HOW TO WRITE A CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK COMPETITION

The deadline for this competition is looming (5 March), the details of which can be found in the January edition of Writing Magazine and I have finally edited my short story about bedtime down to below 250 words.  I will be sending this off in the post tomorrow - fingers crossed for me.

Here it is:

NO BEAR FOR BEDTIME

I won’t go to bed and I don’t care 

I won’t go without my bear

Mummy’s looked in my bed and Daddy looked in the pram

They only found my Lolly lamb

They looked in the kitchen and behind the door 

But he’s not under the table or on the floor

Daddy’s looked in the front room but couldn’t find 

Him under the cushions or behind the blind

I won’t go to bed and I don’t care

I won’t go without my bear

My brother checked the cat and then the dog 

But they only had my squeaky frog

He looked under my covers and under my bed

He’s not there, I already said

Mummy looked in the playroom amongst the toys 

When I began to make some noise

I won’t go to bed and I don’t care 

I won’t go without my bear

They say he’s not in the house, in any rooms

A sleepless night before them looms

Daddy says he’ll check the car and the garden shed 

Because he really wants me to go to bed

I won’t go to bed and I don’t care 

I won’t go without my bear

While in the garden he calls to Mum 

I break into a smile and begin to run

For there he is on the washing line 

Hanging by his ears for all that time

I will go to bed and I really care 

That I can cuddle Benjy bear