Word Play

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Check It Out! Time to Rhyme Kids in My Class Topsy-Turvy A Wordy Puzzle Tongue Twisters Snazzy, Sensational Snakes Invisible Ink Puzzles Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Spelling 10 Worthy Words Kids Corner Cowboy Clark & Larry Liking Viking Bring Out the Braille Animal Riddles Emoji Yourself Be on the Lookout!

Ward Draw, South Dakota Limericks Puzzle Solutions

Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com

What makes you laugh? Is it telling your friend a silly joke? Try this. See how fast you can say: A tutor who tooted the flute tried to tutor two tooters to toot. Said the two to the tooter, “Is it harder to toot or to tooter two tooters to toot?” Now challenge your friends. Everyone will be laughing!

Do you know how a house stays warm in the winter? By its many coats of paint! How do you make a skeleton laugh? You tickle its funny bone! Try these riddles on your friends and family.

What we have been doing is having fun with words. How about a limerick? It is a funny poem.

Here is one sent in from a subscriber in Ecuador: There were two kids from Ecuador Who thought their lives were quite a bore.

Then Fun For Kidz came in, And each said with a grin, “My life’s not a bore anymore!”

If you like to laugh and have fun, you are guaranteed to love this issue of Fun For Kidz. It is all about having fun with words. Don’t take my word for it. Dive right in, right now! Tell us what you liked best, or better yet, send us your jokes or riddles. We’ll publish them in a future issue.

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Pity The Penguins

by Harvey Hirsch

Pity the poor penguins, Who live where there is ice.

Just to know one another, They have to look twice.

The problem, you see, (Though there’s no one to blame) Is that penguins all dress Exactly the same!

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Hooray for Hippos!

We’re a herd of hefty hippos, And we don’t like sunburned skin.

So all day we stay in water Or in mud up to our chins.

We hippos have forty teeth Inside our massive jaws.

And when we yawn or bellow, Every egret is in awe!

We’re equipped to be aquatic, And submerged we’re right at home.

We have underwater trails Which contentedly we roam.

At dusk, it’s time for dinner, So we hippos swim for shore.

All night we graze on maize and grass.

We eat – and eat some more.

We snooze in ooze as egrets Hitch a ride upon our backs.

The birds peck pesky insects, And for this they have a knack.

We’re a herd of hefty hippos.

When the hot sun pricks our skin, We’ll waddle to the water hole And plunk ourselves back in.

Phillip Allaway/Shutterstock.com

by Heidi Roemer

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by Leah Pileggi illustrated by Neal Levin

Ann Anna Annie is an awesome friend of mine.

Bill Billy William’s wearing braces that look fine.

Chuck Charlie Charles has a cat that chases twine.

Doug Dougie Douglas likes to dance a conga line.

El Elli Eleanor wears every shade of lime.

Fran Frannie Frances has a fancy way with rhyme!

Gert Gertie Gertrude sometimes plays in dirt and grime.

Han Hannah Hannabell has hiccups all the time.

Im Ima Imogene screamed, “Yuck, an icky bug!”

John Johnny Jonathan drinks root beer from a jug.

Kat Kathy Katherine has a kitty and a pug.

Len Lenny Leonard likes his root beer in a mug.

Meg Maggie Margaret makes a peach and mango tart.

Nat Nate Nathan has loved nature from the start.

O Owie Owen thinks it’s obvious he’s smart.

Pete Petey Peter puts himself into his art.

Q Quin Quincy has a quick and brilliant smile.

Ro Rob Roberto set a record for the mile.

Stew Stewy Stewart stacks his homework in a pile.

T Ty Tyrone types his homework in a file.

U Ule Ulysses has a name that’s quite unique.

Val Valey Valentina wears a vest that’s really sleek.

Will Willow Willomena dances every week.

X Xadi Xadia explored and took a peek.

Y Yas Yasmine yaks with birdies in the tree.

Z Zoe Zoey zips around on skates with glee.

All these kids are in my class, a splendid place to be.

