Listen and read-along with this fun poem written and narrated by Leah Pileggi.

My sister Quinn builds houses for the birdies. That’s her thing.
She hangs them near the windows, so she’ll hear those birdies sing.
She’s working on a special house for little bitty birds,
a tall apartment birdhouse that is done about two-thirds.

My brother Finn’s a genius. Okay, not like Aristotle.
But his hobby is intense: he fits small ships inside a bottle.
He studies sailing ships from every country in the world.
I made him show me how he gets those tiny sails unfurled.

My thing is throwing plates (that means I spin clay on a wheel)
I sometimes mold a pinch pot. It depends on how I feel.
Today I plan to spin a vase that’s tall and round and skinny.
I’ll paint it with designs I saw while studying New Guinea.

We’re at the kitchen table with our hobbies ‘cause it’s raining.
The table’s really full of stuff. The table’s legs are straining.
Hey! What’s going on? Both Finn and Quinn picked up their pace.
Paint and parts start flying. It’s a high-speed hobby race!

Quinn’s birdhouse has a roof now. All it needs is purple paint.
Quinn’s painting at a frantic pace. I hope she doesn’t faint.
Finn’s fingers move at lightning speed. I almost start to laugh.
But, oops! He bends the mast too far. His small ship snaps in half.

My wheel is spinning faster on the messy kitchen table.
My tall, round, skinny vase is now increasingly unstable.
The table leg gives way! Quinn’s birdhouse slides and she can’t grab it.
I throw myself across the floor too late for me to nab it.

A bottle starts to roll, and now it’s flattened out a yacht.
Just before it hits the ground, Finn reaches out. It’s caught!
Did my vase survive the day? I’ll tell you how it ended.

As the table tipped, my vase appeared to be suspended, but
it tumbled to the kitchen floor and landed with a squish.
Our hobbies are a total loss.

It’s time to play…

THE END

About the Author

Leah Pileggi writes poems for kids of all ages. Her first novel, Prisoner 88 is for ages 9 and up and is an NCTE Notable Book. Leah’s hobbies have included knitting, hiking, and attempting to play the mandolin.