ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Awnie's House ???? Kids Book Read Aloud: RICKY, THE ROCK THAT COULDN’T ROLL by Mr. Jay and Erin Wozniak
Hello, my reading friends! Are you ready for a fun story? Today, we’re going to meet a special pebble named Ricky. Ricky wants to roll down the hill with his friends, but there’s a little problem. Ricky is flat on one side and can’t roll like the other rocks. Let’s find out how his friends help him in the story “Ricky The Rock That Couldn’t Roll.”
On a green grassy hill, lots of rocks love to play. They race to the top and roll down the hill. There are many rocks like Kip, Pip, Chester, and Marvin the Boulder. Even Ignatius, who is much older, joins in the fun. The Pebbles are a group of rocks that never sit still. They love to zigzag up and over the hill!
There are other friends too! Kai is a meteorite from outer space, and Maya is made of lava. Stu is the smart one, Parker is the clown, and Grumpy Old Albert rolls with a frown. Gabby is sassy, Lisi has flair, and Emma is giggly with black hair.
All the rocks are round and can roll easily, except for Ricky. Poor Ricky can’t roll because one side of him is flat. His friends call him to roll, but Ricky says, “I’m sorry, I can’t.” But his friends are determined to help Ricky roll!
Marvin the Boulder carries Ricky to the top of the hill and pushes him down. But Ricky doesn’t roll; he just slides. The rocks try again by sticking rubber balls on Ricky with glue. They think it will work, but Ricky just bounces.
They try everything to help Ricky roll, but nothing works. Ricky feels sad and says, “I’ll just sit and watch you all play.”
But Ricky’s friends don’t give up! They think and think until it starts to rain. That’s when Stu, the smart rock, has a great idea. He tells them to gather mud and shape it on Ricky’s flat side. They make it round and let it dry in the sun.
They wrap vines and a colorful feather around Ricky to keep the mud in place. Now, it’s time for Ricky to try rolling again!
Everyone watches as Ricky takes a deep breath. He moves slowly at first, and then, for the first time, Ricky the Rock rolls down the hill! Bria the ladybug, who has been watching, feels so happy. She knows that with love and determination, anything is possible.
Ricky and his friends show us that when we work together, we can solve any problem. I hope you enjoyed the story. See you next time!
Rock Rolling Experiment: Gather a few small rocks or pebbles from outside. Try rolling them on different surfaces like grass, sand, or a smooth floor. Observe which rocks roll easily and which ones don’t. Discuss why some rocks roll better than others. Can you find a rock that is similar to Ricky? What makes it different from the others?
Create Your Own Ricky: Using playdough or clay, create a rock like Ricky with one flat side. Try to roll it and see what happens. Then, just like Ricky’s friends, use more clay to make the flat side round. Try rolling it again. What changes do you notice? How does teamwork help Ricky roll?
Problem-Solving Discussion: Think about a time when you had a problem and needed help. How did your friends or family help you? Discuss with your classmates how working together can solve problems. What are some other ways you can help a friend who is having trouble?
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hello, my reading friends! It’s Ani. I’m so glad you came to read with me. If you want to learn more about my channel, where to contact me, or how to find merch, check out anishouse.com.
Are you ready for a story? Do you ever have a hard time doing some things your friends can do? In this story, we’ll meet a pebble named Ricky who just wants to roll down the hill with his friends. The trouble is, he’s flat on one side. Let’s see if his friends can help him figure out a way as we read “Ricky The Rock That Couldn’t Roll.” If you have a copy, go get it so you can read along with me!
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“Ricky The Rock That Couldn’t Roll,” written by Jay Maletsky, illustrated by Aaron Wozniak.
Over the lake and out past the bay was a green grassy hill where the rocks came to play. They would race to the top to take in the view, then roll their way down the way rocks love to do.
There were Kip, Pip, Chester, and Marvin the Boulder. Ignatius played too, though he was much older. A group called The Pebbles never ever sat still, zigzagging their way up and over the hill.
Kai was a meteorite and not from this planet, and Maya was lava but taken for granted. Stu was the smart one, Parker the clown, and Grumpy Old Albert rolled around with a frown. Gabby was sassy, Lisi had flair, Emma was giggly and had black hair.
How do you make a tissue dance? You put a little boogie in it!
But the one trait that seemed to be shared by them all was that every rock there was shaped like a ball. And because they were round, they could easily roll through the grass, past the lake, up and over the knoll—except for poor Ricky, who quietly sat. You see, Ricky couldn’t roll because one side was flat.
His friends didn’t get it. “Come roll!” they would chant. So Ricky tried but replied, “I’m sorry, I can’t.” But the rocks were determined; they were sure they could solve Ricky’s flat-sided problem and help him roll.
So Marvin the Boulder, with his impressive physique, carried Ricky all the way to the hill’s grassy peak. Then he pushed him down the hill, yelling, “Keep rolling, kid!” But Ricky didn’t roll; he just kind of slid.
Well, the rocks weren’t done—not by a mile. Surely this next try would get Ricky to smile. They stuck rubber balls all over Ricky using big gobs of glue to get them to stick. They were proud of themselves. “This will work!” they announced. But Ricky still couldn’t roll; now he just sort of bounced.
They pushed and pulled, trying every which way to get Ricky to roll, but by the end of the day, nothing had worked, just like Ricky expected. He ended up feeling depressed and dejected. “It’s no use,” he sighed. “There just isn’t a way, so I’ll sit off to the side and watch you all play.”
But his friends wouldn’t quit. “We’re here for you, brother, and we’ll get you to roll one way or another!” So they pondered and thought, each draining his brain, till they looked up and saw it was starting to rain.
And that’s when it hit that smart stone named Stu. “Eureka!” he shouted. “I know just what to do!” He explained to them how they would get Ricky to tumble. “My plan is pure genius!” Stu wasn’t too humble.
So they carried our hero down the road about a mile to the lake, where they gathered up mud they could pile on the flat side of Ricky, creating a mound that they shaped, smoothed, and sculpted until it was round. Then, after the rain with the sun in the sky, they left him to bake till the mud was all dry.
They gathered up vines and one colorful feather that they wrapped all around Ricky to keep it together. “Anyone have a towel?”
When the last knot was tied and the work was all done, the only step left was for Ricky to have fun. They stood back and watched, feeling nervous and tense, as Ricky breathed in deep with increasing suspense. He moved slowly at first, testing out his new mold, and then for the first time, Ricky the Rock rolled!
So Bria the ladybug, who’d been there from the start, felt a surge of pure joy swell up in her heart. She thought as she watched her friends play on the hill that there’s always a way if there’s also a will. And she said to herself as Ricky rolled down the slope, “When you’re surrounded by love, you just have hope.”
With perseverance and determination, Ricky and his friends found a way. I hope you enjoyed our story today. See you next time!
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