Based on all this stuff you’ve read, guess which one is me!

Answer on page 30

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by Joan Holub illustrations by Donna Catanese What if instead of through your nose, You breathed from in-between your toes?

If you ate from your knuckles and Talked through your knees, What would you say when you Wanted to sneeze?

Do you think your head might get in the way If you walked on your elbows day after day?

And wouldn’t your brain be in for a shock If you decided to keep it inside of your sock?

I wonder if anyone at all would care If you sat on your head to sit in a chair.

Wouldn’t your friends be surprised if they found That you’d turned topsy-turvy and changed all around?

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by Guy Belleranti • illustrations by Rebecca Spohn Some letters of the alphabet have the same sound as an entire word. Other letters have no matching words. Read the sounds in this codebook out loud. Look and listen closely. Each letter is represented by a different word or sound.

Use the codebook to decode the secret message.

CODEBOOK A = A B = Bee C = Sea D = Dee E = Eee F = Ef G = Gee

H = Aich I = Eye J = Jay K = Kay L = El M = Em N = En

O = Oh P = Pea Q = Cue R = Are S = Es T = Tea U = You

V = Vee W = Double U X = Ex Y = Why Z = Zee

SECRET MESSAGE Why Oh You\ A Are Eee \ Dee Oh Eye En Gee\ A \ Gee Oh Oh Dee \ Jay Oh Bee.\ En Oh Double U, \ Cue You Eye Eee Tea El Why, \ Pea El Eee A Es Eee \ Tea Are Why \ Tea Oh \ Double U Are Eye Tea Eee \ Why Oh You Are \ Oh Double U En \ Sea Oh Dee Eee Dee\ En Oh Tea Eee. \ Gee Oh Oh Dee \ El You Sea Kay! Answer on page 30

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The sounds in tongue twisters are similar.

That is what makes saying them challenging and fun!

Try saying each of these twisters fast three times.

She sells seashells by the seashore.

If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does she choose?

Willie’s really weary.

A big black bear sat on a big black rug.

Four fine fresh fish for you Rolling red wagons How fast can you read these favorites?

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

I thought a thought. But the thought I thought Wasn’t the thought I thought I thought.

If the thought I thought I thought had been The thought I thought, I wouldn’t have thought so much.

Betty Botter bought some butter, But she said, “This butter’s bitter.

If I put it in the batter, it will make my batter bitter.

But a bit of better butter will make my batter better.”

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by Diane Winebar

This tale’s title uses wacky, wonderful alliteration. Awesome! Alliteration happens when words close to each other have the same beginning sound. Here are some fun facts about some simply splendid snakes. Write down the alliterations you see or photocopy this page and circle them. Send what you find to Fun For Kidz.

We’ll print your name in a future issue!

Rainbow Snakes Have Crazy Colors Rare rainbow snakes are a sensational sight.

They are super swimmers and like living near water. These remarkable reptiles are seldom seen because they hurry to hide. Sometimes they rest under rotting logs. Building burrows in soft, sandy soil or mucky mud, they take delight in their dark dens. No need to worry about painful punctures from these snakes.

Rattling Rattlesnakes The talented tail of a rattlesnake really rattles! Each time the snake slips out of its skin (as surely it should), some skin is caught by rough ridges. A cool, crusty rattle is revealed. Soon the snake has a super strand of rattles!

Quick quivers and shakes shoo away predators and warn wanderers to walk away. If you see this startling snake, please peek from a distance.

A bite would be bad.

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Awesome Array of Colorful Creatures Common garter snakes are colorful creatures. Some have sassy stripes of bright blue, grass green, racy red-orange, or pretty pink and purple.

Cheery checkboard patterns are sometimes seen. These mild-mannered snakes want wet, watery places. Their home habitat is mostly moist meadows and marshes. Garters hide and hibernate during winter’s cold climate, but sometimes slip out to see the sun.

The Bold Black Racer This is a slender specimen, sometimes six feet long.

It shows off shiny, smooth scales of beautiful black.

