ClassX Video Lessons Grade Grade 2 Little People, Big Dreams – John Lennon | a story about love, peace & music
Hi everyone! Welcome back to Storytime Family. How are you today? I hope you’re having a great day and had lots of fun at school. Did you make a new friend? Did you get to play outside or learn something cool?
Thanks for joining us to read a book. I hope you’re reading lots on your own too! Today, we have a book called “Little People, Big Dreams: John Lennon” by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara. Let’s find out what John Lennon is all about!
John Lennon was a little boy born in Liverpool during a big war. Even though he could hear bombs, he dreamed of peace on Earth. When John was four, his dad went to work at sea, and John lived with his Aunt Mimi. His mom visited often and taught him to play the banjo and bought him his first guitar.
At school, John was a bit of a troublemaker, but his teachers thought he might do well in art. He loved drawing and playing music. John started a band with his friends, and soon Paul joined them. Together, they wrote simple and beautiful songs. They changed their name to The Beatles and played at a club called The Cavern. John was funny and sometimes even wore a toilet seat around his neck!
A stylish man named Brian became their manager and promised to make them famous if they wore suits and behaved on stage. Their first song, “Love Me Do,” made them super popular. Everywhere they went, fans cheered for them. They were the first band to play in a giant stadium, but the fans were so loud that John could hardly hear himself sing!
John dreamed of making a friend who didn’t know him as a Beatle. He met a Japanese artist named Yoko, and they became close friends. After making 12 albums with The Beatles, John decided to go his own way but never stopped making music. He and Yoko even set up a peace camp in their hotel room and sang songs for peace.
John Lennon is remembered as one of the greatest songwriters who inspired us to imagine a world of peace. Maybe you’ll be inspired to become a songwriter too!
Now, let’s read “The Colors of Kindness” by Kristen Bellamy and Michael Thatcher.
Rainbow Panda Bear noticed his friend Rainbow was sad. Rainbow’s colors were gray because he needed kindness to shine bright again. Panda Bear gave Rainbow some advice:
Smile at someone or share your toys. Use your big heart, and you’ll feel happy inside.
It’s okay to feel scared, but helping a friend shows you care.
Take a deep breath when you’re upset. Stay calm and peaceful.
Be proud of yourself for being kind and helpful.
Telling the truth feels much better than telling fibs.
Stand up for friends when they’re treated unfairly.
Make someone laugh with a silly dance or funny face.
Playing games and laughing with friends is the best!
You’re amazing and dazzling! Follow the colors of kindness, and you’ll shine bright!
And that was “The Colors of Kindness.” I hope you enjoyed it! If you liked this story, subscribe for more fun stories. We love hearing from you, so leave us a comment! Until next time, take care of yourself and your family. Bye-bye!
Music and Art Exploration: Just like John Lennon loved music and art, let’s explore these creative activities! Try making your own musical instrument using household items. You can use a box and rubber bands to create a simple guitar or fill a container with rice to make a shaker. Once you’ve made your instrument, play along to your favorite song or create your own tune. Draw a picture of what your music makes you feel or imagine.
Kindness Rainbow: Inspired by “The Colors of Kindness,” create a kindness rainbow. Each time you do something kind, like sharing a toy or helping a friend, color a section of your rainbow. See how colorful and bright your rainbow becomes as you spread kindness throughout the week. Discuss with your family or friends how these acts of kindness made you feel and how they made others feel.
Imagine a World of Peace: John Lennon dreamed of peace on Earth. Close your eyes and imagine a peaceful world. What does it look like? What sounds do you hear? Draw a picture or write a short story about your peaceful world. Share your vision with your class or family and talk about ways you can help make the world a more peaceful place, starting with your school or neighborhood.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
—
[Music]
Hi everyone! Welcome back to the Storytime Family. How are you today? I hope you’re having a good day and that you had lots of fun at school. Did you make a new friend? Did you get to play outside or learn anything interesting?
Thank you for taking the time to sit down and read a book. I hope you’ve been reading lots on your own too! Today we have a book called “Little People, Big Dreams: John Lennon” by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara. Let’s find out what John Lennon is all about, shall we?
[Applause]
John Lennon was a little boy born in Liverpool during a great war. From his crib, he could hear the bombs falling, but once he fell asleep, all he dreamed about was that one day there would be peace on Earth. His dad left to work at sea when he was four, and John moved in with his eldest aunt, Mimi. They were often visited by John’s mom, who showed him how to play the banjo and bought him his first guitar.
At school, John was a bit of a troublemaker, and his grades were never great. Still, his teachers thought he would do well studying art at college. All day long, he played with pencils and paper. John formed a band with some schoolmates, and soon a guy named Paul joined them. Paul was more into pop, while John was more of a rock and roll rebel. Together, they wrote the most simple and beautiful songs. They changed their name to The Beatles and started to perform at a well-known club called The Cavern, where everyone laughed at John’s antics. One day, he even played wearing a toilet seat around his neck!
