Hello, friends! How are you today? Is it sunny where you are? I hope you’re ready to enjoy a wonderful story with us. Let’s dive into a delightful tale called “Baby” by Joe Weaver!
Once upon a time, on a calm morning, the sun rose over a beautiful lake. Baby the flamingo woke up and fluffed her feathers. She was the oldest and wisest flamingo in her flock.
All the young flamingos loved Baby. “Baby taught me how to clean my feathers,” said one chick. “She showed me how to stand on one leg,” said another. Baby was like a teacher to them, guiding them in a graceful dance on the water.
When new flamingo parents were ready to lay eggs, Baby showed them how to build nests. “Welcome to the flock,” she would say to the new chicks. The little ones took their first steps and grew stronger every day.
But one day, the sun was so hot that the ground started to dry up. “We can’t stay here,” said Baby. “There’s no food or water.” The lake was far away, and the chicks couldn’t fly yet.
“I know the way by foot,” Baby said. “You fly ahead, and I’ll walk with the chicks.” The chicks were worried. “How do you know where to go?” they asked. “I made this journey when I was small like you,” Baby replied.
As they walked, a little chick named Toto got tired. “Keep moving, Toto,” the others called. Baby gathered them under her wings for a rest. She told them stories about the cool lake and yummy food, which gave Toto strength.
Finally, they saw the lake! “I can see it!” Toto shouted. The chicks splashed into the water to join their parents. They were so happy!
As the summer went on, the chicks grew and turned pink, ready to fly. But Baby felt tired. She worried she might not be able to fly with them.
One day, Baby quietly went to the shore. “Where’s Baby?” asked Toto. They found her resting. “Let’s help her,” said the flamingos. They cleaned her feathers and waited for her to feel strong again.
Finally, Baby was ready. She stretched her wings and flew into the sky with her friends. What a beautiful story!
Now, let’s meet a new friend in “Hedgehog Heart” by James Antonio and Nikki Slade Robinson.
Meet Michael. His heart is special, just like everyone else’s. Daddy’s heart is like a bear, giving big hugs. Mommy’s heart is like an owl, wise and loving. Grandma’s heart is like an elephant, never forgetting you.
Hearts are like octopuses, holding you tight. My cousin Rachel’s heart is like a monkey, playful and fun. Can you guess what Michael’s heart is like? It’s a hedgehog! Sometimes it curls up, but slowly it opens up to love.
And my heart? It’s like a lion, roaring love to everyone. What is your heart like? We’d love to hear about it!
Thank you for reading with us today! We hope you enjoyed these stories. If you did, let us know and come back for more. Take care and see you next time!
Flamingo Dance: Just like Baby taught the young flamingos to stand on one leg, let’s try it too! Find a safe space and see how long you can balance on one leg. Can you do it for 10 seconds? Now, switch legs! This helps you understand how flamingos balance and strengthens your own balance skills. Ask a friend or family member to join you and see who can balance the longest!
Map Your Journey: Imagine you are Baby leading the chicks to the lake. Draw a simple map of your house or classroom and mark a “lake” (it could be a toy or a picture). Now, pretend you are guiding your own group of chicks. Can you find the best path to the lake without flying? This activity helps you think about directions and planning a journey, just like Baby did.
Heart Animals: In “Hedgehog Heart,” different hearts are compared to animals. Think about your own heart. What animal would it be? Draw a picture of your heart animal and explain why you chose it. Is it a playful monkey, a strong lion, or maybe a gentle rabbit? Share your drawing with your friends or family and ask them about their heart animals too!
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:
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Welcome back to the Story Time family! How are you doing today? How’s the weather looking over there? I hope it’s nice and sunny instead of rainy and wet over here. I hope you got your dose of sunshine and now you’re ready to sit down and read.
Today we have a book called “Baby” by Joe Weaver. Let’s check it out, shall we?
On the still morning, the sun rose over the lake. Baby ruffled her feathers and opened her eyes. She had been with a flock as long as anyone could remember and was older than anyone knew.
Bibi could often be heard amid the chatter on the lake. “Bibi showed me how to preen my feathers,” one chick said. “Mimi taught me how to stand on one leg.” Every flamingo recognized her call as she guided them in a graceful dance on the glassy water. When new parents were ready to lay their eggs, Bibi led them away from the edge of the lake. There, on the soft mud, she showed them how to build nests for their chicks.
