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It's been a long time since I've posted or re-posted an Oddaptation here. For the record, Oddaptations are kinda SparkNotes of picture books... except they're in rhyme and with a "pointed point of view."

Since today is Dr. Seuss's birthday (and Read Across America Day) AND the movie version of the Lorax is coming out, re-issuing this Oddaptation from the vaults seems appropriate:

THE LORAX
by Dr. Seuss
Oddaptation by Gregory K.

The Lorax -- bossy, loud and rude --
Says to Onceler, “Listen, dude,
You’ve turned air all black and funky.
You’ve made ponds turn thick and gunky.
Trees are gone and now there’s weeds...
And no one needs your ugly thneeds.”
The Lorax doesn’t offer help.
All he does is moan and yelp.
Soon he’s overcome with stress,
And leaves behind one word: Unless.
Time goes on as time must do.
Onceler finally gets a clue.
When he’s learned he misbehaved,
He tosses you the seed he’s saved.
I say put it in your pocket
Then inside a safe and lock it.
Cuz if a forest blooms anew...
That Lorax will come back here, too.

The Poetry Friday roundup is over at Dori Reads today. Head on over and check it out (including Dori's fine, fine interview with Laura Purdie Salas who has TWO new poetry books out).

If you'd to get all my poems, including the Oddaptations, emailed to you for freeee as they hit the blog, enter your email address in the box below then click subscribe!

Today sees the release of the feature film version of Where the Wild Things are, so it seemed a good day to re-issue my Oddaptation of that classic picture book. You can click here for the Oddaptation definition and backstory... or just think Cliff Notes with attitude.


WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
by Maurice Sendak
Oddaptation by Gregory K.

Another family meal is missed:
Max is angry. Max is pissed.
And rumpus beasts? They don’t exist...
My word, Max needs a therapist!


If you want to get all my new poems (and only the poems) emailed to you for freeee as they hit the blog, enter your email address in the box below then click subscribe.

And hey... the fabulously poetic Laura Purdie Salas has this week's Poetry Friday roundup. Head on over and check out the fun!

Seemed like a fine time for another Oddaptation to me, and since it is my blog... you get one! For those not familiar with my Oddaptations, you can see them all collected over on the right (cleverly under the headline "The Oddaptations"). Or if you don't want to read others, just think of them as kinda Cliff's Notes/Spark notes of picture books... but with some attitude (and rhyme) thrown in. So with no further ado...


HORTON HEARS A WHO
by Dr. Seuss
Oddaptation by Gregory K.

Every Who down in Who-ville liked Horton a lot,
But a sour kangaroo and some monkeys did NOT!
They all hated Horton, who claimed there were houses
And Whos on some dust that was too small for mouses.

So they hatched an idea.
An awful idea.
Those beasts hatched a wonderful, awful idea.

They stole the Who dust speck! They stole Horton’s clover!
When Horton re-found it, his troubles weren’t over.
Before Horton knew it, the beasts had him bound!
The Whos knew that soon they would surely be drowned!
They had to be noticed. They HAD to make noise.
‘Twas no time for shirking or playing with toys.

Then when every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small,
Was ruckusing (without any presents at all),
The beasts heard a sound rising out of the clover,
Since one final “yopping” had put that sound over.

And what happened then? Well, in Who-ville they say
They gained a whole lot of protectors that day
And learned that if every last person unites
You’re probably gonna win most of your fights.
But otherwise know as you bellow and bawl...
You’re only one person, no matter how small.



It's also Poetry Friday and the links are up over at The Simple and the Ordinary. Go on and check it all out.