Where Critters Roam

By Rick Rogers

Where Critters Roam is original woodland fiction for young readers and families.  Seventeen short stories and thirteen songs wander through the natural world in the company of fairytales.

     Author and storyteller, Rick Rogers, writes for all ages in the folk tradition of oral storytelling. His earth tales and songs are designed to be read aloud enjoyed by young and old alike. 

     In the spirit of authenticity, the author lives in the country where outdoor experiences become the heart of his stories and the wellspring of his characters.  

     Where Critters Roam is the author's fourth book of woodland fiction. Years ago, as a reading teacher, the author felt there should be more stories for young readers about the "out of doors" and natural world around them.  

     That quest led to a life in the country writing for children.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Timberdoodle Publications
• Release date: Jun 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201685294

Rick Rogers

Rick Rogers is a storyteller of the ancient oral tradition.  He is the author of three collections of woodland fiction for children and young adults:  Ballads and Tales of the Woods, Critters, Woods and Water, and Earth Tales and Bird Song.  He retired as a middle school writing science teacher in 2011 from the Spencer Van Etten School district in upstate NY where he lives and is presently a member of the SVE Board of Education.    Stories, songs and storytelling videos for children and teachers can be found at earthtalesandbirdsong.com

Book preview

Songs

Rhymes for Wandering and Wonder

Feeling All Right

Moles out digging in my garden

moles out digging in their holes

when the moles are digging

then their holes are living

and the moles are giving

when they’re digging their holes

––––––––

Bird nest built up in some branches

bird nest built to sit upright

when the birds are nesting

with their little hearts resting

then the birds keep nesting

and they’re feeling all right

––––––––

Moths out flying in the moonlight

moths out flying through the night

when the moths are flying

and the moon is rising

then the moths keep flying

and they’re feeling all right

––––––––

Fat cat sleeping on the carpet

fat cat sleeping through the night

when the fat cat’s sleeping

then the mice are creeping

when the mice keep creeping

they’re feeling all right

A Silly Tune

I wish I knew a silly tune

so I could sing

a silly song for you

I’d sing for me

I’d sing for you

I’d sing, keep singing

through the afternoon

––––––––

I wish I knew a happy tune

so I could sing

a happy song for you

I’d sing all day

I’d sing all night

I’d sing, keep singing

till the morning light

––––––––

I think I’ll learn that silly tune

so I can dance

throughout the afternoon

I’ll dance for me

I’ll dance for you

I’ll dance keep dancing

the old coo chee coo

––––––––

Now I know that silly tune

I made it up

so I could sing for you

I like to sing

I like to dance

I like to sleep

without my underpants 

Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe

There was an old lady

who lived in a shoe

a kind old lady

she was me and you

she had great big smile

and an even bigger heart

she was born that way

from her end to the start

––––––––

There was an old lady

who lived in a shoe

she said, "Come on in

let me welcome you

I’ve got a great big kettle

and an even bigger pot

I’ve got a dog named ‘Kitty’

and a cat named, ‘Spot’

––––––––

There was an old lady

who lived in a shoe

her doors were wide open

it was like a zoo

she had mice in the cupboards

and ants on the floor

she put cheese on their crackers

they came back for more

––––––––

There was an old lady

who lived in a shoe

she loved the wildflowers

and the spiders too

she said hi to the mornings

sweetdreams to the nights

she waved goodbye with her smile

‘til you were out of sight

Age Old Rhythms

Monkeys climbing through the mango trees

a chorus of leaves behind them

age old rhythms with the winds and breeze

shouldn’t have to be reminded

––––––––

Chipmunks running where the cats roam free

a chorus of birds behind them

age old rhythms with the tall old trees

shouldn’t have to be reminded

––––––––

Blackbirds nesting in the cattail reeds

a chorus of frogs behind them

age old rhythms with the clover and bees

shouldn’t have to be reminded

––––––––

Rivers roaring where the rocks can sing 

a chorus of echoes behind them

age old rhythms in the deep ravines

shouldn’t have to be reminded

Where We Like to Go

I know where I like to go

up in the leaves of a maple tree

on a limb out there with the chickadees

oh, oh

let’s go

––––––––

You know where you like to go

out on a pile of fallen leaves

on a trig out there with some bumble bees

oh, oh

let’s go

––––––––

We know where we like to go

out on a rock in a gentle breeze

on a cliff up there just you and me

oh, oh

let’s go

––––––––

I know where life goes

up in the air with the pods and seeds

in the ground down there with the shoots and reeds

oh, oh

I think I’ll go

Morning Wander

Morning wander

polliwog

swampy bottom 

fallen log 

––––––––

Bullhead whiskers

brown catfish

bottom feeders

tasty dish

––––––––

Salamander

cattail shoots

underwater

eggs and newts

––––––––

Marshy woodland

conifers

windswept pollen

gymnosperms

––––––––

Clubmoss horsetails

ancient ferns

giant forests

geotherm 

Bim Bot Bo

Compost     

burnt toast     

fence post 

glasnost 

pot roast

west coast

mud slides gone

––––––––

Moon glow

free flow

deep snow

no show

long toe

dino

sauros bones

––––––––

Rumors

tumors

schooners

bloomers

snoozers

losers

goodbye gone

––––––––

Flip flop

hip hop

wet mop

slop pot

short stop

long shot

bim bot bo

––––––––

Everywhere we go

everyone we know

everything we sow

soon fades away

Charlie

Charlie Brown, brown dog, that’s my name

head to tail colors all the same

bred to love the water

I was born to swim

but if it’s too deep

I’m not going in

––––––––

Playing on a hillside all day long

running through the woods where I belong

sniffing those rabbits

I like chasing squirrels

barking at the deer

watch their white tails twirl

––––––––

Rolling in leaves in the warm sunshine

wagging my tail pretty sure it’s mine

picking up sticks

and spinning around

napping in the garden

til the sun goes down

––––––––

Walking down the lane it’s the end of the day

listen, hear the man what he has to say

doesn’t really make much sense

you see

unless he’s got a treat

and he’s calling me 

Call me, Charlie

He calls me, Charlie

Drilling

Wonder what they’re putting in the ground

making sure there’s no one around

wonder if they really know

where poison, pipes and water flows

I wonder if they ever look around

––––––––

Wonder what they’re putting in the air

wonder if they ever really care

wonder where the birds can fly

where they can nest, and they won’t die

I wonder what they’re putting in the air

––––––––

Wonder why they’re drilling underground

nothing in the rocks left to be found

tanker trucked and sluiced away

nothing left for another day

I wonder why they’re digging underground

––––––––

Wonder when I first looked around

to notice Mother Earth is almost gone

mountain tops and riverbeds

despoiled valleys, watersheds

I wonder