A stylish guy named Brian became their manager and promised to make them famous if they met two simple conditions: exchanged their leather jackets for tailored suits and started behaving properly on stage. Soon after, their first single “Love Me Do” was released, and John, Paul, Ringo, and George became the most popular band in the world. Wherever the Fab Four went, crowds of teenagers greeted them, waving signs. They were the first band to ever perform in a giant stadium. John couldn’t wait to listen to 55,000 voices singing together, but fans ended up being more interested in screaming, and he could hardly hear himself singing.
On his king-sized bed, John dreamed of making a friend who didn’t know about his band. Everybody knew him as a Beatle, yet no one actually knew the real John at all. He met a Japanese artist named Yoko at a gallery in London where her work was being exhibited. Yoko gave John a card that said nothing but “breathe,” and they were together from that moment on.
After 12 albums together, full of some of the greatest songs in the history of music, John knew it was time to say goodbye to The Beatles. He left the band behind to go his own way, but he never abandoned music. Yoko and John welcomed the whole world to their honeymoon, setting up a peace camp in their hotel room. They sang a song from bed that became an anthem for the anti-war movement.
After a life spent trying to find peace inside himself, little John is still remembered as one of the greatest songwriters, the one who kept inspiring us to imagine a world where all people live in peace. And that was John Lennon!
I hope you enjoyed getting to know the legendary John Lennon, one of the greatest songwriters in history. Maybe that might inspire you to become a songwriter! Leave us a comment and let us know what you think of this book. If you’d like a copy of this book, the links to purchase it are in the description below. Give us a like and subscribe if you haven’t for more stories like this. Thank you so much for joining us! We’ll see you back here soon. Bye!
[Music]
Now it’s time to get started on our reading, and today we have “The Colors of Kindness” by Kristen Bellamy and Michael Thatcher. Let’s have a look!
Hello, Rainbow Panda Bear said. Why do you look so sad today? Your smile is upside down, and there are tears in your eyes. Your beautiful colors are gray.
Rainbow forced a smile but was sad today. It was true. I’m a rainbow that gets brighter with kindness, and today my colors can’t shine through. I want my colors back, Panda Bear, but I need your help to find mine. What advice can you give me, Panda Bear? Can we make my colors shine?
“Be kind and brave, be patient and proud, be honest and fair,” said Bear. “Be funny or silly, be friendly or warm, and as magnificent as you dare. Just follow the colors of kindness and let your true colors shine through.”
“Follow what feels right,” Panda Bear said. “I believe in you.”
“Be kind. Smile at someone as you pass them by or share your toys with a friend. Use your big heart, be gentle and kind, and a smile is what you have in the end. Just follow the colors of kindness and let your true colors shine through.”
“Follow what feels right,” Panda Bear said. “I believe in you.”
“Be brave. Being brave isn’t always easy. It’s okay to feel threatened or scared, but when your shining string helps a friend in need, it really proves that you care. Just follow the colors of kindness and let your true colors shine through.”
“Follow what feels right,” Panda Bear said. “I believe in you.”
“Be patient. Being patient and calm is sometimes hard, especially when you’ve had a bad day. Take a deep breath and don’t get upset. Keep your mind at ease. Namaste. Just follow the colors of kindness and let your true colors shine through.”
“Follow what feels right,” Panda Bear said. “I believe in you.”
“Be proud. Panda Bear said, I’m so proud of you, and you should be proud of you too. You’re helpful and kind, such a great friend, and your intentions are always so true. Just follow the colors of kindness and let your true colors shine through.”
“Follow what feels right,” Panda Bear said. “I believe in you.”
“Be honest. Telling fibs to your family feels icky. Panda doesn’t like how it feels inside. It’s a much better feeling to be truthful and honest,” the colorful rainbow replied. “Just follow the colors of kindness and let your true colors shine through.”
“Follow what feels right,” Panda Bear said. “I believe in you.”
“Be fair. Following the rules can be tricky. Sometimes it’s hard to remember to act fair. Standing up for a friend when they are being treated unfairly proves how much you truly care. Just follow the colors of kindness and let your true colors shine through.”
“Follow what feels right,” Panda Bear said. “I believe in you.”
“Be funny. Making someone laugh is easy,” Panda wanted Rainbow to see. “You can dance around all silly and make a funny face like me. Just follow the colors of kindness and let your true colors shine through.”
“Follow what feels right,” Panda Bear said. “I believe in you.”
“Be a friend. It’s fun to play games with each other. I love to hear my friends laugh with glee. I love that they’re always there when I need them. They’ve always got a friend in me. Just follow the colors of kindness and let your true colors shine through.”
“Follow what feels right,” Panda Bear said. “I believe in you.”
“Be magnificent. You’re beautiful, impressive, astounding. You’re dazzling, spectacular, and cool. You followed the colors of kindness, and now you’re bright again, Rainbow. You rule!”
And that was “The Colors of Kindness.” I hope you enjoyed that! If you’d like a copy of this book, the links are in the description below. If you enjoyed this story, do subscribe for more videos like this. Also, leave us a comment; we love to hear from you! Until we see you again, take care of yourself and your family. Bye-bye!
[Music]
—
Let me know if you need any further modifications!
