Once upon a time, in the vastness of space, Earth felt a bit lonely and decided to visit its planetary friends. First, Earth zoomed over to Mercury.
“Hi, Mercury!” said Earth.
“Hey, Earth! Want to race around the Sun?” Mercury replied.
Earth tried its best, but Mercury was super fast. “Wow, you’re speedy!” Earth exclaimed. Mercury laughed, “I may be small, but I zoom around the Sun every 88 days!”
Next, Earth visited Venus. “Can I borrow your moon to play basketball?” asked Venus.
“Sure, let’s play!” Earth said. Venus was amazing at shooting hoops. “You’re on fire, Venus!” Earth cheered.
Venus smiled, “Well, I am the hottest planet in the solar system!”
Then, Earth went to Mars. “Come surf the asteroid belt with me!” Mars invited.
Earth joined in, and they had a blast. “Look at all that red dust!” Earth noticed.
“That’s why they call me the Red Planet,” Mars explained. “It’s all the iron oxide, or rust, that makes me red.”
Earth’s next stop was Jupiter. “What’s up, big guy?” Earth asked.
“I’ve picked up a new hobby,” Jupiter said, and started to dance gracefully.
“Wow, you’re so light on your feet for the biggest planet!” Earth admired.
Jupiter chuckled, “Thanks! I’m mostly made of gases like hydrogen and helium.”
Earth then visited Saturn. “Your rings look extra sparkly today!” Earth complimented.
“Thanks! They’re made of shiny ice chunks and rocky bits,” Saturn explained.
“Galileo first saw my rings in 1610,” Saturn added proudly.
Next, Earth met Uranus. “Your hula hoop skills are electrifying!” Earth said.
“Are you trying to look cooler than me?” Uranus joked.
“No way! Everyone knows you’re the coolest planet around!” Earth replied.
“That’s true! I’m the coldest planet with temperatures as low as negative 371 degrees Fahrenheit,” Uranus said.
Finally, Earth visited Neptune. “What are you doing way out here?” Earth asked.
“I love the quiet and the beautiful view of comets sliding across the sky,” Neptune said.
“Beyond me is the Kuiper belt, where many comets come from,” Neptune explained.
After visiting all the planets, Earth felt a bit down. “I’m not the fastest, biggest, or coolest,” Earth thought. “I must be the most boring planet.”
But then, Earth’s friends surprised it. “Wake up, Earth!” they shouted.
“Surprise! You have the freshest air, flowing water, and most importantly, happy birthday to you!” they cheered.
“Thanks, friends! You made me the happiest planet in the whole solar system!” Earth exclaimed with joy.
On Earth, leaves do amazing things. They use sunlight, water, and air to make food for plants. In autumn, leaves change colors and fall, creating homes for animals like frogs and insects.
Squirrels hide nuts under leaves for winter, and mushrooms pop up, some of which are safe to eat, while others are not.
Julia woke up to a beautiful sunrise, ready for a hike to Pancake Peak. She traveled through Muffin Meadow, Black Coffee Cave, and Bacon Bridge, enjoying the peaceful view at the top.
On her way back, she helped some animal friends find their way home, and they all shared a picnic together.
When it rains, some animals like ducks enjoy it, while others like cats and butterflies prefer to stay dry. Ducks have oily feathers that keep them warm, and worms love the wet ground to wriggle around.
After the rain, birds come out to sing, and the sun shines bright again.
Flowers start as buds and bloom into beautiful colors. They attract bees and other animals for pollination, helping plants grow and produce fruits and seeds.
Flowers are important for nature, providing food and shelter for many creatures.
In India, a boy named Jadav loved trees and wanted to help animals by planting more. He worked hard, planting bamboo and other plants, creating a forest that became home to many animals.
Jadav’s forest is now a beautiful place full of life, showing how one person can make a big difference.
In a busy city, Digger the truck found a tiny flower. He took care of it every day, and when the city needed more space, Digger protected the flower’s seeds, ensuring more flowers would grow.
Thanks to Digger, the city had a little bit of nature to enjoy.
