ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Vooks Storybooks Animated Read Aloud Kids Book: Marvelous Cornelius!
Welcome to the story of “Marvelous Cornelius: Hurricane Katrina and the Spirit of New Orleans.” Let’s dive into this amazing tale about a special man and his city!
In the lively city of New Orleans, there was a man everyone called Marvelous Cornelius. He was a joyful garbage collector who greeted everyone with a big smile. He waved to the people on their balconies, nodded to those cleaning their windows, and called out to the kids playing on the street corners.
Every day, Cornelius danced his way through the streets, picking up garbage and making sure not a single piece of paper was left behind. The streets sparkled because of his hard work!
Cornelius had some cool moves! He would flip and fling garbage bags into the truck with style. He made it look like a fun game, tossing bags over his head and even between his legs. Everyone loved watching him work, and they cheered him on.
As he worked, Cornelius would clap the trash can lids like cymbals and spin them like tops. He danced through the streets, and soon everyone joined in. The old ladies, old men, barbers, and bakers all danced along with him, making it feel like a joyful parade.
But one day, a big storm called Hurricane Katrina hit the city. The streets filled with water, and everything was washed away—homes, parks, schools, and shops. It was a very sad time for everyone.
When the water finally went away, Cornelius saw the huge mess left behind. It seemed impossible to clean up. But Cornelius was determined. He knew he couldn’t do it alone, so he started cleaning, and soon others joined him.
People from all over came to help—kids, neighbors, and even people from faraway places like Brooklyn and Seattle. Together, they worked hard to clean up the city.
With everyone’s help, New Orleans began to shine again. Cornelius’s spirit of kindness and hard work lived on in the city. Even though he passed away, his spirit is still a part of New Orleans forever.
If you love stories like this, there’s a special library full of storybooks that come to life. Ask a grown-up to help you explore more fun stories. You can also try the Vooks app for more exciting tales. Happy reading!
Garbage Collector Dance: Just like Marvelous Cornelius, create your own garbage collector dance! Use empty boxes or lightweight objects at home to practice tossing them with style. Can you flip them over your head or spin them around like Cornelius? Show your family your moves and see if they can join in the fun. This activity helps you understand how Cornelius made his work joyful and engaging for everyone around him.
Neighborhood Clean-Up: Organize a mini clean-up event with your family or friends in your neighborhood or local park. Bring a small bag and gloves, and see how much litter you can collect. As you clean, think about how Cornelius felt when he saw the streets sparkling because of his hard work. Discuss with your family how keeping our environment clean helps everyone in the community.
Helping Hands Drawing: Draw a picture of all the people who helped clean up New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Include Cornelius, kids, neighbors, and people from faraway places. Think about how teamwork made a big difference. Share your drawing with your class or family and talk about how you can work together to help others in your community.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Books: “Marvelous Cornelius: Hurricane Katrina and the Spirit of New Orleans.”
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In the quarter, there worked a man known in New Orleans as Marvelous Cornelius. Moaning, he saluted the silver-haired man with the Times Picayune tucked under his arm. Greetings! He waved to the couple with the baby on the balcony, nodded to the woman shaking rugs out at her front window, and when his truck rounded the turn, he called to the kids crowding the corner.
“Marvelous Cornelius!” they cheered.
At each home, Cornelius sashayed to the curb and shimmyed to the hopper, unloading the garbage. Not a single piece of paper ever stayed on the streets, and those spotless streets—oh, how they sparkled!
He called to his driver when it was time to stop. He strummed the side when it was time to move. “Hi-ho!” his favorite call of all. Cornelius front-flipped to the curb and flung the bags over his head, behind his back, between his legs into the truck. He lined bags along the curb and then launched them—bag after bag after bag—they landed in a perfect pyramid inside the hopper’s metal mouth.
Bang! He clapped the covers like cymbals and twirled the tins like tops, whizzing and spinning back and forth across the street. Just like those twisting tops, Cornelius danced too, tangoing up Toulouse, swinging down St. Peter, rumbling, rolling, cha-chaing down Chartres, and everyone danced along.
The old ladies whistled and whirled, the old men hooted and hollered. The barbers twirled, and bakers bounded behind the one-man parade.
But then one day, the storm came. The great city filled with water—people and pets, parks and playgrounds washed away, schools and shops, streets and streetcars washed away. For far too long, water, water everywhere—a gumbo of mush and mud.
When those waters finally fell away, Cornelius looked out at the mountains of ruins, some as high as the steeple at St. Louis Cathedral. “It would take thousands of me to clean this,” he wept.
“Millions!” Cornelius rose. He dried his eyes, for his spirit and will were waterproof. Just like he did every morning, he emptied the garbage into his hopper, and the kids who crowded the corner pitched in too. So did the silver-haired man, the couple from the balcony, the woman with the rugs, the old ladies and old men, the barbers, and bakers. Others too—from Brooklyn, Boise, Baltimore, Bakersfield, Seattle, Santa Fe, San Antonio—they streamed to the Crescent City.
Thousands, millions—a flood of humanity! “Hi-ho!” Marvelous Cornelius cheered, as the great city rose again. Marvelous Cornelius passed on, but as for his spirit, that’s part of New Orleans—New Orleans forever.
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If you don’t have books, what are you waiting for? It’s a Kids Safe library full of storybooks that are brought to life. Ask your grown-up and start exploring more fun stories like these. Seriously, you have to check it out!
Thanks for watching! For more stories, try the Vooks app for free today.
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