.
The poems in “A
They settled
Child’s Garden of
on an island in
Verses” were
the south Pacific
different from
Ocean, Samoa
most poems of the
day. Stevenson
(suh-MOE-uh).
used simple words
Stevenson died
and wrote about
there after a
everyday
stroke when he
happenings in a
child’s life. Before
was only 44
that, kids’ poems
years old.
jacket art by Tasha Tudor, © 1999 by Simon & Schuster
Books for Young Readers
art courtesy Associated Press, from the Silverado Museum Collection, St. Helena, CA.
Robert Louis
Stevenson (18501894) wrote books
and poems more than
100 years ago. They
are classics that we
still enjoy today.
His poetry book for
children, “A Child’s
Garden of Verses,”
was published in
1885.
Stevenson also
wrote many
adventure books for
adults and kids, such
as “Treasure Island,”
“Kidnapped” and
“The Strange Case of
Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde.”
taught lessons in a
serious way.
(from “A Child’s Garden of Verses”)
I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.
He hasn’t got a notion of how children ought to play,
And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.
He stays so close behind me, he’s a coward you can see;
I’d think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!
The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow —
Not at all like proper children,
which is always very slow;
For he sometimes shoots up taller
like an india-rubber ball,
And he sometimes goes so little
that there’s none of him at all.
One morning, very early, before the sun was up,
I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;
But my lazy little shadow, like
an arrant sleepy-head,
Had stayed at home behind
me and was fast asleep
in bed.
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.
®
17-2 (06); release dates: April 22-28
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
A Sample of Stevenson’s Poems
The Mini Page gives you a sampling of poems from “A
Child’s Garden of Verses,” by Robert Louis Stevenson.
The Cow
The friendly cow all red and white,
I love with all my heart:
She gives me cream with all her might,
To eat with apple-tart.
She wanders lowing here and there,
And yet she cannot stray,
All in the pleasant open air,
The pleasant light of day;
And blown by all the winds that pass
And wet with all the showers,
She walks among the meadow grass
And eats the meadow flowers.
Bed in Summer
In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.
I have to go to bed and see
The birds still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown-up people’s feet
Still going past me in the street.
And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day?
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Mini Spy . . .
TM
Mini Spy and Alpha Mouse are playing with their shadows.
See if you can find: • exclamation mark • man in the moon
• key
• umbrella
• cat
• knife
• mushroom
• pencil
• word MINI
• snake
• lady’s shoe
• tooth
• question
mark
• spoon
• butterfly
The Wind
I saw you toss the kites on high
And blow the birds about the sky;
And all around I heard you pass,
Like ladies’ skirts across the grass —
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!
I saw the different things you did,
But always you yourself you hid.
I felt you push, I heard you call,
I could not see yourself at all —
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!
O you that are so strong and cold,
O blower, are you young or old?
Are you a beast of field and tree,
Or just a stronger child than me?
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!
Rain
The rain is falling all around,
It falls on field and tree,
It rains on the umbrellas here,
And on the ships at sea.
Time to Rise
A birdie with a yellow bill
Hopped upon my window sill,
Cocked his shining eye and said:
“Ain’t you ’shamed, you sleepy-head!”
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Brown
Basset ws
The Ned’s
Houn
TM
TRY ’N
FIND
POETRY
Words that remind us of poetry are hidden in the block below. Some
words are hidden backward or diagonally. See if you can find: POET,
STEVENSON, CLASSIC, GARDEN, VERSES, SHADOW, WORDS,
ADVENTURE, BOOK, HAPPENINGS, RHYMES, READ, ARRANGE,
PAGE, EXPERIENCE, WRITE, MUSIC, VOICE, HEARD, KIDS, POEMS.
DO YOU
KNOW A POEM
BY HEART?
W
R
A
R
R
A
N
G
E
V
O
E
K
I
D
S
M
S
H
H
R
A
K
C
W
U
M
A
E
D
D
D
L
K
S
E
P
C
R
E
S
A
K
I
O
P
I
A
G
P
S
E
C
P
E
O
E
A
O
S
C
E
N
N
V
H
P
E
I
N
R
O
I
S
S
W
T
C
E
U
S
N
E
E
O
E
V
I
T
N
G
M
S
D
T
K
R
N
E
S
Y
R
A
I
O
E
E
V
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.
L
H
E
H
R
O
P
V
E
L
R
V
S
W
B
X
D
T
G
A
R
D
E
N
E
A
S
®
17-3 (06); release dates: April 22-28
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
TM
Go dot to dot and color.
