Culture
Ten Ways to Hear Snow and Daniel Finds a Poem
In this cozy episode of Julie's Library, Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton explore the enchanting stories 'Ten Ways to Hear Snow' by Kathy Campa and 'Daniel Finds a Poem'...
Ten Ways to Hear Snow and Daniel Finds a Poem
Culture •
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Interactive Transcript
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You're listening to Julie's library, where books bring us together.
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Today we're going to read,
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10 Ways to Hear Snow by Kekdi Kemper,
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Illustrator by Kenneth Peck,
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and Daniel Finds a Poe.
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Written and illustrated by Misha Archer.
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Hello dear listeners, I'm Julie Andrews and this is my library.
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As always, my daughter Emma Walton Hamilton is here too.
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Hello.
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And we're feeling awfully cozy today aren't we?
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We've got steaming mugs of tea,
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and we're listening to the sound of rain on the roof.
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Can you hear it?
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It is such a soothing sound.
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Rain is my favourite weather.
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It makes me want to curl up with a good book.
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I love the rain too.
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Though I think if I had to pick my favourite is crisp and sunny weather.
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When there's a soft breeze and the sky is a bright, deep blue,
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it reminds me of the last days of summer.
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Listeners, what about you?
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What's your favourite kind of weather and why?
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My favourite type of weather is rain because it brings prosperity to the land.
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I love windy days because I can fly my butterfly kite.
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I really like the weather fall because there's lots of fleszy,
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fuzzy caterpillars and it's coastline birthday.
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Sunny weather because it makes me feel happy and it's fun to play outside.
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My favourite type of weather is winter because I love hot cocoa and playing in the snow.
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Terrific descriptions.
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Thank you so much for sharing them.
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Hello?
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Oh, Kathy, you made it.
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I did. I might be a bit soggy but I'm here.
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Oh, listeners, Kathy Campa is going to read her book for us today.
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It's about weather also.
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The best kind in my opinion, snow.
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Oh, I can feel it getting colder in the library already.
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Well then, let's warm up in the reading look.
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Here in the library, my favourite spot to curl up with the story is our reading look.
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With cozy pillows all around.
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A glowing lamp shines its light on the pages.
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There's a squishy rug under our feet and an extra log in our wood burning stove to keep us warm.
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Kathy, are you ready to read?
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I am indeed.
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Wonderful. The seat of honor is all yours.
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Ten ways to hear snow.
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By me, Kathy Campa.
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When Lena woke up, everything was quiet.
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No cars honked. No buses chugged.
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No garbage trucks gulp trash across the street.
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Snow.
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Oh!
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Last night's blizzard was gone, leaving the city muffled and white.
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But today was great leaf day when Lena would help her grandma make waraq enab.
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City was losing her eyesight and Lena loved helping her cook.
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I want to tell City about the snow storm and make sure she's okay.
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The snow so deep, Lena's mom said.
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We could go with you, Lena's dad offered.
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But Lena wanted to go to cities by herself.
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Stay warm, Habibti, her dad told her.
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Lena bundled up.
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Outside, the sun on the snow was as bright white as a light bulb.
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Lena squinched her eyes and pulled her scarf over her nose.
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She could barely see.
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I wonder if this is how City feels.
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Lena thought.
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The world sounded softer, but the noises she heard were clearer.
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Scrape, scrape, scrape.
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What was that?
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It was Mrs. Watson shovel digging out the sidewalk.
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That's one way to hear snow.
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Lena thought.
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Lena walked down the street.
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Snack, snack, snack.
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The noise was low to the ground.
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What was that?
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It was the treads of Lena's boots crunching snow into tiny waffles.
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Two ways to hear snow.
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Lena ducked under a pine tree.
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BOOF! A powdery sound.
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A blue Jay on a branch had knocked down snow.
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Three ways to hear snow.
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Lena counted.
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She listened for more.
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Swish, swish, swish, swish.
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What was that soft, wiskery noise?
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People were sweeping snow off their cars.
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Their brushes made the fourth way to hear snow.
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Lena caught across the park.
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Scritch, scratch, scratch.
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Another snow noise?
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Lena saw long skinny tracks by her boots.
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Ahead of her, people were skiing.
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Their skis made the fifth way to hear snow.
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Rashid and Mariam were building a snowman.
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Pat, pat, pat.
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What was that?
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It was mittens smoothing the snowman's head.
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The gentle sound made the sixth way to hear snow.
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As Lena walked away, her friends whispered in laughter.
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The warmth, snowballs.
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Oh no, Lena ran away fast from the seventh way to hear snow.
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Lena reached city's building all out of breath.
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Her boots covered with white powder.
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Stop, stop, stop.
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Lena giggled.
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She was making the eighth way to hear snow.
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Hello Lena, the lady in the lobby said.
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Go on in.
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She pointed towards Lena's grandma's room.
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Lena tapped on the door.
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Surprise city is me.
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I came to make great pleas with you.
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Lena threw her coat and mittens on the radiator to dry.
