ClassX Video Lessons Grade Kindergarten CHILDREN’S BOOK | Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett | READ ALOUD
Hi there! I’m Ryan, and this is my friend Craig. We’re so excited to share a fun story with you today. If you enjoy our story, you can visit our website to see more or send us a message. Today, we’re reading a book called “Orion in the Dark” by Emma Yarlett. Let’s dive into the adventure!
Orion is a little boy who is scared of many things. His mom says he just has a big imagination, but Orion thinks the world is full of scary things like wasps, bicycles, and even the dark! The dark is what scares him the most.
Orion tries lots of things to not be scared of the dark. He hides from it, tries to invent a light that never goes out, and even dresses up like an owl! But nothing seems to work, and soon it’s bedtime again.
One night, something amazing happens. The dark comes into Orion’s room and says, “Hello, I’m the dark. Let’s go on an adventure!” Even though Orion is scared, he decides to be brave and go with the dark.
The dark takes Orion to all the shadowy places in the house. They find monsters in the closet and under the bed, but guess what? Some of the darkest places turn out to be the most fun! Orion even makes shadow puppets with the dark.
Orion and the dark go outside to find some spooky sounds. But it turns out, the sounds aren’t scary at all—they’re just Orion’s dad! Orion starts to feel less afraid and realizes the dark can be a friend.
For their last adventure, Orion and the dark go up into the night sky. There, Orion sees how magical the dark can be. He learns that the dark can be fun and interesting, and most importantly, it can be a friend.
As the sun rises, it’s time for Orion to say goodbye to the dark. But the dark promises to never be far away. Orion learns that he doesn’t have to be afraid of the dark anymore because it’s his friend.
And that’s the story of Orion and his adventure with the dark. Remember, sometimes the things we are scared of can turn out to be our friends. Thanks for joining us for story time!
Shadow Puppet Play: Create your own shadow puppets using your hands or cut-out shapes. Use a flashlight to make shadows on the wall. Can you make a story with your shadow puppets just like Orion did? Try making different shapes and see what stories you can tell. This will help you see how fun the dark can be!
Nighttime Sounds Adventure: With a grown-up, go outside when it’s dark and listen to the sounds around you. Can you hear crickets, the wind, or maybe an owl? Try to guess what each sound is. This will help you learn that the sounds in the dark are not so scary after all, just like Orion discovered.
Draw Your Fear: Draw a picture of something that scares you, just like Orion was scared of the dark. Then, draw a picture of how you can make it less scary. Maybe you can add a funny hat or a big smile to it. Share your drawing with a friend or family member and talk about how you can be brave like Orion.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Hey, I’m Ron Lagott, and I’m Craig Tovey. Welcome to Story Time with Ryan Lagott and Craig Tovey! Remember, if you like what you see, follow us on Instagram or visit our website, ryanandcraig.com. You can watch all of our read-alouds there or send us a message.
I have something to say, Ryan. I want to give a shout-out to Rhys Ketler and all of the kindergartners at Coal Creek Elementary in Louisville, Colorado. Thanks for sending us today’s book! You guys are awesome, and we can’t wait to read it. Today’s book is “Orion in the Dark” by Emma Yarlett. Isn’t she the author of “Nibbles”?
Let’s get started!
“Orion in the Dark” by Emma Yarlett. My name is Orion, and I guess you could say I am scared of a lot of things. Mom tells me I just have a big imagination and there’s nothing to be frightened of. Well, that’s easy for her to say! As far as I can see, the world is full of frightening things: wasps, bicycles, the ocean, girls, grandma, heights, monsters, spiders, storms, popping balloons, sheds, dogs (especially big ones), haircuts, plaid… but there’s one thing that scares me more than anything else: the dark.
Oh yeah, I’m super scared of the dark.
Oh, you are? Well, it’s not dark now, so…
Well, it’s always lurking around.
Where are you, dark? Scat, dark! Okay, just get out of here, dark!
There’s not any… I mean, what about over there in that corner?
Don’t worry about it; we’re in the light. Get out of here, dark!
Okay, that’s not how you get rid of the dark.
Okay, yeah, you got it! Good job!