Rookie Cookie’s Recipe
Creamy Macaroni Casserole
You’ll need:
• 1/2 pound macaroni
• 11/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
What to do:
1. Cook macaroni according to package directions.
2. Drain and keep macaroni in the same pot.
3. Add 3/4 cup of cheese and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Stir well.
4. Add the mustard, salt and pepper. Stir well.
5. Add the eggs, and then stir in the milk.
6. Pour macaroni mixture into a greased baking dish. Sprinkle
with remaining cheese and butter.
7. Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25 minutes
or until bubbly. Makes 6 servings.
Note: You will need an adult’s help with this recipe.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Meet John Leguizamo
The Swing
(from “A Child’s Garden of Verses”
by Robert Louis Stevenson)
How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!
Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside —
Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown —
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!
John Leguizamo (leh-gwee-ZAH-mo) is an
actor, comedian and producer. He is again
playing the voice of Sid the Sloth in the movie
“Ice Age: The Meltdown.”
John has always liked making people laugh
and would test his comic skills on his high
school classmates. They voted him “Most Talkative.” After
high school, he took theater classes in college.
John started his acting career as a stand-up comedian in
New York City. He had his first TV part on a series in 1984.
His first big film role was as Luigi Mario in the movie “Super
Mario Bros.” in 1993. He continues to act on TV and in movies.
John has also been the voice of animated characters. He
was the rat in “Doctor Doolittle” and the Genie of the Lamp
in the TV series “Arabian Nights.”
John, 41, was born in Bogotá, Colombia. His family moved
to New York City when he was 3.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
E
HUG
E!
SAL
The Mini Page®
Help for Planet Earth
A popular
resource book
containing
solutions for
problems of
trash, air and
water quality,
and wildlife
habitat.
To order, send $3.00 total cost (includes all postage and handling) for each copy. Send check or money order (U.S. funds only)
payable to: Andrews McMeel Universal, P.O. Box 6814, Leawood, KS 66206 or call toll-free 1-800-591-2097.
Please send ______ copies of The Mini Page Help for Planet Earth (Item #0-8362-4316-1) at $3.00 each, total
cost. (Bulk discount information available upon request.) www.smartwarehousing.com
Name: ________________________________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________________________________
City: _______________________________________________ State: _________ Zip: __________
TM
All the following jokes have something in common.
Can you guess the common theme or category?
Helen: What kind of ice cream treat should
have been served on the Titanic?
Herbert: Floats!
Heidi: What kind of ice cream do sharks
like best?
Henry: Fin-illa and jaw-berry!
Horace: What job requires a loud
voice?
Hans: Selling ice-scream!
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.
®
17-4 (06); release dates: April 22-28
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Some Poetry for Kids Today
Many poets
do rhyme
their poems.
Often,
rhyming
helps the
reader feel the
music of the words.
Many poems should be read
aloud. Poetry is not written to sit
quietly on a page.
Whether people are reading
poetry or putting it to music, it can
come alive through our voices.
Poetry is an invitation to be loud
and to be heard.
Your average cow lives to age 15 —
Some live longer now and then.
The average human? 75.
(Women live longer than men.)
So we live to be how many times
As old as your average cow?
If you guess the answer correctly,
Go ahead and take a bow.
“Your Average Cow” from ARITHME-TICKLE, © 2002 by J. Patrick Lewis, reprinted by
permission of Harcourt, Inc.
Douglas Florian illustrates his
own poetry books.
jacket art © 2003 by Douglas Florian,
published by Harcourt, Inc.
Old Friend
I had forgotten you, friend.
Is that why you came
into my dream?
I had forgotten you.
When I fall asleep again,
will you leave your address
on my pillow?
“Old Friend” from “Night Garden Poems From the World of Dreams” by Janet Wong,
© 2000 by Janet Wong. Used with permission from Margaret K. McElderry Books/
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
“bow wow meow
meow” is filled
with poems about
all kinds of cats
and dogs,
including lions,
wolves, Persian
cats and
sheepdogs.
The Pointers
Some pointers point at foxes.
Some pointers point at hares.
Some pointers point at pheasants.
Mine points at Frigidaires.
“The Pointers” from bow wow meow meow, © 2003 by Douglas Florian, reprinted by
permission of Harcourt, Inc.
J. Patrick Lewis has written more
than 25 poetry books for kids.
Kristine O’Connell George has
written several kids’ poetry books.
“ArithmeTickle” is
filled with fun
riddles and
rhymes
about math.
jacket art © 1997 by Kate Kiesler,
published by Clarion Books
Rhyming
“Night
Garden:
Poems From
the World of
Dreams” is
about many
kinds of
dreams, even
a dog’s.
jacket art © 2000 by Julie Paschkis,
published by Simon & Schuster
People often
think something
is poetry if it
rhymes. But not
all poetry rhymes.