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Wonderful.
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The lamb and rice are ready, city said.
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Yala, I can't wait, Lena shouted.
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Let's get started.
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Lena rinsed the great pleas and placed them on towels.
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Put some filling in the center, roll them up, and put them in the pot city instructed.
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They're like little great-pleas cocoons, Lena said, looking at them piled on the plate.
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Or lots of little sleeping bags, city replied.
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Ha, mine looked like a mustache.
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Lena held up her stuff, great-pleas under her nose.
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City held hers under her nose too.
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That's good.
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She wrinkled up her face and said, we look like a couple of real tough guys in the tough guy voice.
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City, did you know we had a blizzard last night?
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Of course.
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Lena was surprised.
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How could her grandma know when she couldn't see very well?
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Then she heard a noise.
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Drip, drip, went the mittens.
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It was the sound of snow melting.
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Nine ways to hear snow.
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Suddenly, Lena understood how city knew.
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City, did you hear the snow?
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City smiled.
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Each morning I opened the window and listened.
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Today everything sounded hushed and soft.
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No noise is the sound.
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That means it's snowing.
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City, I listened too.
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I heard snow nine different ways.
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Shovels were one, boots were two.
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The blue jay was three.
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Slow down, had beef tea.
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I want to hear them all.
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But right now, shhh.
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City went to the window and opened it again.
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Listen, she said.
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Outside the late blue afternoon was completely still.
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Quiet is the tenth way to hear snow.
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The end.
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Oh, the quiet is so calming.
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I almost don't want to break it.
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This book is a beautiful reminder of how powerful it is to listen.
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Kathy, what inspired you to write this story?
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Well, I grew up in Wisconsin and we had very snowy winters.
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I loved how an overnight snowfall transformed everything.
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And how a blanket of snow makes everything quieter so you can actually hear more.
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Mmm, that's really true.
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It makes everything so peaceful and calm.
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It really does.
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Kathy, did your own grandmother cook with great beliefs like city and the story?
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Yes, she did.
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I remember seeing her doing it.
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And my mom helped to write down the recipe because I was pretty little.
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But the other thing I remember is she had big grape finds growing in her garden.
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And when we were little, we would get sent out to pick them.
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And we were eyes told to pick leaves about the size of our little hands because they would be the most tender.
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Oh, how fun.
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And it sounds delicious.
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It really does.
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Well, thank you Kathy for sharing your book with us today.
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It was my pleasure.
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And now it's back out into the rain for me.
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Oh, stay dry.
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I'll try.
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And I bet there are 10 ways to hear rain too.
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Don't you think?
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Yes, I do.
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Bye-bye Kathy.
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Bye.
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Bye, see you soon.
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Sometimes when I'm feeling overwhelmed, I just listen really closely to the sounds around me and it calms me down.
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Let's try it now.
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What did you just hear listeners?
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In our world and in yours?
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Was it an airplane overhead?
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A bird chirping?
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Someone talking in the background?
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Or maybe just the rain on the window pane here in the library?
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Sometimes I like to listen like this when I first wake up in the morning.
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Before I do anything else, like reading the news or checking my phone, I just sit quietly and listen.
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Listeners, why don't you try it sometime?
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Maybe you could write a poem about all the sounds you hear.
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Oh, and if you do, please share it with us.
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I'd love to read what you write.
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Send us your poems about listening by visiting Julie's library show dot org.
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Now it's time for a quick break.
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We'll be back in just a moment with another great book.
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Welcome back dear listeners.
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I've got news.
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It stopped raining.
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Listen!
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The birds are singing.
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And sunlight is now shining through our window.
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Lighting up the cover of our next book?
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Yes. Emma, let's read this one together.
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Let's.
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Daniel finds a poem written and illustrated by Misha Archer.
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Daniel knows all the rocks, trees and animals in the park.
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On Monday morning, Daniel sees something new on the park gate.
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A sign reads, poetry in the park Sunday at 6 o'clock.
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What is poetry, Daniel says?
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He looks up in surprise when he hears spider say,
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to me, poetry is when morning dew glistens.
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On Tuesday, Daniel climbs the old oak tree.
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He sees squirrel.
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Squirrel, do you know what poetry is?
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Poetry is when crisp leaves crunch.
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Squirrel tells him.
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On Wednesday, Daniel calls into chipmunks hole.
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Chipmunk, can you tell me what poetry is?
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Poetry?
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Poetry is a home with many windows in an old stone wall.
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On Thursday, Daniel makes a boat with a leaf for a sail
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and watches the wind carry it across the pond.
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He calls quietly to frog.
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Excuse me, frog.
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What is poetry?
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Poetry says frog is a cool pool to dive into.
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On Friday, Daniel parts the cat tails and finds turtle.
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Hello, turtle.
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I have a question.
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Do you know what poetry is?
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I think poetry is sun-wormed sand.
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Turtle says.
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On Saturday afternoon, Daniel finds cricket in the shade of the slide.