Of course, I’ve tried all kinds of things to solve the problem: hiding from the dark, avoiding the dark, improving my night vision, inventing the everlasting light bulb, dressing up as an owl (everyone knows that owls can see in the dark), eating lots of carrots, capturing the sun (too hot and quite sweaty), keeping pet glow worms, staging a protest (“No dark allowed here!”), painting my room with glow-in-the-dark paint, using night vision goggles… but nothing ever works. And before I know it, it’s bedtime again.
Good night, Orion.
Good night, Mom.
I hate bedtime!
The night that changed everything began like any other. I kept an eye out for monsters and an ear out for scary noises, but as it got darker and darker, I couldn’t take it anymore.
I’ve had enough of you, dark! I wish you and your scary sounds, your murky monsters, and your pitch blackness would just go away!
Yeah, scat, dark!
Well, get out of here, okay?
Ryan, put it back; we don’t want to see you anymore.
Yeah, dark!
Okay, but how are you going to go to bed at night if it’s so light out?
I’m training myself, Craig, to sleep in the light.
Okay…
What? The dark’s back! What’s running? What do I do?
Open your eyes!
Hey, Snakey, you closed your eyes! Scat, dark!
Okay, good job! You told him! Did I get him?
Yeah, scared!
And that’s when something strange happened. Jimmy Jellyfish outside my window! The dark seemed to come alive, and then it came inside my room. I was feeling more scared than ever, more than when I went to that dog show with Grandma. But Mom always says it’s important to remember your manners, especially when you are greeting visitors. So I said, “Hello, I’m Orion,” and put out my hand.
“Hello there, I’m the dark. Now, Orion, it’s time for you to stop being so afraid of everything, especially me. Let’s go on an adventure!”
I am scared of the dark, but I am a big fan of adventures.
Oh man, what are you gonna do, Ryan?
I’m gonna be brave and go on my adventure!
Okay, but I’m keeping an eye on you, dark!
Both of them?
Yeah, she’s gonna keep an eye on both of them.
Normally, I’d be scared stiff of going on an adventure, especially with a terrifying creature like the dark. But the dark wasn’t quite what I had expected.
First, he showed me the shadowy and scary parts of the house—the nooks and crannies where the monsters live: one in the closet, two under the bed, three down the hall, four in the basement. And you won’t believe this, but some of the darkest places turned out to be the most fun!
Look at my rabbit shadow!
Even having fun couldn’t stop me from being scared for long, though. What are those horrible, creepy, and scary sounds coming from outside?
Zombies!
Well, that was all fun and games, but now I think he might be tricking me.
Wait, the dark?
Yeah, because what are all those sounds?
I don’t know! I’ve got my eye on you, dark!
This one, you’re closing that one, and this one.
Okay, both of them!
He seems really friendly; I think you should just trust him.
Together, we bravely went outside to find the frightening sounds, and when we found them…
Oh crikey, that’s just Dad! Silly! They weren’t frightening at all!
That’s no monster!
The dark asked me if I had stopped feeling afraid. I said I felt a little better, but there was still one place that made my knees wobble and my tummy twist with fright—the awful place where the darkest dark is.
So off we went on one last adventure, all the way up into the night sky. There, in the darkest place of all, I realized the dark could be fun, interesting, magical, and most of all, the dark could be my friend.
And nobody—not even me—is scared of their best friend!
Orion, that’s a good name; I like it!
Oh darling, I love it!
But too soon, we had to go home. As the sun began to climb back up into the sky, my friend began to fade. It was time to say goodbye.
See, Ryan? The dark can be your friend; you don’t have to be afraid of your friend.
I’m your friend!
I’m watching you, Craig.
Why?
Well, you were my friend, but then you sided with the dark, and I’m watching the dark, so now I’m watching you!
What are you watching me for?
I’m your friend; you can trust me!
Okay, I see what you’re doing.
I didn’t want the dark to go. I’ve had such a super duper adventure! But will you ever come back?
And so he promised, “I’ll never be far away.” And from that point on, he never was.
I knew it—the dark is lurking at all times!
Wow, you didn’t learn anything from this book!
Since when do we learn things?
—
Emma Yarlett.