Racers reside in habitats with hiding hangouts.

Fields are favorites, and they are wild for woods.

Rambling racers are quick creatures, speedy and swift.

When picked on by pesky predators, they trek up trees. Tremendous!

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Inv Have you ever wanted to send a secret message that only your friend could read?

It’s easy. Use INVISIBLE INK. When you write or draw with invisible ink, the paper will look blank when the ink dries.

To see what you have written, you must use a “developer.”

This will cause the invisible ink to turn a dark color.

What You Need to Make Invisible Ink water

baking soda

spoon

Making the Secret Message Put two spoonsful of baking soda in a glass. Using the SAME SPOON, add two spoonsful of water to the glass. Stir. This is your invisible ink.

Use a small artist’s brush, a cotton swab, or even your fingertip to write or draw something on a sheet of plain white paper. Let your message or drawing DRY COMPLETELY.

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Invi s ible Ink isible InkInvisible Ink Developing the Invisible Ink red or purple grape juice

Believe it or not, real grape juice is the SECRET CHEMICAL that will make your invisible ink writing appear. Some fruit juices that contain a blend of grape juice and another juice will work. Try whatever you have.

To see your invisible writing, simply dip a tissue in the grape juice. Lightly rub it over the dried invisible ink.

tissues

The Science Secret Baking soda is a special kind of chemical called a “base.” Purple grape juice has a different chemical called an “indicator.” An indicator will change color if it is mixed with a base.

When grape juice is wiped over your paper, the chemical in it will change color, but ONLY where the baking soda is. So only your letters and drawing lines will show up and turn bluish-green! It looks like magic, but it is really just chemistry.

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by S. Allyn Kelley Homographs are pairs of words that are spelled the same, but have different meanings and often are pronounced differently.

Choose one word from the word bank to fill in both blanks in each sentence. The word bank has more words than you need.

SAMPLE: Does leap over streams more gracefully than another animal does.

1. Sometimes I like to _______________ a book that I’ve already _______________ .

Word Bank

2. My uncle_______________ after he sold his _______________.

3. I started to _______________ to the people on shore when my boat hit a _______________.

4. I put my head _______________ on a _______________ pillow.

5. When I stopped playing baseball last night, I put down my _______________ , then saw a _______________ fly by.

6. After playing violin, I put down my _______________ and took a _______________.

7. I like to fish for _______________ and play the _______________ guitar.

BAT BASS READ DOWN MOPED TEAR WIND BOW ROLL FINE WAVE

8. He had to pay a _______________ after parking in front of the _______________-dining restaurant without eating there.

9. When I _______________ thick paper, my eye gets a _______________ because I dislike the sound.

by Evelyn B. Christensen

by Guy Belleranti

e syllable Each word in the box has on also have and three letters. The words Can you something else in common. figure out what it is?

ARE EYE SEA WHY YOU

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Sequoia, which is the biggest tree in the world, is a fun word because while it has only seven letters, it has all five vowels: a, e, i, o, and u. Two longer words that have all five vowels in the correct order are facetious and abstemious. You can look them up in the dictionary to find what they mean.

Fill in the squares so that each row, column, and 7-square section has the letters S-E-Q-U-O-I-A.

Q

A I

U O

U

U A

E

S

E

U O I

Q E S O Q A I A U S

O

by Jacqueline S. Cotton

by Diane de Anda

How do you get from WARM to COOL? Change one letter of each word, starting with the word WARM, until you get to the word COOL. If you get stuck, use the clues to help you.

Some words in English and Spanish not only sound the same, or almost the same, but also mean the same thing. Below are English sentences, each with one Spanish word and how to pronounce it. If the letters are dark, say that part of the word in a stronger voice. See if you can figure out the English word that goes in its place. Put the correct English word in the sentence below it.

1. I live in a house with my familia (fa-meel-yah).

I live in a house with my ____________.

INSECT

2. My dog is an animál (ah-nee-mall).

My dog is an _____________.

