Maria's Thoughts con Cafe - Spring Fling Kidlit Contest🐰

Spring is in the air and that means it’s time for another Spring Fling Contest! We all know I can’t resist a challenge or a good contest!

The rules: Find a GIF and write a 150-word spring-inspired story.

Simple enough, right? Nope! Finding a GIF was easy, writing the story was NOT!

It’s no secret I have been completely immersed in the middle grade world as I write my first MG novel. Sooo, going back to a small word count was HARD! But I knew I wanted to add one component from my MG novel into this story…magic!

It took several attempts and lots of back-and-forth edits with my amazing CPs to make the story in my head come to life. But I’m so glad I stuck with it so I can share the magical dancing Mr. Herbert with you!

Before I share, I’d like to give a quick thanks to Kaitlyn and Ciara for hosting the contest. And a BIG thanks to all the generous prize donors: Kim Hoa, Rebecca Gardyn Levington, Alyssa Reynoso-Morris, Hà Dinh, Jyoti Gopal, Jocelyn Rish, Aixa Pérez-Prado, Merrill Rainey, Anna Sargeant at Sourcebooks, Jaime Gelman at Little Bee Books, Adam Blackman at Cardinal Press Books, Stefanie Molina at Ladderbird Agency, Hanh Bui, Ciara O’Neal, and Kaitlyn Sanchez (pssst...she's offering critique services now!). See how you can support them here!

I hope you enjoy my entry!

https://giphy.com/gifs/annafrank-annafrankde-annafrankhh-2ivnZdten0hvKEvrfH

Mr. Herbert’s Perfect Eggscape

by Maria Piñero Pope

150 Words

Mr. Herbert was unlike any bunny in the barnyard. 

With a wiggle of his whiskers, peculiar things happened.

Carrots popped out of the ground and danced straight into his mouth.

Lettuce twirled as their leaves came unfurled.

BUT…

Magic was just ONE of his many talents. 

Mr. Herbert was also a hip-hop dancer who loved to dazzle!

Barnyard friends bounced along with his grooves.

Still, he dreamed of being a big city STAR,

and today’s Easter Egg Hunt for kids from afar was his ticket there!

With a wiggle of his whiskers, Mr. Herbert shrank -POOF!- hiding in a pale-yellow egg.

Until…

SQUEALS, 

GIGGLES,

and STOMPS 

shook his hideout, ready to scoop him away.

He thought of his friends, the best audience around.

Oh dear, I’ve made a mistake!

Then…

as little hands picked up his egg,

he popped out breakdancing, a perfect EGGSCAPE!

And Mr. Herbert hippity-hopped back home.