“Welcome to the flock,” she said, greeting the newest flamingo. The chicks took their first steps here, growing stronger every day. But as the sun beat down, the earth around them was drying up quickly.
“We can’t stay here any longer,” the flamingos agreed. “There’s no food, no shade, no water,” said Bibi, turning towards the lake. The water’s edge had shrunk away into the shadow of the distant volcano. They could reach it quickly by air, but their chicks couldn’t fly.
“I know the way by foot,” said Bibi to the flamingos. “You fly ahead, and I’ll walk with your chicks. We’ll meet you by the shore.”
“How do you know where to go?” the chicks asked Bibi anxiously. “I made this journey when I was small like you. I was afraid then too,” she said.
As she spoke, she noticed a small chick lying behind. It was Toto, collapsed under the dry earth, exhausted by the heat. “Keep moving, Toto,” the chicks called out. “We want to get to the lake.”
Bibi gathered them into the shade of her wings. “We’ll rest for a while,” she said, “until we are all strong enough to continue together.” While they waited, she told them about life on the lake. Her stories of cool waters and fresh food gave Toto strength. When he was ready, they all set off again.
“You stay beside me,” Bibi told him. On and on they walked across a scorching desert. The shimmering outline of the volcano was slowly getting nearer, and at last, they saw a glimmer of silver below it.
“I can see the lake!” Toto called out. The chicks felt dampness beneath their feet. Soon they were splashing through the cool water to join their grateful parents. For the rest of the summer, Bibi watched happily as the chicks grew, their feathers turning pink and readying for flight. But she began to feel tired and old. She knew that once the chicks could fly, the flock would move on. Bibi worried that she might not be strong enough to join them this time.
She slipped quietly away by herself. Soon it was time for the flamingos to leave. “Where’s Bibi?” asked Toto. Thousands of eyes searched the lake for their old friend.
“I see her!” Toto called. “She’s lying on the shore.” The flamingos helped Bibi to stand. “Let’s clean off the sand,” said one flamingo softly, preening her feathers. “Come back to the lake and eat with us,” said another, leading her gently into the water. “We’ll all wait until you feel strong enough to fly,” said Toto.
Bibi rested slowly, and gradually she gathered her strength. At last, she was ready. One by one, the flamingos took to the sky until it was Bibi’s turn to try. She whispered one last goodbye to the lake, stretched out her wings, and ran—and she flew!
Wasn’t that a beautiful story? I hope you loved it as much as I did. If you’d like a copy of this book, the links to purchase it are in the description below. If you love this story, do give us a like and subscribe for more stories like this. Leave us a comment; we always love to hear from you. Thanks so much for dropping by! Until we see you again, take care of yourself and your family. Bye!
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Today we have “Hedgehog Heart” by James Antonio and Nikki Slade Robinson. Let’s have a look!
Here’s my new friend Michael. I love Michael! His heart reminds me of something, but I don’t know what. Sometimes you know a person’s heart. For example, Daddy’s heart is a grizzly bear; he gives the biggest bear hugs. Mommy’s heart is an owl; she’s so wise with her love. Grandma’s heart is an elephant; her love never forgets you. Grandad’s heart is a cat; shy at first but then it purrs. Mr. Wilson’s heart is a falcon, keeping the whole class safe. Aunt Claire’s heart is a drooling dog; she gives slobbery kisses. My sister’s heart is a bird that perches and sings up to the sky. Baby Juliet’s heart is a puppy; she wants all your love.
Hearts are like octopuses; they hold you tight and are good to get tangled up in. My cousin Rachel’s heart is a monkey; she’s so cheeky to the people she loves. Can you guess what my friend Michael’s heart is? I think I know—it’s a hedgehog! Sometimes it curls up afraid in a spiky ball, and it’s hard to get close. But slowly, slowly it will uncurl and then it forages around for pieces of love.
And my heart is a lion, roaring my love out to everyone. Hope you enjoyed “Hedgehog Heart.” What’s your heart like? Leave us a comment and tell us about your big heart. If you’d like a copy of this book, the links are in the description below. If you enjoyed this book, do give us a like and subscribe if you haven’t. We have lots of books in store for you. Thank you so much for reading with us! We’ll see you again soon. Take care, bye!
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