DAMAGED

3. When I’m sick, I go to the doctor (doke-tore).

When I’m sick, I go to the _____________.

VEGETABLE

4. A nurse works in a hospital (ohs-pea-tall).

A nurse works in a _____________.

STRING

5. No one can do it. It’s imposible (eem-po-see-vleh).

No one can do it. It’s _____________.

PLUG ROAST

C

O

O

L

6. Checking for cars before you cross the street is very importante (eem-por-tahn-teh).

Checking for cars before you cross the street is very _______________.

7. The whale was enorme (eh-nor-meh).

The whale was ______________.

by Guy Belleranti

1) Each word in BOX A matches up with a word in BOX B. Can you find the matches and say how they match?

2) Each word in BOX A matches up with a word in BOX C. Can you find the matches and say how they match?

BOX A

BOX B

BOX C

eye cat door flower clothes

hour nose gnat fly store

fish bell pin pot lid

8. Everyone knows him because he is famoso (fah-moe-so).

Everyone knows him because he is _______________.

9. He likes whipped crema (creh-mah) on his pie.

He likes whipped _________ on his pie.

For

Answers & Solutions Page 30 15

by Lynda Wade Sentz • illustrated by Amy Gallaher I must tell you the story of Tyler Tim Taylor. He left for school wanting to be a sailor. A strange thing happened that caused quite a commotion. Tyler Tim Taylor found a brand-new devotion.

It seems that the teacher took to the notion that children should spell words like “PIGLETS” and “POTION.” Once Tyler Tim Taylor found out how to spell, a love of words started that no one could quell.

It started with words like “CAT,” “PAT,” and “RAT,” which led him to others, like “HAT,” “MAT,” and “SAT.” He learned word after word, letter by letter, day after day getting better and better.

“CAN,” “RAN,” and “RUN,” “MAN,” “VAN,” and “SUN.” “JET,” “NET,” and “NEW,” “FLEW,” “BLUE,” and “SHOE.” “CABBAGE” and “CRIBBAGE,” “MESSAGE” and “MARRIAGE.” “BAGGAGE” and “LUGGAGE,” “PASSAGE” and “CARRIAGE.” Soon he was spelling all night and all day. Early in the morning, his family would say, “Please, Tyler Tim, we’ve all had enough. One more day of spelling, and we’ll all be quite gruff!”

But did Tyler Tim stop? Why, of course, he did not! The words, they came faster and faster and faster. Then he began to write on the plaster.

When the plaster got full, he wrote on the doors. He filled them up and moved on to the floors. He covered the rugs, filled all of the mugs, and if that weren’t enough, he tried writing on jugs.

Words could be found wherever you looked. Tyler Tim Taylor simply was hooked. He loved to spell words, that much is true. His parents wondered if he’d ever get through.

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“I have an idea,” his dad finally said. “I know how to get all these words from his head. We’ll give him an enormous, big roll of clean paper. For sure that will end this annoying word caper.

“He can spell and write and spell some more. He can keep on writing till no more words pour. Once his head has been emptied of new spelling words, our family will rejoice and sing like the birds.”

Tyler Tim’s mom retorted, “By golly, you’re right. He’ll surely run out of new words by tonight.” So they gave him the paper and hoped for the best. They waited and waited for the end of his quest.

Tyler Tim Taylor worked long into the night. He wrote and spelled with tremendous delight. Soon morning came. He showed no signs of slowing. His family wondered how long he’d keep going.

Three rolls of paper were filled to capacity, and still he was working with fervor and veracity. Ten pens and eight pencils were used up completely, but Tyler Tim Taylor was still working neatly.

His mom finally said, “This just has to stop. I can’t find the floor to vacuum or mop!”

His dad told his mom, “The doctor I’m calling. This situation is simply appalling.”

They told the doctor Tyler must have the flu and asked him what in the world should they do. The doctor said, “Tyler Tim’s Taylor’s not ill.

There’s no need to worry or give him a pill. Don’t try to stop this spelling sensation. Someday, he’ll find a new occupation.”