Planetary Race Game: Gather your friends and create a fun race game inspired by Earth’s visit to Mercury. Each friend can represent a different planet. Use a stopwatch to time how fast each “planet” can run a short distance. Discuss which planet was the fastest and why. Remember, Mercury is the fastest planet around the Sun!
Leaf Art Exploration: Go on a nature walk and collect different types of leaves. Once you have a collection, create a leaf collage or a leaf rubbing art piece. As you work, think about how leaves help plants and animals, just like in the story. Discuss with a friend or family member how leaves change in different seasons and why they are important for the environment.
Flower Observation Journal: Find a flower in your garden or neighborhood and observe it over a week. Draw pictures of how it changes each day. Notice the colors, the shape of the petals, and any insects that visit the flower. Write down your observations and think about how flowers help plants grow and why they are important for bees and other animals.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript, removing any unnecessary or inappropriate content while maintaining the essence of the dialogue:
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**[Music]**
It sure is lonely out here. I wonder what the other planets have been up to lately. I should go visit them.
**[Music]**
Hi, Mercury!
Oh hey, Earth! Long time no see. I was about to go on a run. Want to race around the Sun?
Let’s go faster!
**[Music]**
Wow, you’re fast! You’ve run four laps in the time I did one.
Thanks! I’m small, but I’m the speediest planet in the whole solar system. Mercury zooms around the Sun every 88 days.
**[Music]**
Hi, Earth! Do you mind if I borrow your moon to shoot hoops? I don’t have one.
No problem, Venus! I’ll come play with you.
**[Music]**
Look out, here I come! All right, she shoots, she scores! Whoa, swish! Good game!
Good game! You didn’t miss a shot!
You’re on fire, Venus!
Well, I am the hottest planet in the solar system.
**[Music]**
Oh, how’s it going, Mars? Come surf the asteroid belt with me!
Look at me! Whoa, I made it through! All that surfing turned up some of your rusty red dust.
Hey, that’s why they call me the Red Planet! I’m the reddest around. Mars gets its color from an abundance of iron oxide, commonly known as rust.
**[Music]**
What’s up, big guy? Not too much. I did pick up a new hobby.
Nice!
**[Music]**
Jupiter Dance!
**[Music]**
That was beautiful! I didn’t know the biggest planet in the solar system was so graceful.
Thanks! I may be large, but I’m light on my feet. Jupiter is mainly made up of gases such as hydrogen and helium.
**[Music]**
Your rings look extra sparkly today!
You all are too sweet! It’s shiny ice chunks and rocky bits.
Come play with me!
**[Music]**
Oh, cool! She’s the most amazing planet in the universe. Galileo first spotted Saturn’s rings in 1610.
**[Music]**
Wow! Your hula hoop skills are electrifying!
Are you trying to look cooler than me?
No way, Uranus! Everyone knows you’re the coolest planet around!
**[Music]**
That’s a fact! Sorry for the frosty greeting, kid. Uranus has the coldest recorded temperature of any planet at negative 371 degrees Fahrenheit.
**[Music]**
What are you doing way out here in uptown?
I like how quiet and beautiful it is. Oh, look how those comets slide out of the sky!
**[Music]**
Beyond Neptune, the Kuiper belt is a source of comets. It’s the best view in the solar system.
**[Music]**
Wow, the other planets are so special! I’m not the fastest, the biggest, or the coolest. I must be the most boring planet in the solar system.
**[Music]**
Wake up!
What?
We have something for you, tiny blue marble!
For me?
Surprise! Your air is the freshest, you’re covered in flowing water, and most importantly, happy birthday to you!
**[Music]**
Thanks, friends! You made me the happiest planet in the whole solar system!
**[Music]**
A leaf seems simple, but leaves do many things. A leaf contains green chlorophyll that helps it use sunlight, water, and air to make food for the plant.
As days shorten, autumn’s brilliance flutters down. Less daylight means chlorophyll disappears from leaves, and bright colors show.
As leaves drop, some birds migrate to warmer places. Hungry critters hide under the layers.
**[Music]**
Wet matted leaves are homes for frogs, insects, snails, and slugs. Leaves rustle as animals hustle for food.
Squirrels bury acorns and nuts under leaves to store for winter feeding.
