ClassX Video Lessons Grade Kindergarten ???? READ-ALOUD | The People Who Can’t Meet You by Matthew Gudernatch
Hello, friends! Today, we’re going to have a fun story time with Ryan, Craig, and their special guest, Matthew. Matthew wrote a wonderful book called “The People Who Can’t Meet You,” and it has beautiful pictures by Wona Klick. Let’s dive into this magical story together!
In this story, we learn about special people who can’t meet us, but they love us very much. You might have their funny laugh, their bright eyes, or even their name. These people could be family or friends who are no longer with us, but we remember them through pictures and stories.
Even though we can’t see them, their love is always around us. When you eat your first ice cream cone or lose your first tooth, they are there in spirit. They are with you when you learn important lessons, like always telling the truth.
Ryan shared a funny story about putting an eraser up his nose and having to go to the hospital! And Craig told us about trying to do a science experiment with milk that didn’t go as planned. These stories remind us that it’s okay to make mistakes and learn from them.
As you grow, you’ll have many adventures. You’ll make bubbles in the bathtub, sing your first song, and maybe even write poems or bake pies. The people who can’t meet you are part of these special moments, cheering you on from your heart.
Did you notice the cat in the story? It’s always popping up in funny places, like on a plane or scuba diving! This cat is a little hero, just like you can be in your own story.
Even if you miss these special people, remember they are always with you. You can feel their love in the little things, like a butterfly flying by or a twinkling star in the night sky. They are part of everything you do and everything you are.
Think about who is special to you. Maybe it’s a grandparent you never met or a pet who makes you smile. These special people and animals are always in your heart, helping you be the amazing person you are.
Thank you for joining Ryan, Craig, and Matthew for this wonderful story time. Remember, you can always find love and joy in the little things around you. Keep being curious and adventurous, just like the magical cat in the story!
Memory Box Creation: Gather some small items that remind you of someone special who can’t meet you, like a photo, a drawing, or a small toy. With the help of an adult, decorate a box to keep these treasures safe. Share with the class or your family why each item is special to you. This activity helps you remember and feel connected to those you love.
Butterfly and Star Hunt: Go on a nature walk with your family or friends. Look for butterflies, stars, or other things that remind you of someone special. Draw or write about what you find and how it makes you feel. This will help you see how love is all around you, just like in the story.
Story Sharing Circle: Sit in a circle with your classmates or family and take turns sharing a funny or happy story about someone special to you. It could be a story you heard from others or one you remember. This activity helps you learn from each other and keeps the memories of loved ones alive.
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hey, I’m Ryan Lagod, and I’m Craig Tovy. Welcome to Story Time with Ryan and Craig, and our special guest, Matthew Gutter. Today’s book is “The People Who Can’t Meet You,” written by Matthew Gutter and illustrated by Wona Klick.
Wait, there’s two Matthew Gutters? Whoa, no, guys, that’s me! That’s why it’s my book. You wrote this book? I was thinking maybe people watching might want to buy it, so if you type in “Story Time” on my website, you actually get 20% off!
What? 20%? My mind is blown! Oh, that’s cool. Do you guys want to read it, or should we… oh, let’s get started!
“The People Who Can’t Meet You,” written by Matthew Gutter, illustrated by Wona Klick.
There are people who can’t meet you but would love you all the same. You might have their laugh, their hazel eyes, or even share their name. These people could be family or friends who loved us well. They’re seen in pictures on the wall, known through stories that we tell. How I wish you could have met them, though I think somehow they knew you’d be the brilliant little person that you’ve been growing into.
And if you feel like you might need them, know they’ll never drift too far because the love they left behind can be felt anywhere you are. When you chomp on your first ice cream cone, when you spit out your first tooth, when you have to learn the hard way you should always tell the truth…
One time, I put an eraser up my nose, and my parents came up to me and asked, “Ryan, did you put an eraser up your nose?” I said, “No, I did not,” but it was stuck, and they had to bring me to the hospital. When I sneezed, the eraser came out, and I was like, “Oh, that eraser!”
One time, I had a jug of milk, and I thought I could land it on the shelf in my refrigerator. So I took a few steps back and let it go. It did not land in the fridge; it exploded! My parents asked, “Did you spill the milk?” and I said, “I don’t see how that’s possible; I was doing a science experiment!”
Did you guys see the cat in the book? It keeps popping up in the background. Did you see it? Yeah, it’s crazy! That’s my cat!
When you make bubbles in the bathtub, when you sing your first song, you’ll find the people who can’t meet you are inside you all along. You will fly across the country, you will swim in every sea, you will probably need X-rays, and you’ll get stung by a bee. You will write the boldest poems, and you’ll build towers in the sky. You will drive the fastest race car and bake the most delicious pie.
Fun fact: that is actually a picture of my dad and my two daughters in the race car. No, the other one—doing the construction site; it’s a family business. The one with the guy and the two little girls baking? That’s my dad and my daughters baking!
Anyway, this cat is on the wing of a plane, it’s scuba diving, it’s in the X-ray. I don’t know if it’s like the doctor; this cat is the real hero of the story!
And those people we’ve been missing will be with you from the start because a little piece of them is buried deep inside your heart. I know it doesn’t make much sense right now; it might sound quite bizarre, but the people who can’t meet you helped you be the you you are.
And should you ever feel alone, I swear the following is true: you can find them when you need them in the little things you do. In the butterfly that flutters by while walking in the park, in the flicker of a streetlight when you’re driving in the dark, in the night spent wrapped in blankets staring up into the sky, in a dandelion seed as it floats effortlessly by.
In whatever thing you see or hear or taste or smell or touch that reminds you of those people who would love you very much. Some days you might really miss them because I know I miss them so, and you might even consider why those people had to go. But in your heart, you’ll always have them, as I’m sure by now you see because the people who can’t meet you are in everything you’ll be.
For someone special, it makes you think about all the different special people in your life and who you’d want to put in a frame. I know I would put my grandpa because I never got to meet him, but people say that I remind them of him. I would probably put my mom, who is someone really special, and my daughters look just like her too.
The someone special that I would put in that frame is the cat. Oh gosh, he’s so amazing! He’s not being recognized enough for the impact he’s had on me.
That’s great! I think that’s your someone special. I just feel like I’m a little bit like that cat—so much unmet potential in me. I’m going to book a plane right now and possibly a scuba dive!
Please don’t go on the wing! Yeah, if the cat can do it, I can do it! Please, I’m begging you not to go on the wing of a plane!
I want to see! I know it’s risky. I feel like Ryan understands how inspiring this cat is, and maybe someone doesn’t get the cat because they never had a cat like this.
No, my cat! That’s my cat!
“The People Who Can’t Meet You,” written by Matthew Gutter, illustrated by Wona Klick.
Well, thanks for watching Story Time with Ryan Lagod and Craig Tovy, and our special guest, Matthew Gutter. Remember, if you’d like to pick up your own copy of “The People Who Can’t Meet You,” just go to the website and enter the offer code “Story Time” for 20% off!
So, did Wona tell you about the cat? No, it’s my cat! That was your cat? Yeah! Whoa, Ryan!
Whoa, whoa! The cat is part of the book! I know, but whoa! That was fun when we did that before. That was fun! I’ll do it one more time with you. Do you want to join in?
Yeah, I’d like to do one! Here we go! Oh my gosh, the cat in that book—
I feel like I’m the only one who meant it!
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This version removes any inappropriate language and clarifies the dialogue for better readability.