But Tyler Tim Taylor fooled one and all. His love of spelling words never did pall. Tyler Tim Taylor spelled all of his life. He even kept at it after taking a wife. They and their children are still spelling today. It isn’t a problem. They like it that way.

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Hey, Kids!

Send us your stories, poems, drawings, photos, and jokes & riddles for publication! We’ll send you a free copy of the issue your work appears in. Already a subscriber? Give your extra magazine to a grandparent!

Remember: When you write to Ziggy, the Fun For Kidz dog, he will write back. We can’t wait to see what you send in!

Be sure to include your name, address, and age on everything you send in.

EMAIL TO: kidscorner@funforkidz.com

OR MAIL TO: Kids Corner, PO Box 227 Bluffton, OH 45817-0227

I took this today in my neighbor’s backyard. My dad and I used some deer calls to try to get the buck to come to our yard, but he was settled in.

Photo by Hunter Edwards Photo by Parker Edwards

ATTENTION READERS!

Write to Ziggy, the Fun For Kidz dog. If you write to Ziggy, he will write back to you! Send letters to: Fun For Kidz Attn. Ziggy PO Box 227 Bluffton, OH 45817-0227

Dear Ziggy, My name is Kathryn Schneider. I am 8 years old. According to my mom and me, your magazine is outstanding. My mom is so nice, and I like you too.

Gotta Go! Kathryn Schneider

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Dear Ziggy, How are you doing? I am fine. I turned 10 years old in September. I love animals, reading, writing, rocks, and lots of stuff. I want to be a geologist when I grow up since I love rocks.

A new fan, Collin Muha

Dear Ziggy, I live on a big farm with lots of animals. We have 40 chickens, 10 goats, 6 pigs, and 3 big horses. We tried giving all the farm animals names, but we ran out of names! We also have pets. Our dogs are Skippy and Rocky and our cats are Mittens, Candy, and Sunny. As you can tell, we love animals!

A fan, Jamie Voigt

Dear Ziggy, I started getting Fun For Kidz at our library, then my parents got me a subscription.

They also bought me 20 back issues. I like them all. I share them with my sister and my brother.

I started going back to school. I liked going to school at home, but I missed my friends and school. My best subjects are science and social studies. Do you go to dog school? Ha-ha!

Your friend, Virginia (Ginny) McWilliams

Dear Ziggy, Hi. My name is Tyson, and I am 9. My hobbies are riding bikes, computer games, and soccer. I am learning tricks on my skateboard too. My favorite issue so far is Be a Cartoonist (January/February 2020), but I really like all the issues.

Your friend, Tyson Roeck

Mrs. Whiskers sauntered into Larry’s front yard and purred, “I saw you two.”

“Saw us?” Larry asked, swallowing the rest of the treat in his mouth.

“Yes,” Mrs. Whiskers said. “All your two-legger has to say is one word and poof, you become robots.

“SIT,” and you sit. “STAY,” and you become statues. It’s a bad habit if you ask me.”

“No one asked ya,” Cowboy Clark said.

“We did get treats,” Larry pointed out.

Mrs. Whiskers narrowed her eyes. “At the cost of your dignity?” She looked them over. “What’s amazing is it only takes one word to get you two to perform.”

“You’ve never begged for a treat?” Larry asked, bewildered.

“Never,” said Mrs. Whiskers. “I’m a Tuxedo cat. Begging is beneath me.”

“You know, there isn’t such a thing as a Tuxedo cat,” Cowboy Clark snarled. “I checked it out, and you’re just black and white. So don’t go getting all high and mighty with us.”

“High and mighty? Why I’m just sharing how it’s best not to get in the habit of responding to twoleggers’ commands.” Mrs. Whiskers stretched, then continued. “I never perform. Still, that nice O’Leary family leaves a can of food out on their back porch for me every evening. That sweet lady, Mrs. Myers, keeps a bowl full of kibble. And, of course, the people I supervise feed me two squares meals a day, plus treats.”