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When the shadows are long, cricket fills the air with music.
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Is this poetry you, cricket?
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Singing at twilight when the day is done?
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Indeed it is, Daniel.
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What is poetry?
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That night, moonlight fills Daniel's room.
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He hears a woo.
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Leaning from his window, he calls to owl.
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Owl.
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What is poetry?
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Woo-woo-woo-woo poetry.
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Poetry is bright stars in the branches.
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moonlight on the grass, and silent wings to take me wherever I go.
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Good night, dear Daniel. She whispers and flies off into the night.
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On Sunday, the sun wakes up, Daniel. He's happy when he remembers its Sunday.
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Today is poetry in the park, says Daniel, and I have a poem.
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Morning dew glistens, crisp leaves crunch.
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There's a home with many windows in the old stone wall,
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cool pools to dive in, sun-warmed sand to lie in,
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singing at twilight when the day is done.
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Bright stars in the branches, moonlight on the grass,
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and silent wings to take me wherever I go.
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On the way home, Daniel stops to watch the sunset sky reflecting in the pond.
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That looks like poetry to me.
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To me too, says Dragonfly.
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The end.
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Mmm, what a lovely reminder that poetry is all around us.
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We just have to look for it.
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Yes, poetry is often inspired by what we see and hear and how it makes us feel.
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And writing poetry is just about putting those observations and feelings into words.
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What inspires you to write poetry, Emma?
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Right now? How quickly the weather can change from rain to sun?
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Just like feelings do. What about you, Mom?
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Well, I love writing funny poems.
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If something makes me smile or laugh, I like to see if I can write a poem about it.
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Now, that's true. One of my favorites is that one you wrote about the giraffe.
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Oh, you mean a giraffe poked his head in my window and my heart leapt into my mouth.
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I couldn't think of a thing to say, so he licked my nose and headed south.
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I thought, as I groped for my hanky and I passed this on to you,
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that if a wild animal comes to call, say a tiger or meerkat or brew,
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if like me you want him to stay or even come back another day,
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then perhaps it would really pay to say, welcome and how do you do?
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Yes, I love that poem. I think it's wonderfully silly.
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Yes, it is silly. And speaking of wonderful, it's time for...
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Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful words.
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There are so many wonderful words.
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Some of them conjure up a lovely image, like the word glisten from Daniel here's a poem.
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It means to sparkle or shine like morning dew on the grass.
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And then some wonderful words are simply fun to say, like hush.
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I love saying the word hush very quietly because it makes me feel the meaning of the word.
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Try it. Hush.
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See? Yes. That just gave me the chills.
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Emma, why are we still whispering?
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I don't know.
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Now let's listen to some of the wonderful words our listeners love.
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My favorite word is a horse because they are funny and cute and fun to ride on.
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Wolf, because that's the word dogs say and let's eat.
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And that one makes me very, very, very, very, very,
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I really like strawberries.
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My wonderful word is content because content is my favorite feeling.
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Those were delightful. Thank you.
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Send us more of your favorites by visiting julyslibraryshow.org.
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We might play them on the show.
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Listeners, this is our final episode of the season.
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And we'll be taking a break before we return with more stories.
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We've so enjoyed reading with you.
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Be sure to follow julyslibrary on social media for more reading recommendations
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and to hear what's next.
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We'll be back in the reading soon.
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But until then, happy reading and bye-bye.
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Goodbye.
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Music
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Julie's library is hosted and produced by Julie Andrews and me, Emma Walton Hamilton.
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The featured books in this episode were Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Kathy Camper,
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illustrated by Kennard Pack and published by Kokila and Daniel Finds at Poem,
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written and illustrated by Misha Archer and published by Nancy Paulson Books.
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Thanks to the team at Penguin Random House.
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We always recommend picking up these books for yourself.
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You can find Ten Ways to Hear Snow and Daniel Finds at Poem at your local library or bookstore.
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The illustrations are enchanting.
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For more book recommendations, head to julyslibraryshow.org.
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Sign up for our newsletter and you'll receive special activities and notes from Mom and Me.
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Julie's library is produced by Nancy Shoo, Molly Bloom, Alyssa Dudley, Rosie DuPont,
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Tracy Mumford, Mark Sanchez and Sandin Totten.
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Our executive producer is Lauren D.
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Digital production is by Christina Lopez and original music is from Alison Layton Brown.
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Engineering is by Sam Hamilton and sound mixing is by Corey Shrepple and Eric Romani.
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Special thanks to Lily Kim and associate professor Sarah Park-Dallan of St. Catherine University for consulting with our team.
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We always love hearing from our listeners.
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Today you heard the voices of Andrew from Wisconsin, Alison from Singapore, Nora from Ontario, Canada,
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Charlie from Farmington, New York, Tarini from New Delhi, India, Oliver from Memphis, Tennessee,
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Madeline from Salt Lake City, Utah, Senna from Paso, Roblaise, California, and Netta from Berlin, Germany.
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Julie's library is a production of American public media.