ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Awnie's House ???? Kids Book Read Aloud: BOO STEW by Donna L. Washington and Jeffery Ebbeler
This story is shared with permission from Peachtree Publishing Incorporated.
Hello, my wonderful reading friends! I’m Ani, and I’m thrilled you’re here to read with me today! If you want to hear more stories, ask a grown-up to help you subscribe to my channel. Make sure to watch until the end because I have some special shout-outs! Are you ready for a fun story?
Today, we’re reading a brand-new book called “Boo Stew,” written by Donna L. Washington and illustrated by Jeffrey Eberle. It’s all about a girl named Curly Locks who lives in a place called Toad Suck Swamp. Curly Locks loves to cook, even though the townspeople don’t always like her unusual recipes like batwing brownies and cat hair cupcakes. But her mom always says, “Do what your heart loves,” and Curly Locks loves cooking!
One night, Curly Locks left her lizard skin lasagna on the windowsill to cool. When she came back, it was gone! She thought, “Someone out there likes my cooking!”
The next morning, the mayor of the town had a surprise visitor—a tiny scare that jumped right into his pancakes! The mayor was so scared he ran out of his house and told the blacksmith about it. The blacksmith tried to help but ended up running away too!
When Curly Locks heard about the scares causing trouble in the mayor’s kitchen, she had an idea. “Maybe no one has tried cooking for them,” she thought. So, she decided to make them something special to eat.
Curly Locks bravely went into the mayor’s messy kitchen and started cooking her famous Boo Stew. The scares were curious and watched her cook. She told them to help clean up, and they did!
Once the kitchen was clean, Curly Locks finished her Boo Stew. The scares couldn’t wait to try it! They ate until they were full and happy. Curly Locks promised to cook for them every night if they behaved.
Thanks to Curly Locks and her Boo Stew, the scares stopped causing trouble, and the town became peaceful. Everyone was happy, especially Curly Locks, who finally found someone who loved her cooking!
I had so much fun reading “Boo Stew” with you! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Now, let’s give some shout-outs to our friends: Atticus and Adeline in Columbus, Ohio; Suhani and Amog in Dubai; Grayson in Huntsville, Alabama; Naomi and Serena in New Orleans, Louisiana; Riley Ambrose in Woodbury, Minnesota; Maya and Wes in Mercer Island, Washington; Nathaniel Jones in Woodbridge, Virginia; Logan and Jean in Hanover, Virginia; and Drew McCarter in Lafayette, Indiana.
Thank you for reading with me today! I can’t wait to see you next time for another exciting story. Bye for now!
Cooking Adventure: Just like Curly Locks, you can create your own special dish! With the help of a grown-up, choose some fun and safe ingredients from your kitchen. Mix them together to make a unique snack or dessert. Give your creation a fun name, just like “Boo Stew.” Share it with your family and see what they think. What did you enjoy most about making your own recipe?
Scare Detective: Imagine you are a detective in Toad Suck Swamp. Go on a “scare hunt” around your home or backyard. Look for things that might be a little spooky or mysterious, like shadows or unusual shapes. Draw a picture of what you find and write a short story about how Curly Locks might use her cooking skills to make friends with these “scares.” What would she cook for them?
Kindness Kitchen: Curly Locks used her cooking to make friends and bring peace to the town. Think about how you can use your skills or hobbies to help others. Maybe you like drawing, singing, or building things. Create something special for a friend or family member to make them smile. How did it feel to share your talents with someone else?
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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This book is being read with permission from Peachtree Publishing Incorporated.
Hello, my terrific reading friends! It’s Ani. I’m so happy you came to read with me today! If you want to stay up to date on my newest stories, ask mom or dad to click that subscribe button and make sure to watch all the way through because I’m going to do some shout-outs at the end. Are you ready for a story?
Well, I am super excited about today’s book because I get to read it with three of my four sons. My fourth son lost his voice, so he’s going to have to help me on another book, but you are going to love this book! It is so much fun and it’s brand new. It’s called “Boo Stew.” If you have a copy, go get it so you can read along with me!
[Music]
“Boo Stew,” written by Donna L. Washington, illustrated by Jeffrey Eberle, published by Peachtree Atlanta.
There were always scares in Toad Suck Swamp, but Curly Locks didn’t pay them much mind. The scares kept to themselves; they only woke up at night, and the most annoying thing about them was their hooting and hollering. The only thing Curly Locks truly cared about was cooking. Sadly, the townsfolk spoke poorly of her when she offered them batwing brownies and cat hair cupcakes. It was disappointing, but her mama just said, “Do what your heart loves.” Well, her heart loved to cook.
One night, Curly Locks left a pan of lizard skin lasagna cooling on the windowsill. When she returned, the dish was licked clean. She peered out into Toad Suck. “Somebody out there likes my cooking!”
The next morning, the mayor was singing to himself as he sat down to breakfast when an itty-bitty scare opened the window and plopped right into the middle of his pancakes. It wiggled its hairy little head. The mayor lit out of that house and nearly knocked down the blacksmith.
“Whoa there, Mr. Mayor! What’s got you so shook?” the blacksmith asked.
“There’s an itty-bitty scare sitting in the middle of my pancakes!” the mayor exclaimed.
“What’s one of them critters doing out in daylight?” the blacksmith asked.
“Who cares?” the mayor trembled. “I just want it out of my kitchen!”