“Well, dogs are nicer.” Cowboy Clark said.

Mrs. Whiskers yawned and waved her paw. “Away.”

As Cowboy Clark and Larry walked away, Mrs. Whiskers chuckled. Cowboy Clark turned around.

“What’s so funny?”

Mrs. Whiskers snickered, “It truly does take just one word for you two to obey.”

Before Cowboy Clark could run back to argue, Mrs. Whiskers climbed a tree.

“Mrs. Whiskers!” Cowboy Clark barked.

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by Carol L. MacKay illustrated by Pamela Harden

Vikings lived in Northern Europe. Their way of writing used letters they called runes. The word “rune� means secret or mystery. Vikings were most powerful about 900 to 1200 years ago. They traveled to many places in Europe and even sailed their long ships to Eastern Canada. In some areas, Vikings carved messages on stone using runes.

These are still being discovered today.

The oldest form of the Viking alphabet was made up of 24 runes:

Fehu F

Uruz U, V

Hagalaz Nauthiz H N

Tiwaz T

Berkano B

Thurisaz Ansuz Th A

Raido R

Kenaz C, K, Q

Gebo G

Wunjo W

Isa E

Jera Y, J

Eihwaz I

Perthro P

Algiz X, Z

Sowilo S

Ehwaz E

Mannaz M

Laguz L

Ingwax Ng

Dagaz D

Othila O

(as in bet)

Can you spell your name in runes?

Print your name here:

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illustrations by Pamela Harden By feeling patterns of raised dots on paper with their fingertips, blind children are able to communicate by reading and writing. A French boy named Louis Braille developed this alphabet for the blind when he was only 15 years old.

Write a note to a friend using the Braille alphabet and sign your name in Braille. Make a copy of the Braille alphabet to include with your note so your friend can read what you wrote.

Reading in Braille

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by Vicky L. Meekins

Choose your answers from the following words:

HARE CHEETAH LION ROBIN YAK BOAR 1. What animal likes to talk a lot?

2. What animal gets into trouble at test time?

3. What did the little bird go to jail for?

4. What animal would be likely to have a ponytail?

5. What animal doesn’t tell the truth?

6. What animal would you not invite to a party?

Answers on page 30

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Emoji Yourself!

When your grandparents were your age, they had only one choice for expressing themselves when they were writing. They would use punctuation. If they wanted to show excitement, an exclamation mark was used! What about a question? Of course, they used a question mark. Unless they drew a picture by hand, there was no way to express a feeling like happy or sad.

You are fortunate! You use emojis. Ask your parents and grandparents what they know about emojis. If they don’t have much to say, share some of these facts with them. You will impress them and maybe even your friends and teacher.

They were created by Shigetaka Kurita, a Japanese man, in 1997.

Emojis were meant to show emotion on a cellphone.

There were only 90 emojis in the beginning.

By 1999, there were 176 emojis.

Today there are over 3300 emojis.

These expressions can be used on phones, computers, and iPads.

Now you can create your own emoji to look like you or someone in your family.

What are you waiting for? Send a text message to Fun For Kidz. Our phone number is 419-358-4610. See how many emojis you can use in place of words, and close with an emoji that looks like you. Maybe you will hear back from us! Be sure to first ask permission from your parents. You can also email us a letter using lots of emojis.

Send it to kidscorner@funforkidz.com.

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Be on the LOOKOUT!

by Guy Belleranti

Think of someone you know whose name can be spelled the same forward or backward, like Mom or Bob. Now think of words that can be spelled the same forward or backward, like race car and radar. These types of words and names are called palindromes.

Try these two puzzles.

Be on the lookout for palindromes.

Ten palindromes are hidden in this puzzle. To find them, do the following: 1. Cross out all the vowels in columns 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, and 11. 2. Cross out all the consonants in columns 3, 5, 6, 9, and 10.