**[Music]**
Mushrooms pop up on the forest floor. Mushrooms often grow in damp leaf-covered locations.
Some mushrooms are edible, while others can be poisonous to humans.
**[Music]**
Some animals, such as bears, skunks, chipmunks, mice, frogs, and snakes prepare for deep winter sleep.
**[Music]**
They are so amazing!
**[Music]**
Julia wakes up to a beautiful sunrise. Today is the perfect day to hike up to Pancake Peak. The air is fresh, and Julia is prepared.
**[Music]**
She travels by herself, just the way she likes it. Julia buzzes through the wildflowers of Muffin Meadow.
**[Music]**
She spelunks through the darkest depths of Black Coffee Cave and balances bravely across Bacon Bridge.
**[Music]**
Julia crests Hash Brown Hill in record time. She has a quick picnic for one.
It’s just a little farther until she reaches the turnaround at Pancake Peak. The panorama at Pancake Peak is perfectly peaceful. She has it all to herself.
**[Music]**
A band of bickering creatures disturbs the silence and the view. They notice Julia.
We’re saved! Cries the tiny pack rat. You can help us get down!
What? Where is a girl? Asks the javelina, squinting and fiddling with his broken glasses.
A stranger! Cries the frightened porcupine.
**[Music]**
Julia backs away. Oh, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. You see, I need to be home in time for dinner.
**[Music]**
Can we tag along? Pleads the helpless trio.
This is not the way Julia likes it, but once they safely return to the base of Pancake Peak, the relieved tagalongs squeal with glee.
**[Music]**
They break for a sunny group picnic at Hash Brown Hill.
As Fitz opens his backpack, Julia exclaims, “Whoa! Rat’s pack is where the snacks are at!”
After they gobble some of the load, Fitz can carry the pack himself.
**[Music]**
Onwards! But Bacon Bridge is broken.
Don’t worry, says Fitz. What kind of pack rat would I be without a pack rat? You saved the day!
**[Music]**
We should keep moving! Worries Violet. Black Coffee Cave is getting darker by the minute.
**[Music]**
Oh no! Julia gasps at the mouth of the cave. I’ve lost my headlamp!
Follow me! Cries Fitz.
I can’t see, but I have an exquisite nose! I smell wildflowers at the other end of this cave.
**[Music]**
That’s Muffin Meadow! Exclaims Julia. Come on, everyone!
**[Music]**
Three cheers for Lewis and his mighty nose! Julia shouts. Hurry!
Wait! What happened to Muffin Meadow? Whispers Julia.
Look out! It’s a trap! Cries Fitz.
**[Music]**
Nobody’s going to chomp my friends! Violet roars.
Righteous defense, Violet! If it hadn’t been for you, we’d all be plant food!
**[Music]**
Speaking of food, do you smell that? Asks Lewis.
Oh! It smells like spaghetti and pizza! Says Violet.
And French fries and cherry pie! Exclaims Fitz.
It’s dinner at my house! Says Julia, and we are right on time.
**[Music]**
Tag along! Sit down to dinner. Julia hears a knock at the gate.
Tonight, Julia is feasting with all her new friends, just the way she likes it.
**[Music]**
Mommy! Mommy! Where’s my pet?
Kitty’s outside getting wet.
**[Music]**
What is rain? When water heats up, it turns into warm, wet air called vapor. Vapor rises into the sky where it becomes cold and turns into a cloud.
The cloud becomes bigger until it is so heavy that parts of it fall to the ground.
**[Music]**
Raindrops!
Kitty will find a place that’s dry. Let’s look for Kitty!
**[Music]**
Do cats like rain?
No! Water makes a cat’s fur feel very heavy. Cats’ ears cannot keep water out, and they don’t like the way it smells. For kitty, it’s rain, rain, go away!
**[Music]**
Raindrops are falling on Mama Duck. She likes the wet and mushy muck.
Do ducks like rain?
When ducks comb their feathers with their bills, they leave a layer of oil on top. The oil makes water slide off and keeps the feathers that are closest to the duck’s body dry and warm.
**[Music]**
In a lake or in the rain, ducks are waterproof!
