Squishy McFluff: The Invisible Cat!: 1

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Shakespeare’s Birthday – April 23 – can be celebrated by taking part in ‘ Talk Like Shakespeare‘ day. Try dismissing your class at the end of a lesson with such lines as “ Out of my sight! Thou dost infect mine eyes!“

But not everyone can see he’s the winner. The Mayor seems to have a particular blindspot . . . That is until Ava and her invisible pet foil a dastardly robbery! Told in full colour throughout, this is the perfect stepping stone from picture books to older fiction. Bright new talent Pip Jones gives a hilarious, quirky twist to everyday experiences for readers aged 5+. But if, when writing rhyme, you somehow miss a beat of your rhythm, it feels awkward. Imagine listening to your favourite pop star singing your favourite song – but they have hiccups. Argh! That’s what it feels like when a rhyme loses its beat. A review in Booklist of Squishy McFluff wrote "This playful early chapter book will attract emergent readers with its rhyming text, widely spaced lines, and sweet red-and-blue illustrations.", [1] and Publishers Weekly called it "a punchy rhyming escapade". [2] Writing a good rhyming story is a bit like doing a jigsaw. When I begin, I know what the whole story will be (so that’s like the finished picture) and I have to put the pieces (or the words) together in exactly the right way to make everything fit. Just as it would be with a jigsaw, you can’t shove a piece into a place it doesn’t fit because otherwise, in the end, the picture will be wonky.

When you’re writing in rhyme, it’s easy to become obsessed with finding the ending words that go together. But if you concentrate on the rhyme more than you do on the plot, you’ll probably end up with a story that doesn’t feel all that satisfying. It might not have a good focus, or make sense, or be as entertaining as it should be. The rule to remember is: the story is just as important as the rhyme. Squishy McFluff is Ava's best friend. He may be invisible, but that doesn't stop them having all kinds of fun together - and you won't believe just how much mess, trouble and chaos one mischievous invisible kitten can cause! Finally, April hosts ‘ Say Hello with Jazz Hands Day” to celebrate Jazz Day at the end of the month. A great idea to introduce in assemblies – students, staff and parents can greet each other with Jazz Hands all day. Here’s a slightly silly example (which I just made up!) showing how you can easily sacrifice the focus of a story for rhyme:

Cleverly bridging the gap between picture books and longer fiction, the lovable Squishy is certain to be a success with under-sevens.' BookTrust Kathy Kirchoefer (2017). "The Invisible Cat!". School Library Journal. Media Source Inc . Retrieved 15 October 2021. Rhyming text and simple, three-color illustrations make this a thumbs-up choice for early chapter readers. Our guide on how to run a school book club, which covers both primary school book clubs and secondary school book clubs. If you were using imperfect rhyme, though, you might choose to only match either the vowel sound, OR the consonant sound. So you could have eat/leaf, which share only the “ee” sound. Or you could have host/last which share only the “st” sound. I’ve always loved writing rhymes, even as a little girl. It’s not only fun, you can also get a huge amount of satisfaction from finding the perfect rhyme to tell a joke or move the story along. It’s not always easy though. Sometimes it can take a lot of thinking to get a line just right.Have you written a brilliant rhyming story? I find a very good way to find out is to ask someone to read your work aloud to you. Listen carefully. Do they stumble on any lines? Do they pause in parts? These clues will let you know if you have some bits and pieces that need fixing. When Ava discovers an imaginary cat in the cabbage patch, she knows she's found a new best friend. Together, Ava and Squishy McFluff get up to all kinds of mischief . . .