3. Write the remaining letters on the blanks to spell out the palindrome answers.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

D

A

A

D

P

S

M

E

Two palindrome names

O

O

E

V

P

E

O

A speedy palindrome

R

I

A

C

G

E

A palindrome with vision

A

E

T

U

E

Another palindrome name

W

H

A

N

Two palindrome noises

I

T

S

A ballplayer’s palindrome

S

E

P

Two palindrome parents

9

10

11

Answer(s)

O

N

M

__ __ __, __ __ __

B

W

O

B

__ __ __, __ __ __

C

A

A

D

R

__ __ __ __ __ __ __

G

U

Y

M

E

E

__ __ __

H

T

N

U

T

A

H

__ __ __ __ __ __

E

O

O

T

P

O

H

P

__ __ __ __, __ __ __

T

A

D

E

T

N

K

S

__ __ __ __ __

Answers on page 30

by Evelyn B. Christensen

Use the clues below to write some palindromes.

LEVEL; MOM, DAD; TOOT; RACE CAR; POP; REDDER; NOON; BOB; KAYAK; RADAR; SOLOS; EVE 1. What bubbles do: 2. Names of two family members:

and

3. Middle of the day: 4. What you might do for apples in a tub of water: 5. Just before a holiday, like New Year’s Day: 6. What police might use to catch speeders: 7. A one-person canoe-like boat: 8. Word to describe something that’s flat or even: 9. Sound a horn makes: 10. Songs that people sing alone: 11. An auto used in a speed contest: 12. More crimson:

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Answers on page 30

by Miss Yettee

WELCOME TO

WARD DRAW, SOUTH DAKOTA POPULATION: 40

“Finally! A town!” Sallas hugged the car door.

“Dad, you said we'd be in Deadwood at noon.”

Little brother Allen leaned over to get a look.

“Allen, get off me,” Sallas said. His face got redder. Sweat ran down his cheek. “You're sticky, and I'm too hot to hoot my whistle. Whose idea was it to come to South Dakota for our vacation, anyway?”

Mom looked at her three children in the back seat. “Nella, Allen, and you wanted to see a gunfight reenactment. You wanted to hear the gunfighters yell, “Draw, O coward.”

Sallas said, “Dad, I'm dying of thirst. There's a Pot's Stop and Fuel.”

Dad parked the car. “Go get something for everyone,” Dad said.

Sallas peeled himself out of the car. The paintchipped store had worn railings and a wooden sidewalk. Animal skulls hung above doors.

Wooden floor planks moaned as he walked in.

“Yo, banana boy. You're not from around here.” A teenage boy dressed all in black stood behind a wooden

counter with a massive brass cash register. Sallas stared at him.

“Who were you expecting? Wild Bill Hickok?” the boy asked. “What do you need?”

“Water.”

“We've got some flavored water, but no lemon, no melon. Just orange and lime.” He nodded toward the coolers.

Sallas grabbed five bottled waters and some pop. A collection of mounted animals caught his eye.

“Wow! Who shot all of these?”

“I did.” A tall man with a big oval belt buckle and cowboy hat walked heavily on the wooden floor. He said, “Bart, are you messing with the customers again?”

Bart stepped out from behind the counter. A gun belt hung on his hips. He picked up a black cowboy hat, bent his head, and placed it just so.

“See you, city slicker,” he said as he sauntered out the door.

Sallas stared. “Who is he?”

“Why, that's Black Bart. You best get a move on if you want to see him in action.”

The big cowboy nodded toward the door.

“Hey, Mom and Dad, you're not going to believe this!”

Answer on page 30

Palindromes are words, phrases, or even numbers that can be read the same forward or backward.

The names Bob and Anna are palindromes. So is the sentence Step on no pets. How many palindrome words or sentences can you find in this story?

27

There was once a young girl from China Who thought her life couldn’t be finer.

She feasted on rice, Sweetened with spice, And never set foot in a diner.

There was a young girl from Spain Whose hair resembled a lion’s mane.

She’d brush and she’d comb, Never leaving it alone, And refused to go out in the rain.

There was a young girl from Great Britain.

One winter, she lost her best mitten.