**[Music]**
Squirrel away! He stays busy on a rainy day. If it is not raining too hard, a squirrel will curl its tail over its head to make a built-in umbrella.
In heavy rains, squirrels stay in their nests to keep dry.
**[Music]**
A brown beetle’s shell is shiny and hard. He doesn’t mind a rainy yard.
Do beetles like rain?
A beetle has a hard shell-like covering that prevents it from getting soaked.
**[Music]**
Thank you! Worms are squirming in wet ground. They squirm and wiggle all around.
Do worms like rain?
Yes! Earthworms mostly live and travel underground because they need moisture all the time. After it rains, you will see worms because it is wet enough for them to wriggle along much faster above ground.
**[Music]**
But butterflies rest. Keeping wings dry is what’s best.
Do butterflies like rain?
Rain makes butterflies too cold to fly. They hide out in protected spots called roosts until the storm passes. When the sun comes out, so do the butterflies.
**[Music]**
Bird peeks out from a hole in a tree.
Do birds like rain?
Some do, some don’t. Most small birds tuck themselves away in nests or the inner branches of a tree or bush or under anything that will keep the rain off.
**[Music]**
After a rainstorm passes, you can go outside and listen for all the birdie chirps.
**[Music]**
Mommy! Mommy! Look at that! I think I spy my kitty cat!
**[Music]**
Clouds are gone, the sun is high! It’s warm and dry!
**[Music]**
Where did Kitty go?
**[Music]**
Every flower begins as a bud. Their blooms produce seeds which root into sprouts. Spring brings rain and warmer weather, which encourages plants to produce flowers.
**[Music]**
Flowers share the same humble beginnings. They come in a stunning range of brilliant hues and exceptional shapes.
Annual plants have bright, showy blossoms that last a single season. Perennial plants survive many years and tend to have smaller flowers.
**[Music]**
Many peony and poppy flowers open in sunlight, closing at night and on cloudy days. Jasmine flowers release their fragrance after the sun sets to attract nighttime pollinators.
**[Music]**
Flowers have special colors and scents to attract bees for pollination. Bees turn nectar into honey to feed the colony.
Many species of bees are endangered due to climate change, habitat loss, disease, and pesticides.
**[Music]**
Sweet floral nectar feeds tiny animals and insects. In return, they share their dusty gifts of pollen with other plants.
Hummingbirds can drink up to two times their body weight in nectar a day.
**[Music]**
When butterflies land on flowers, pollen is transferred to and from their legs. More than 300 species of fruit depend on bats for pollination.
**[Music]**
Flowers produce fruits and seeds after pollination. Critters deposit fruit seeds in new areas through their droppings.
**[Music]**
Airy enough to flit in the wind, others are carefully armored for years. Fruit starts as a flower, but not every flower produces fruit.
**[Music]**
While some flowers grow on land, others flourish in water. Aquatic plants nurture wildlife by filtering water, creating oxygen, and providing shelter.
**[Music]**
Plants that grow in water often have flexible stems that either float freely or reach into the soil below. Life is enriched by flowers in many ways. With purpose and beauty, they help nature survive and thrive.
**[Music]**
This is the bee box made of painted wood that stands in the shade of the yard.
And these are the honeybees that live in the special box that stands in the yard.
**[Music]**
These are the flowers that feed the honeybees that fly in and out of the box.
And this is the sweet nectar that feeds the queen and the other bees that live in the bee box that stands in the yard.
**[Music]**
This is the golden honey made by the thousands of busy bees that work inside the dark shelter that stands in the yard.
And this is Jack, the daddy who keeps bees as a hobby, gathering honey from the bee box that stands in the yard.
**[Music]**
This is the honey pot filled with fresh honey produced by the worker bees that live in the hive that stands in the yard.
And this is the mommy who drinks tea with honey while her children snack on bread and sweet gooey honey.
**[Music]**
This is the honeycomb made by the worker bees that is collected from the hive that stands in the yard.
And this is the mommy who lights the candles and then says a prayer of thanks.
**[Music]**
This is the cough syrup made with golden honey that comes from the hive in a box that stands in the yard.
