Hi there! Today, we’re going to read a fun story called “Hey Boy” by Benjamin Strauss and Jennifer Phelan. Are you ready to hear about a boy and his doggy friend? Let’s get started!
One sunny morning, a boy met a friendly dog. “Hey boy, do you want to see my house?” he asked. That night, the boy dreamed about all the fun adventures and games they would have together. They were so excited!
The boy and the dog played a lot, but then the boy got hurt. His mom said, “You’re not ready to take care of a dog. Maybe when you grow up.” The boy had a plan. “Don’t worry, boy! I’m going to grow up faster than anybody!” he said.
The boy tried really hard to grow up fast, but he missed the dog so much. He decided to visit, but the dog was gone—adopted by someone else. The boy felt sad until he got a letter. His doggy friend was on an adventure and invited him to visit!
“Hey boy, you’re getting so big!” the boy said when he visited. They played and played until they were tired. The boy told the dog, “When I grow up, we’ll live on a farm, and you can chase sheep every day!”
The boy kept trying to grow up. He wanted to tell his dog everything. “Do you have a best friend? Do you tell them everything?” he asked. He visited the dog whenever he could, even biking there sometimes!
As time passed, the dog got older. They didn’t play as much, but the boy still loved him. “Don’t worry, boy,” he whispered. “I still love you.”
One day, the boy heard that the couple couldn’t take care of the dog anymore. He knew what to do. He was ready to bring his doggy friend home!
The boy drove to see the dog. He was nervous. “What if he doesn’t recognize me?” he thought. But when he said, “Hey boy!” the dog was happy, and the boy was so glad.
The boy told his friend about all the adventures they would have and the games they would play—play and play and play. They were so happy to be together again!
I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I did! If you liked it, you can find the book and read it again. Thanks for joining us for story time. Come back soon for another fun story. Bye!
Draw Your Own Adventure: Imagine you have a pet, just like the boy in the story. What adventures would you go on together? Draw a picture of you and your pet on an adventure. Share your drawing with your friends and tell them about your adventure!
Pet Care Practice: Pretend you have a pet at home. What are some things you would need to do to take care of it? Make a list of tasks like feeding, walking, and playing. You can even practice with a stuffed animal or toy pet. How does it feel to take care of a pet?
Friendship Circle: The boy and the dog were best friends. Think about your best friend. What do you like to do together? Share with the class one thing you love about your friend and one fun thing you do together. How can you be a good friend like the boy was to his dog?
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:
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[Music]
Hi! Welcome to the Story Time Family. Today, we have a book called “Hey Boy” by Benjamin Strauss and Jennifer Phelan. Shall we check it out?
[Applause]
“Hey Boy”
One morning, a boy met a dog. “Hey boy, do you want to see my house?” That night, the boy told the dog about the adventures they would have and the games they would play. They couldn’t wait to get started! They played and played until the boy got hurt.
“You’re not ready to take care of a dog,” his mom said. “Maybe when you grow up.”
[Applause]
“Don’t worry, boy! I have a plan. I’m going to grow up faster than anybody,” said the boy. “You won’t be at the shelter long.”
For more than a month, the boy tried to grow up as fast as he could, but in the meantime, he missed the dog so much that he decided it was okay to visit. But his friend was gone—adopted.
“Oh no!” For a while, the boy didn’t know what to think. He felt sad until an old-fashioned letter arrived in the mail. His friend was on an adventure, living somewhere the boy had never been, and he was welcome to visit.
“Hey boy, you’re getting so big!” They played and played like they had when they first met until they were both exhausted and needed to rest.
“When I finish growing up,” the boy told the dog, “we’ll live on a farm, and you can run around every day chasing sheep. I made my own lunch today, so it won’t be much longer.”
Time passed. The boy tried harder than ever to grow up. He wanted to tell his friend everything. “Do you have a best friend? Do you tell him or her everything?” The boy visited whenever he could. “I biked here,” he told the dog. “I also researched dog food, and the best kind can be eaten by both of us, but I haven’t tried it.”
Sometimes a while passed between visits. The dog was older now, and they didn’t run around and play as much as they used to. “Don’t worry, boy,” the boy whispered at the end of one visit. “I still love you.”
More time passed. Some days were bad, other days were good. Sometimes nothing seemed to make sense, and sometimes it did. But he never stopped missing his friend.
Oh, he must miss him so much! The boy had grown up, but he visited less and less. Then one day, there was news: the couple was no longer young enough to take care of the dog. At first, the boy didn’t know what to think. He sat down. Where would his friend live? But he knew the answer, and it made him happy. Ready or not, he was going to bring the dog home.
The boy drove and drove. When he arrived, he felt nervous, even afraid. “What if he doesn’t recognize me? Will he wag his tail? What if he barks?”
“Hey boy!” His friend moved very slowly now and couldn’t see very well, but of course, the dog was happy, and the boy was overjoyed. “Thank you!” he said.
So the boy told his friend about the adventures they would have and the games they would play—play and play and play.
Wasn’t that such a lovely story? I love it! Hope you like it too! Leave us a comment, give us a like, and subscribe. If you like this book, you can purchase it in the links in the description below. Thanks for stopping by! Come back and see us again, and tap on the notification button for the next story. Bye!
[Music]
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