Collective Writing, Childrens Book, 2014
Bodies in Wonderland
Scene 1:
This is Robin.
Robin’s world is grey and dull.
No one knows what is colourful.
But little does Robin know,
Where they are about to go.
Robin is standing in their sad grey room.
And thinks “I wish that something would change soon”.
Robin looks at the mirror and sighs,
“Why does everyone notice my size?
All the other children I know,
don’t have so much belly to show!
Why can’t I be like the other ones?”
Scene 2:
Suddenly Robin hears a call,
coming from the mirror on the wall.
Robin looks in and feels a grab,
The mirror had a child to nab.
Scene 3:
Robin lands in a magic world,
Falling hard – not like a bird.
Getting up from the ground
Robin looks up and sees,
Two large creatures that look quite like trees!
“Who are you?” Says the tree,
“Why are you here? “
“I’m not quite sure, it’s not quite clear.”
“Are you from the world of grey?”
“Did you have sad thoughts today?”
Robin nods and frowns and looks at their feet.
“I can fix it for you if you do one little feat.
You must travel into the wood,
To fix my machine that should,
Help you with your request
But first you must pass my test.”
Take this map and find these things,
And to all of them your wish clings.
Scene 4:
So Robin went forward on his way,
Shocked from the events of the day.
While they were pondering the strange map,
Behind them comes a twig snap.
“Hello” says the creature called Whiff Petal,
And their friend, Bugsy that cannot settle.
Robin says hello, could you help me read,
This map? That could help fulfill my need.
To change the way I look and see,
If it will make me happy as can be!
I can’t help you, says Whiff Petal, I am blind,
But I’d like to come with you and the machine to find!
I’ll help you if I can says the bug but I think
People don’t like me because I’m pink.
Pink isn’t a colour most people are here
And I make others uncomfortable,
It’s quite clear.
You are more than you say I’m sure,
With you Bugsy helping me read the map
And I can help to feel a trap
Says the sock creature with a shout!
And I think I can help scouting out!
Scene 5
And so the three explored the wood,
Until they found someone not feeling so good.
Hello says Robin are you ok?
You look so sad, why are you feeling this way?
I wish I was straight, Spaghetti Bob cries,
All of my parts are in knots and ties
I want to be normal, accepted and loved
People won’t do that if I don’t look so good.
And then all of a sudden Robin looked up and saw,
One of the parts they were looking for.
The whirligig was stuck up in a tree,
Robin laughed and shouted with glee.
Can anyone get it Robin said?
The part is way above my head.
Maybe I can said Spaghetti Bob,
I can jump pretty high, this is my job.
Her twists made her spring Bob wasn’t lying,
When Spaghetti Bob jumped, it was like she was flying.
Scene 6:
Then Spaghetti Bob joined the expedition team,
The thingamajig is nowhere to be seen.
When finally they found what they looked for,
Spongey was next to it on the floor.
The team asks why Spongey is sad,
Spongey says she’s been feeling so bad.
Since I was born I’ve had no arms,
This one grew and now I’m alarmed.
My body is changing I don’t know what to do,
I don’t like this it’s all so new.
I like your arm it looks really good,
It’s one of the nicest things I’ve seen here in the wood.
Then they tried to reach the part,
One at a time, though none had the art.
Could you get us that thingamajig? None of us can get,
Your arm is so small and you haven’t tried yet.
So Spongey reached and got the thingamajig.
She couldn’t have got it if her arm had gotten big.
But still she decides she’d like it to go,
And joins them on their journey although it was slow.
Scene 7:
The hunt for the Yokemebob,
Was starting to be quite a job.
This was the second last piece that they needed,
They were wondering if SuperTree had cheated!
All of a sudden, and quite by surprise,
A dragon jumped out of a terrible size.
He roared at the creatures, the big and the small,
Were extremely frightened of this dragon tall!
Hey, Robin cried, don’t scare my friends!
Can’t you help us until our journey ends?
I’m sorry says Laurence, that’s the dragon’s name.
Both of my wings are not the same
I can only fly in circles, I can’t fly straight on,
I scare people away, so they mustn’t see me long.
We are looking for the machine that can change ourselves,
None of us feels that we fit on the shelves.
Scene 8
So Laurence went with them, they were finally close,
When someone jumped down from the trees like a ghost.
Are you a hydropolymorpha? The strange being said.
Each one of the group shakes their head.
Oh, said the creature looking quite sad,
I think I’m the only one, It makes me feel bad.
Not one hydrapolymorpha looks the same,
I want to find just one more who shares my name.
Don’t feel so bad, said Robin the good,
You’ll never be alone here in the wood.
But if you’d like to change, please come with me.
We’re trying to fix the machine for Supertree.
And then Robin noticed a toy,
They couldn’t stop from giving a shout of joy!
That’s our last piece, that toy in your hand.
Let’s go on the way, join our merry band.
Scene 9:
They arrived at the machine and looked it up and down,
It was the size of a house in a large home town!
The creatures weren’t sure quite what to do,
So they all wanted Robin to give them a clue.
Robin was shocked, why look to them.
They all didn’t know what to do, it looked quite grim.
I can’t help, I’m only a child!
But you helped all of us, and you were lost in the wild!
So Robin and the creatures found how best to fix,
The massive machine that caused all this mix.
Scene 10:
Laurence took to the skies, leaving the rest on the ground,
His one small wing helping him round and around.
Whiff Petal, felt for the smallest of holes,
Then patched them up without seeing where it goes.
Bugsy zipped from side to side,
Sharing things back and forth, perfecting their glide.
Spaghetti Bob bounced up and down the machine,
Inside and outside and all the parts in between.
Spongey got in the smallest of places
She used her one hand to fix all the faces.
The hydrapolymorpha was the wisest of folks,
they could tell where things go,
And on top of it, told awesome jokes.
And Robin helped each creature with each part,
Keeping everyone positive, it was such an art.
Scene 11:
At last it was finished, Each part in its place.
They took lots of time, they didn’t try to race.
Then the team got together trying to switch it on,
But as soon as they tried all the power was gone.
Then Supertree flew in and there in their hand,
Was a confidenc-o-meter that shone through the land.
There is only one reason the machine will not start.
The power it needs is confidence of the heart.
You need to believe in yourself as you are,
For the machine to change one, one must have that star.
All the other creatures now, saw the truth that their flaw
Was strength if they let it, and changed what they saw.
But Robin wasn’t so sure of their power,
Themself was not a person who they saw as strong,
Their body had been criticised for so long.
Each of the creatures went through a similar story.
And told of what Robin had done for each body.
The love that they had for them was sincere,
Robin had no choice but to cheer.
Their skills were true, and they may not be strong.
But they are good and that will last for so long.
So when this was clear, and Robin saw then,
The machine was not needed, not for any of them.
Robin saw their friends, each one with their part.
Each so special and with such a good heart.
Scene 12:
Then Robin decided it was time to return,
With so much behind them, and so much to learn,
So Robin said goodbye and with a mirror in the wood,
Robin journeyed home, their journey was good.
Scene 13:
And so each creature was happy, they found their place
They were so rarely seen without smiles on their face.
And Robin was happy and confident in the body they had,
They’d learned what’s important and of that, they were glad.
And Robin remembered each moment, each day,
Of their friends in the wood and of how they would say.
You are important, awesome and strong.