And some
things that
rhyme are not
poetry.
If a work cannot
stand on its own, without pictures, it
is not a true poem, even if it rhymes.
Poets are interested in the words
and the spaces around the words.
They carefully decide how to arrange
the words on the page. They keep
only the exact words they need.
Poets try to show the reader the
heart of an experience.
Janet S. Wong has written several
books of poetry for kids.
jacket art © 2002 by Frank Remkiewicz,
published by Harcourt, Inc.
What is poetry?
Your Average Cow
The Mini Page offers some
of the poetry for kids being
written today.
Answer: 15+15+15+15+15=75. Or 15 times 5 = 75, or 5
times as old.
The Mini Page celebrates National
Poetry Month by interviewing a poetry
professor, Dr. Sylvia Vardell. Dr. Vardell,
who teaches at Texas Woman’s
University, has written several books on
poetry for kids. She is now working on
an encyclopedia of children’s poets.
“The Great Frog
Race” has
poems on many
subjects, from
nature to school,
from the farm to
tools.
Evening Rain
Look through your newspaper for a picture
or story that you could write a poem about.
The Mini Page is created and edited by
Next week The Mini Page celebrates
Mother’s Day with a story about special
animal moms.
Associate Editors
Tali Denton
Lucy Lien
Betty Debnam
Staff Artist
Wendy Daley
The porch light shines on rain
taking thin silken stitches
with strands of wet thread.
I run outside to the rain
to see what it is sewing.
“Evening Rain” © 1997 by Kristine O’Connell George, from “The Great Frog Race and
Other Poems,” published by Clarion Books.
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.
art courtesy Associated Press, from the
Silverado Museum Collection, St. Helena, CA.
Meet poet Robert
Louis Stevenson
in
®
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
by Betty Debnam
Appearing in your
newspaper on ____________.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam
© 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
(Note to Editor: Above is cameraready, one column-by-41/4-inch ad
promoting Issue 17.)
release dates: April 22-28
17-5 (06)
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The MIni Page Publishing Company Inc.
®
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
Standards Spotlight:
Meet Robert Louis Stevenson
TM
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Mini Page activities meet many state and national educational standards. Each
week we identify standards that relate to The Mini Page’s content and offer
activities that will help your students reach them.
Supersport: Chris Carpenter
This week’s standards:
• Students comprehend and respond to a variety of images and text.
• Students identify forms and elements of literature. (Language Arts: Reading)
Activities:
1. Select one of the poems in today’s Mini Page. Draw a picture to go with the poem. Then copy the
poem on the paper under your picture. Give the poem to a family member or friend.
2. Look through the newspaper to find rhyming words. Circle a word with a colored marker. Then
find a word that rhymes with that word and circle it in the same color. To try something different,
circle a word with a marker and write your own rhyming word next to that word.
3. Go to the weather section of your newspaper. Circle at least six weather words. Now use those
words in your own poem about weather.
4. Select your favorite comic strip in the newspaper. Write a “cinquain” about the character in the
comic strip. On the first line, write the character’s name. On the second line, write two words that
describe the character. On the third line, write three verbs ending in “ing” that tell what the
character does. On the fourth line, write a four-word phrase about the character. On the fifth line,
write another word for the character.
5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about one of the poets whose books are featured
in today’s Mini Page. Use these questions to guide your research: When did the poet first become
interested in writing poetry? What topics does the poet like to write about? Where does the poet
get his/her ideas for poems? How does the poet write his/her poems? What awards or recognition
has the poet received?
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
Height: 6-6
Birthdate: 4-27-75
Weight: 220
Birthplace: Exeter, N.H.
Chris Carpenter has the tall, lean look of a basketball
player. And lots of baseball’s sluggers no doubt wish he
were somewhere on a court rather than on the pitcher’s
mound.
In 2005, the St. Louis Cardinals’ ace baffled batters once again. He
compiled a 21-5 record with a 2.83 earned run average and captured
the National League Cy Young Award, which is given annually to the
league’s best pitcher.
Simply put, Carpenter is a right-hander with all the right stuff. He’s
counted on again this season to lead a strong pitching staff, which
helped the Cardinals win 100 games and the Central Division title in ’05.
As a youth growing up in New Hampshire, Carpenter excelled in
both baseball and hockey. During the off-season, he returns to his native
state, living in Bedford, N.H., with his wife, Alyson, and their son, Sam.
(Note to Editor: Above is the Standards for Issue 17.)
(Note to Editor: Above is copy block for Page 3, Issue 17, to be
used in place of ad if desired.)
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.