The blacksmith laughed. “I’ll knock that itty-bitty scare out next Tuesday.”
“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you,” the mayor whispered.
“Well, you ain’t me!” The blacksmith stuck out his chest and strutted into the mayor’s house. The itty-bitty scare was sitting in the middle of a big old mess on the mayor’s table. The blacksmith was getting ready to snatch that critter up by its ear when he felt a tap-tap-tapping on his shoulder.
“Get your gun!” The blacksmith bolted out of that house and ran smack dab into the chicken rancher.
“Why are y’all making such a fuss over one little scare?” asked the chicken rancher.
“Because it’s in my kitchen!” the mayor snapped.
“There’s two scares now,” the blacksmith added.
“This one is bigger than the first,” said the chicken rancher. “All they ever do is hoot and holler. Don’t you fret none; I’ll handle it.”
“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you,” warned the blacksmith.
“Well, you ain’t me!” The chicken rancher lifted his chin and swaggered into the mayor’s house.
Lickety-split, the chicken rancher snatched the itty-bitty scare by a tuft of hair and lassoed the other with his rope. “You scares don’t scare me!” he roared. The house started shaking, and the rancher’s knees began quaking.
“Get your boo! Get your bone! Get your goo! Get you gone!” the chicken rancher hollered.
Oh, the stories about the scares spread like wildfire. Curly Locks was heading into town when she saw folks running through the streets.
“Where y’all going?” she yelled.
“The scares are wrecking the mayor’s kitchen!” the dressmaker hollered back.
Curly Locks remembered the lizard skin lasagna that had been licked clean from the windowsill. “Hmm,” she thought. “I bet nobody’s tried cooking for them. I better get over there right away!”
A frantic crowd was coming out of the mayor’s house when Curly Locks arrived.
“Easy there, little lady,” the mayor called. “There are three scares in there!”
The blacksmith added, “I hear them!”
“I’m going to make them something to eat,” Curly Locks replied.
“Bless your heart,” said the innkeeper. “That doesn’t sound like a good idea.”
“Maybe it is,” the barber exclaimed. “Her cooking could drive anything away!”
Curly Locks walked up the front steps. “I wouldn’t go in there if I were you!” yelled the chicken rancher.
“Well, you ain’t me!” With that, Curly Locks clutched a basket, squared her shoulders, and marched into the house. The door shut behind her, and the scares got quiet.
Curly Locks peeked into the kitchen. It was a frightful mess. She put her big belly part on the pot-bellied stove, took out possum grease and toadstool, and set to work. The cupboard burst open, and an itty-bitty scare jumped out.
“Get you down!” Curly Locks didn’t bat an eye. “I’ll go if you like, but if I do, you’ll never get a taste of my famous Boo Stew!”
The itty-bitty scare sat down at the table and banged his bowl and spoon together. “First we clean off the table, then we wash our hands!” said Curly Locks.
Curly Locks was adding powdered beetle and lizard bits to the pot when she felt a tap-tap-tapping on her shoulder.
“Get your gun!” Curly Locks stiffened but didn’t let on that she was startled. “I’ll go if you like, but if I do, you’ll never get a taste of my famous Boo Stew!”
The middle scare clapped his scaly hands. “Clean the floor first!” said Curly Locks. “Then set the table.”
Curly Locks added moosie abrupt toenail clippings and that juice. The biggest, thumpiest, wompist scare of all came crashing in, waving his scare claws and stomping his scare feet.
“Get your boo! Get your bone! Get your goo! Get you gone!”
Curly Locks gripped her spoon so tight it nearly snapped in two. “I’ll go if you like, but if I do, you’ll never get a taste of my famous Boo Stew!”
That big scare licked his jaws in anticipation. “Clean the ceiling, please!”
By the time the kitchen was put right, the stew was popping hot and ready to eat. Curly Locks took a taste and smiled. “I hope y’all are hungry because this might just be the best batch of Boo Stew east of the Mississippi!”
Those scares ate until they were full as ticks in high summer. They licked their fingers, they licked their toes, they even licked each other’s toes! Curly Locks didn’t mind their manners; she’d never seen a single soul enjoy her cooking so much.
“Count yourselves on back to Toad Suck Swamp, cool Curly Locks, and I’ll make Boo Stew and lots of other things for you and your friends every night!”
Some say that was the finest deal ever struck in those parts. The scares got themselves a heap of delicious food, and with their bellies full, they didn’t spend time hooting and hollering. The townsfolk got plenty of sleep, and now Toad Suck was quiet. The mayor got a fine tale to tell for years to come, and Curly Locks? She got a load of how to eaters who appreciated her cooking. That was the best thing of all!
I had so much fun reading that book with my boys! Didn’t they do a great job?
Alright, let’s do some shout-outs today! They’re going out to Atticus and Adeline in Columbus, Ohio; Suhani and Amog in Dubai; Grayson in Huntsville, Alabama; Naomi and Serena in New Orleans, Louisiana; Riley Ambrose in Woodbury, Minnesota; Maya and Wes in Mercer Island, Washington; Nathaniel Jones in Woodbridge, Virginia; Logan and Jean in Hanover, Virginia; as well as Drew McCarter in Lafayette, Indiana.
Hello, my good friends! I am so happy that we all get to read together, no matter where in the world we live. I hope you enjoyed our story today. See you next time!
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while removing any informal language and ensuring clarity.
