KidLit Chuckle Challenge 2024

What a fun contest to kick off the fall writing season! Thank you so much to the hosts of the KidLit Chuckle Challenge - Julie Hauswirth, April Berry, and Kris DeCaro. I selected Tiptoe Tina and broccoli from their list of silly objects and characters. To celebrate, I'm having broccoli with dinner tonight.

Feet Your Broccoli

After dance, Tiptoe Tina sat at dinner sighing loudly.

Her talented toes had almost always served her proudly.

Now, the ballerina struggled with her twirls.

"Eat broccoli," Dad said. "It's good for dancing girls."

Feet broccoli? Tina raised an eyebrow as she questioned.

Her ballet-instructor-father must have secret twirl suggestions.

So Tina squished broccoli between blistered toes.

She groaned when her twirls were decidedly slow.

“If broccoli won’t work. I’ll try other greens. 

Maybe spinach? Cucumber? I’ll even try beans!”

Into her slippers, ten lima beans went.

Still, Tina’s twirls weren’t one hundred percent. 

She gave it her all, but spinach made her fall. 

Then a lightbulb shone in her head. 

For elegant twirls, you must stay on beat. 

What better way to do that than with beets?

She roasted red veggies until they became mush.

Her feet were dyed a deep shade of blush.

As she performed, her feet became sweaty, 

Tiptoe Tina transformed into Stinky Toe Betty.

But her twirls were fantastic. There could be no denying. 

Tina no longer ate dinner while sighing. 

She grinned. She giggled. Her feet were so smelly.

Tina’s twirls were perfection, all thanks to beet jelly.