And this is Jack, the daddy who spoons the medicine so his child will sleep better.
**[Music]**
This is the yogurt mixed with honey that comes from the bee box that stands in the yard.
And this is the grandma who offers her grandchildren sweet honey yogurt for breakfast.
**[Music]**
Here is the whole family thankful to the bees for the candles, for the golden honey, for the cough syrup, for the beeswax, and for eating the flowers.
**[Music]**
Thank you, honeybees!
**[Music]**
The true story of Jadav Payeng. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is now.
**[Music]**
In India, on a large river island among farms and families hard at work, lived a boy who loved trees. Trees meant shade, food, and shelter for many.
**[Music]**
But each rainy season, floodwaters swallowed more and more of the beautiful tree-covered land. The boy’s precious island was shrinking, eroding away with the rushing river, leaving empty sandbars behind.
**[Music]**
The boy witnessed animals stranded on those sandbars, their homes destroyed. He feared that if animals withered without trees, people would too.
**[Music]**
The boy shared his fears with the village. He believed that the only way to help animals was to create new homes for them.
**[Music]**
They gifted the boy with 20 bamboo saplings. Alone, he canoed down the muddy river. He wished he could cover all the land with trees.
**[Music]**
But a large sandbar nearby was a place to start. The land was too barren for animals, and the shores were too sandy for leafy trees. Would bamboo grow? The boy hoped.
**[Music]**
Determined, he began to plant one shaft, two, then three. Every day he watered the saplings by hand, sweat trickling down his face and chest.
**[Music]**
He built a watering system to help and lugged heavy buckets from the river. His arms grew tired, his back sore. Still, each day he tended to the plants, and over time, the bamboo patch grew into a healthy thicket.
**[Music]**
The boy was proud of his work, but he worried it wouldn’t be enough to stop the swelling river or to provide shelter for animals. If he wanted more plants to grow, he would have to create richer soil.
**[Music]**
The boy carried cow dung, earthworms, termites, and ants that bit him on the journey to the new home. He brought seeds from neighboring villages over trails through brush down the river.
**[Music]**
Each day he planted. As years passed and the boy grew, so did a forest—an acres, 20 acres, then 40.
**[Music]**
Wildlife returned for the first time in many years—buffalo, one-horned rhinos, snakes, gibbons, migratory birds, and elephants. The man’s forest teemed with life and diversity.
**[Music]**
Not everyone was happy. Fear swept over the villages when tigers arrived. So the man planted more grasses to attract small animals that would keep the tigers happy in the forest.
**[Music]**
Elephants wandered into neighboring farms to feast on the crops. The man planted more fruiting trees to help feed the hungry elephants.
**[Music]**
Some wanted to harvest the forest to build homes, but the man was there to plant anew. Others tried to hunt the animals for their horns and fur, but the man was there to protect.
**[Music]**
He thought the forest would last, but the man believed in its strength. Now in India, a large river island among wildlife and trees as tall as buildings, there lives a man who has planted a forest.
**[Music]**
The forest is called Mulai after a man named Jadav Payeng who never stopped planting and pruning. Only by growing plants will the Earth survive.
**[Music]**
It was morning, and the big trucks were ready to work. “Let’s hoist!” said Crane. “Let’s push!” said Dozer.
**[Music]**
Together they built tall buildings for working, roads for driving, and bridges for crossing. They built and built until the loud whistle blew.
**[Music]**
“I beat!” said Crane. “Me too!” said Dozer. The other big trucks took a break, but Digger did not. He had found something in the rubble.
**[Music]**
“Hello there!” he said. The flower was tiny but beautiful. Every day while the other big trucks built, Digger visited the flower.
**[Music]**
He watered it when its leaves looked dry. He shielded it on windy days. Just before he switched off for the night, Digger sang the flower a bedtime song.
**[Music]**
The flower grew, but the city grew too. Soon every space had been filled—every space but one.
**[Music]**
“We need to put a building here!” said Crane. Dozer started his engine.
**[Music]**
Then the other big trucks went back to work, but Digger did not. When the smoke cleared, Digger saw something in the rubble—little seeds!
**[Music]**
He scooped them up
