ClassX Video Lessons Grade Grade 2 CHILDREN’S BOOK | Clark The Shark Takes Heart by Bruce Hale | REAL ALOUD
Hi there! Today, we’re going to dive into a fun story called “Clark the Shark Takes Heart.” It’s written by Bruce Hale and has cool pictures by Guy Francis. Let’s jump in and see what happens!
At Theodore Roosterfish Elementary, Clark the Shark is the strongest of them all. He’s not scared of anything, not even whirlpools or giant squids! But there’s one thing that makes him nervous: what to do when you like someone and it’s their birthday.
Clark asks his best friend, Joey Mackerel, for advice. Joey says, “Just give her candy and a card. Easy peasy!” But Clark really likes Amanda, and he wants to do something special.
Clark thinks hard about how to impress Amanda. He decides to win a swim race because he thinks girls like winners. But during the race, he crashes into a reef because he’s too busy looking to see if Amanda is watching!
The next day, Clark sees Amanda on the school boat. When the boat spins around, Clark tries to save the day by swimming super fast. But he hits the boat too hard, and things go flying everywhere!
On Amanda’s birthday, Clark wakes up early to make a big surprise. He spells out “Happy Birthday, Anna” in huge letters. But before Amanda can see it, a school of fish zooms by and makes a mess!
Clark feels sad because nothing is going right. Joey tells him that sometimes small things can be the best. Clark thinks about this and wonders if it’s true.
Later, Clark finds a tiny, pink, heart-shaped shell in the seagrass. He remembers Joey’s advice and decides to give it to Amanda with a birthday card. He hopes she will like it.
When Clark gives Amanda the shell, she smiles and says it’s sweet. Clark blushes and tells her he likes her. Amanda says she likes Clark too! They swim home together, happy as can be.
We hope you enjoyed the story of Clark the Shark. If you want to hear more fun stories, make sure to come back next time. See you soon!
Shell Hunt Adventure: Just like Clark found a special shell for Amanda, go on a shell hunt in your backyard or a nearby park. Look for small, interesting objects like stones, leaves, or flowers. Once you find something special, think about who you might want to give it to and why. Share your story with your family or friends about why you chose that particular item.
Make a Birthday Card: Create a birthday card for someone special in your life. Use colorful paper, crayons, and stickers to decorate it. Think about what makes that person special to you and write a nice message inside. Remember, sometimes the simplest gifts, like a heartfelt card, can mean the most!
Role-Playing Game: With a friend or family member, act out a scene where you try to give a gift to someone you care about. Take turns being Clark and Amanda. Discuss how it feels to give and receive gifts and what makes a gift special. This will help you understand the importance of thoughtfulness and kindness in everyday life.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Hey, I’m Ryan, and I’m Craig. Welcome to Story Time with Bryan Lagarde and Craig. If you haven’t done so yet, please subscribe—it’s a lot of fun! Today’s book is “Clark the Shark Takes Heart,” written by Bruce Hale and illustrated by Guy Francis. Let’s get started!
“Clark the Shark Takes Heart,” written by Bruce Hale and illustrated by Guy Francis. Everybody clap your hands! At Theodore Roosterfish Elementary, no one was stronger than Clark the Shark. He wasn’t afraid of whirlpools, whales, giant squids, or rip tides. But one thing made him nervous: if you like a girl and it’s her birthday, what do you do? Clark asked his best friend Joey Mackerel.
“You give her candy, you send a card,” said Joey. “Bada-bing, bada-boom, no big deal!”
“But what if you really like her?”
“Who do you like?” said Joey.
“Amanda,” Clark said.
“No, I like an angelfish!”
And if you wanted to know, said Joey, “you’ve got to show her how you feel.”
All day long, Clark fretted and fussed. He worried and wondered what would impress Anna the most. Then he had the biggest and best idea: swim races! “Girls like winners,” Clark told Joey, “so hold on to your fins and watch me win!”
But Coach Crabby blew his whistle. “On your marks, get set, go!” Clark the Shark swam up a storm. He was faster than Roger, faster than Rita, faster than fast! But when Clark turned to see if Anna was watching, he wasn’t fast enough to avoid the reef.
“Ouch!” said Joey. “That was a big crash!”
“I’ll do better tomorrow,” said Clark.
The next day, the school boat passed Clark and Joey on the way to school. There was Anna, sweet as jellyfish pie, but a blue whale’s wake sent the school boat spinning. “I’ll save you!” Clark declared, and he swam with all his Sharky might.
Clark hit so hard that everything went flying! “That didn’t work either,” said Joey. “I’ll do better tomorrow,” said Clark. “Tomorrow’s her birthday, and Anna didn’t even notice!”
The next day, Clark went to school extra early. “Girls like a big show,” he told himself, so he spelled out “Happy Birthday, Anna” across the hall in letters ten feet tall.
Right on time, along came the school boat, and along came Anna with a group of her friends. But before she could spot her surprise, a school of barracuda blasted down the hall.
“Who made this mess?” cried Anna and her friends.
“So much for a big surprise,” said Joey.
At recess, Clark wouldn’t play with his friends; he just moped by himself.
“Why so glum, chum?” said Joey. “Every time I try to make a big impression, something goes wrong.”
Joey shook his head. “Big isn’t always better. Sometimes the best things come in small packages.”
Later at lunch, Clark was playing a game when he spun into the seagrass and landed with a thump. There, in the green, he spotted something. Clark parted the grass and, before his eyes, found the tiniest, pinkest, most perfect heart-shaped shell.
Clark thought of Joey’s words: could something small be the best of all? He carefully picked up the shell and brought it to Anna.
“This is for you,” he said, along with a happy birthday card. He held his breath—would she like his gift or laugh at him?
Anna smiled. “That’s so sweet!”
“Not as sweet as you,” Clark said, blushing.
“I like you, Anna.”
“I like you too, Clark!”
That afternoon, when the school day was done, Anna didn’t catch the school boat after all. Instead, she swam home with Clark the Shark.
Thanks for watching Story Time with Ryan! If you loved that book and want to see more, please click subscribe. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We’ll see you next time!
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This version removes any informal language and maintains a more polished tone while preserving the essence of the story.
