Empty | Find joy within

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In today’s Storytime lesson, we explored the themes of friendship and gratitude through two engaging stories. The first story, “Empty,” illustrated how two children found fulfillment and connection through music, helping each other overcome feelings of emptiness. The second story, “I Am Grateful for My Body,” celebrated the many wonderful things our bodies allow us to do, encouraging appreciation for our physical selves and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
  1. How did the girl and the boy help each other feel better?
  2. What are some things we are thankful for about our bodies?
  3. Why is it important to play and stay healthy?

Welcome to Storytime!

Hello, friends! How are you today? Did you have fun at school? Did you learn something new or make a new friend? We’re so happy you’re here to read with us!

The Story of “Empty”

Today, we’re reading a book called “Empty” by Andrew Bradley. Let’s find out what happens in the story!

Once upon a time, there was a girl who felt something missing inside her. She didn’t understand why she felt this way. She asked a seagull and a hermit crab, but they just laughed and said, “Don’t worry so much!” The pelicans told her, “You’ll figure it out.”

One day, while sitting quietly, she heard beautiful music. It made her feel happy and light. The music came from a boy nearby.

“Can I help you?” she asked the boy.

“I feel empty too,” he said. “But your music is so lovely. Can you teach me to play?”

They practiced together, playing happy and sad songs. The music made the waves dance and the whales cry. It was magical!

The boy smiled and said, “I don’t feel empty anymore. Thank you.”

The girl realized she didn’t feel empty either. “You gave me your music, but what did I give you?” she asked.

“You gave me a reason to play,” he replied with a smile.

And they became the best of friends. Wasn’t that a beautiful story?

Being Grateful for Our Bodies

Now, let’s read “I Am Grateful for My Body” by Christine Madeleine Hyde, with pictures by Natalie Jones.

We are thankful for our bodies because they help us do so many things!

  • We are grateful for our eyes because they let us see fluffy clouds.
  • We are grateful for our mouths because they help us speak kindly.
  • We are grateful for our noses because they let us smell yummy cookies.
  • We are grateful for our ears because they let us hear songs.
  • We are grateful for our legs because they let us dance and stand tall.
  • We are grateful for our feet because they let us kick a soccer ball.
  • We are grateful for our arms because they give the best hugs.
  • We are grateful for our hearts because they help us love.
  • We are grateful for our hands because they let us draw our favorite things.

Our bodies are amazing, and they do so much for us every day. Let’s show them some love by playing outside and staying healthy!

Thank You for Joining Us!

Thank you for reading with us today! If you liked these stories and want to hear more, make sure to subscribe and give us a thumbs up. We love hearing from you, so leave us a comment too!

Take care of yourself and your family. See you next time! Bye-bye!

  • What do you think it means to feel “empty” like the girl in the story? Have you ever felt that way, and what made you feel better?
  • In the story, the girl and the boy became friends by sharing music. Can you think of a time when you shared something with a friend that made both of you happy?
  • We talked about being grateful for our bodies. What is your favorite thing to do with your body, and why do you enjoy it so much?
  1. Music and Emotions: Just like in the story “Empty,” music can make us feel different emotions. Let’s explore how music affects us! Play different types of music (happy, sad, fast, slow) and ask the children to draw or color how each piece of music makes them feel. Discuss how music can change our feelings and why it might have helped the characters in the story feel less empty.

  2. Gratitude Walk: Take a short walk around the classroom or outside and encourage the children to use their senses to notice things they are grateful for. Ask them to share what they see, hear, smell, or feel that makes them happy. For example, they might be grateful for the sound of birds singing or the sight of colorful flowers. This activity helps them appreciate their bodies and surroundings, just like in “I Am Grateful for My Body.”

  3. Body Appreciation Art: Provide the children with paper and crayons or markers. Ask them to draw a picture of themselves and label the parts of their body they are grateful for, inspired by the story “I Am Grateful for My Body.” Encourage them to think about what each part helps them do, like seeing, hearing, or playing. This activity reinforces the concept of gratitude for our bodies and their abilities.

Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:

[Music]

Hi everyone! Welcome back to the Storytime Family. How are you today? How was your day? Did you go to school today? Did you learn anything new or interesting? Did you make any new friends?

Thank you for sitting down and reading with us. Today we have a book called “Empty” by Andrew Bradley. Shall we have a look and see what “Empty” is all about? Let’s go!

[Music]

“Empty” tells the story of a girl who found an emptiness that she did not understand. She wondered about this emptiness—why was it there? What did it mean? The harder she looked, the more emptiness she found.

So the girl asked lots of questions, but the seagull and the hermit crab simply laughed and said, “Stop trying so hard. Don’t worry so much.” The pelicans spoke calmly, “You’ll work it out.”

She tried to forget about it, but it was always there. As the girl sat quietly, she heard something. It was daunting and beautiful at the same time; it lightened her heart. The sound came from nearby—a boy was making music.

“Can I help you?” asked the girl.

“I have an emptiness that I don’t know how to fill,” he replied. “But the music you make is so beautiful. Would you teach me how to play like that?”

The girl responded, and the boy nodded slowly and smiled. They practiced and practiced. They played happy music that made the waves dance, and sad music that made the whales cry. They played music that made the fish stop and forget where they were.

The boy turned to his new friend, “I don’t feel empty anymore,” he said. “Thank you.”

The girl suddenly realized her own emptiness had also disappeared. “I don’t understand,” she said. “You gave me your music, but what did I give you?”

“You gave me a reason to play,” he smiled.

“There are good ships and wood ships that sail the sea, but the best ships are friendships. May they always be.”

And that was “Empty.” Wasn’t that a beautiful story?

[Music]

I would love to dedicate this book to my friend David. I just want him to know that I love him so much and I wish he was here. I’ll see him soon.

If you would like a copy of this book, the links are in the description below. If you haven’t already, do subscribe for more stories like this. Give us a like or leave us a comment; we always love to hear from you.

Thanks for dropping by! We’ll see you again soon. Take care!

[Music]

Today we have a book called “I Am Grateful for My Body” by Christine Madeleine Hyde, illustrated by Natalie Jones. Let’s get started!

I am grateful for my body. I am grateful for my eyes because I can see the shapes in the clouds. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I am grateful for my mouth because I can speak kindly to myself. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I am grateful for my nose because I can smell mom’s cookies baking. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I’m grateful for my ears because I can hear my brother sing. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I’m grateful for my legs because I can dance and stand so tall. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I’m grateful for my feet because I can kick a soccer ball. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I’m grateful for my arms because I can give the biggest hugs. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I’m grateful for my heart because it helps me to love. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I’m grateful for my hands because I can draw my favorite things. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I’m grateful for my body because my body is amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Well, I hope you’re grateful for your body. It does so much for us every single day and every minute of the day. So show your body some love, go outside, have a good play, and stay healthy.

Thank you so much for joining us today! If you would like a copy of this book, the links to purchase it are in the description below. If you enjoyed this story and would like to hear more, do subscribe, give us a like, and leave us a comment. We always love to hear from you.

And click on the bell for more stories! Until we see you again, take care of yourself and your family. Bye-bye!

[Music]

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