“I’ll freeze,” she shouted.

She cried and she pouted Till her mum got her a cuddly warm kitten.

28

There was a boy from Switzerland Who formed his own one-man band.

He played trumpet and flute, Guitar and lute, But the piano he played with one hand.

There was a young boy from Peru Who was always losing one shoe.

He’d search high and low.

He’d keep stubbing his toe Until it was all black and blue.

There was a boy from Luxembourg Who enjoyed a big smorgasbord.

He’d sample each dish: Chicken, roast beef, and fish.

With so much food, who could be bored?

by Ruth Rotkowitz illustrations by Joan Waites

29

Kids in My Class on page 6 Fran Frannie Frances, who has a fancy way with rhyme!

Wordy Puzzle on page 8 DECODED MESSAGE You are doing a good job. Now, quietly, please try to write your own coded note. Good luck!

Words in a Box on page 14

Warm to Cool on page 15 W

A

R

M

INSECT

W

O

R

M

DAMAGED

W

O

R

N

VEGETABLE

C

O

R

N

STRING

C

O

R

D

PLUG

C

O

R

K

ROAST

C

O

O

K

C

O

O

L

Animal Riddles on page 24 1. YAK 2. CHEETAH 3. ROBIN 4. HARE 5. LION 6. BOAR

Puzzle Out the Palindromes on page 26 DAD, MOM EVE, BOB RACE CAR EYE HANNAH TOOT, POP STATS

What’s the Palindrome? on page 26 1. POP 2. MOM DAD 3. NOON 4. BOB 5. EVE 6. RADAR

30

7. KAYAK 8. LEVEL 9. TOOT 10. SOLOS 11. RACE CAR 12. REDDER

Looks Can Be Deceiving! on page 14 1. read, 2. moped, 3. wave, 4. down, 5. bat, 6. bow, 7. bass, 8. fine, 9. tear

Each word sounds like a letter of the alphabet.

Spanish Words You Already Know on page 15 1. FAMILY, 2. ANIMAL, 3. DOCTOR, 4. HOSPITAL, 5. IMPOSSIBLE, 6. IMPORTANT, 7. ENORMOUS, 8.

FAMOUS, 9. CREAM

Ward Draw, South Dakota on page 27 There are 26 palindromes in this story.

Double Match Challenge on page 15 1.) Each word in BOX A rhymes with a word in BOX B: eye rhymes with fly cat rhymes with gnat door rhymes with store flower rhymes with hour clothes rhymes with nose

Sequoia Sudoku on page 14

Q U S A I E O I Q A U I A O S S E Q U O O A E I U I S O E Q A Q U S E

E U Q I S

O S E A Q

A U O I

2.) Each word in BOX A matches up with a word in BOX C to form a compound word: eye -> lid makes eyelid cat -> fish makes catfish door -> bell makes doorbell flower -> pot makes flowerpot clothes -> pin makes clothespin

Photo Credits: Farancia erytrogramma (rainbow snake): Charles Baker [CC BY-SA 4.0] via Wikimedia Commons 10 (top); Bluestripe garter snake: Geoff Gallice from Gainesville, FL, USA [CC BY 2.0] via Wikimedia Commons 11 (top); Black racer: Gareth Rasberry [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons 11 (bottom); ©[Anna Yakimova/123RF.COM] 22 (inset); ©[Darin Burks/123RF.COM] 27.

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V i s i t U s O n l i n e ! F a c e b o o k . c o m / F u n F o r K i d z • w w w. F u n F o r K i d z . c o m Vol. 20 No. 1 • JAN/FEB 2021 Publisher: Thomas M. Edwards Editor: Marilyn Edwards Associate Editor: Diane Winebar Graphic Design: Gaurakisora Tucker Marketing Director: Jonathan Edwards Circulation Manager: Mark Studer Science Editor: Larry White Science Illustrator: Alan Wassilak Cowboy Clark & Larry Editor: Lisa Rehfuss Cover Artist: Chris Sabatino

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