Hello, my reading friends! It’s Annie. I’m so happy you’re here at my house. Do you like reading stories? I do! Today, we’re going to read a fun story together. Are you ready?
Once upon a time, on a very hot summer day, there was a yummy popsicle. But oh no! It started to melt and turned into a sticky puddle. All that was left was a sad little stick.
The stick felt icky and cried, “I was so sweet and amazing, but now I’m just a plain stick. What should I do?”
Then, a friendly voice came from a tree. “Hello down there! I’m Twig. I’m made of wood too. Don’t be sad. Before you were a popsicle, you were part of a tree. There’s so much you can do!”
Twig jumped down from the tree and said, “Come with me, Stick. I want to show you something special!”
Twig took Stick to meet Pencil. Pencil said, “I was once a stick too, but then I got a gray core and learned to draw. You can find something special to do too!”
Stick felt unsure. “I’m just a stained stick. I can’t draw or do tricks,” he said.
Next, Twig and Stick visited Brush. Brush could paint with red, yellow, and blue. “I was once just like you,” Brush said. “Don’t be afraid to try something new. We believe in you!”
Stick still felt sad. “I can’t paint or do tricks,” he said.
Twig had an idea. “Let’s go back to where we met,” she said. They went back to the sticky puddle, and Twig looked up. “Look! That little stick house in the tree could be where you belong!”
A kind bluebird helped Stick up to the tree. Stick found a special place where he could make art and be happy.
Stick learned that it’s never too late to find a new start. With the help of friends, you can always find your happy place!
Let’s say hello to some of our friends: Valentina in Oklahoma, Samuel in the Philippines, Tommy and Tanner in New Hampshire, Zena in Chicago, Emily and Monzerat in California, Missouri in New York, Leia and Ariel in California, Elina and EMT in Utah, and Moro in London!
Thank you for reading with me today. I hope you enjoyed our story. See you next time for more fun adventures!
Stick Art Creations: Gather some sticks from outside and bring them to class. Encourage the children to use their imagination and create something new with the sticks, just like Stick found a new purpose. They can make a small house, a picture frame, or even a little stick figure. Ask them to share their creations with the class and explain what they made and why.
Story Time Role Play: Divide the children into small groups and assign each group a character from the story: Stick, Twig, Pencil, and Brush. Have them act out the story, focusing on how each character helps Stick find a new purpose. Encourage them to think about how they can help their friends in real life, just like the characters in the story.
Finding New Purposes: Ask the children to think about an object they have at home that they no longer use. Encourage them to come up with a new way to use that object, just like Stick found a new purpose. They can draw a picture of their idea and share it with the class, explaining how they gave the object a new life.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hello, my reading friends! It’s Annie. Welcome to my house! I’m so glad you’re here. If you enjoy reading stories with me, be sure to subscribe and watch all the way through because I’ll be doing some shoutouts at the end. Are you ready for a story?
Have you ever found yourself in a situation that didn’t turn out the way you thought it would? In this book, we’ll meet a character who needs a little help to get out of a sticky situation. Let’s find out what it is as we read “Sticks.” If you have a copy, go get it so you can read along with me!
*Sticks*, written and illustrated by Diane Alber.
This story begins on a hot summer day when a cold tasty treat began melting away. It was so very hot, and it happened so quickly. What once was a popsicle was now a stained stick deep in a puddle that was getting quite sticky. This sad little stick cried and felt rather icky.
“I should not have gone out when it was so hot. I was sweet and amazing, but now I am not. What can I do? This has all gone so wrong. I’m just a plain stick. Oh, where do I belong?”
Then the stick heard a voice from way up in a tree. “Hello down there! You can come hang with me. I couldn’t help hearing what you have been through. My name is Twig, and I’m made of wood too. Please do not cry and just listen to me. Before you were a sweet popsicle, you were part of a tree. There’s so much in this world for you to explore. You will get through this and be more than before.”
Twig quickly jumped down from the very tall tree and said, “Stick, there is something I’d like you to see. Sometimes things happen, and the reasons aren’t clear, but give it some time, and the answers appear.” She knew her friend Pencil could draw something grand; hopefully, he could help Stick understand.
“I was once a stick too and nothing much more, but then one special day, I got a gray core. I didn’t know how to draw, so I swirled a nice line, and then I discovered I’d made a design.”
“You are amazing, can’t you see? I’m just a stained stick. My only talent was melting too quick. I cannot draw or do a fun trick. I’ll always be just an icky stick.”
Twig knew she needed to show Stick something amazing that he could not ignore, so they went to see Brush. He was once lost too, but now he could paint with red, yellow, and blue. Brush was a plain stick and nothing much more, but one special day he got bristles galore.
“Look at him now! Look at all he can do! He easily made that fun splatter crew. It is true what Twig said; I was once just like you. Please don’t be afraid to try something new. I know you are scared; I can tell by your face, but it might take some time to find your right place. We believe in you!”
“I’m just a stained stick. My only talent was melting too quick. I cannot paint or do a fun trick. I’ll always be just an icky stick.”
“Listen to me! You are pretty great. Don’t say ‘I can’t’; say ‘I can’ and celebrate! I know you have not been a plain stick before. You have the chance now to be something much more.”
Twig saw that Stick was still very upset, so she thought they should go back to where they first met, back at the sweet puddle of sugary goo. Twig thought Stick might find a good clue. Then Twig looked up. “It’s been there all along! That little stick house could be where you belong!”
Twig was excited. She ran up to the tree and shouted to Stick, “Hurry up! Follow me!” Stick couldn’t believe Twig had climbed up so high. “I’ve never climbed a tree, and I’m too scared to try!” Just then, a bluebird flew down to the ground and lifted Stick up without making a sound. The bird placed him gently in the last open space. Finally, Stick found his new happy place.
“This is where I belong! I can make art in a tree! It was quite a journey, but I’m glad to be here.” Stick never forgot that one hot summer day and was glad that his popsicle melted away. He made some true friends and beautiful tree art and learned it’s never too late to have a fresh start. Sometimes it takes the help of a friend or family member to help pick us back up and keep us going.
Alright, let’s do some shoutouts today! They’re going out to Valentina Jenez in Midwest City, Oklahoma; Samuel Tamara at St. Martin Bright Kid School in the Philippines; Tommy and Tanner in Concord, New Hampshire; Zena in Chicago; Emily and Monzerat in California; Missouri in Brooklyn, New York; Leia and Ariel in Mana, California; Elina and EMT in Springville, Utah; as well as Moro in London, UK.
Hello, my good friends! I’m so happy that we all get to read together no matter where we live. I hope you enjoyed our story today. See you next time!
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