ClassX Video Lessons Grade Kindergarten Nobody Hugs A Cactus – A little bit of love and kindness goes a long way
Hello friends! How are you today? Did you have fun playing outside in the sunshine? That’s great!
Today, we have a special story called “Nobody Hugs a Cactus” by Carter Goodridge. Are you ready to find out what happens? Let’s begin!
Once upon a time, there was a cactus named Hank. Hank lived in a pot by a window, looking out at the big, empty desert. It was hot and quiet, just the way Hank liked it. But sometimes, visitors would come by and disturb Hank’s peace.
One day, Rosie the tumbleweed rolled by. “Hi Hank! Isn’t it a beautiful day?” she said. But Hank didn’t answer. He just wanted to be alone.
Rosie didn’t mind and rolled away happily. Hank was glad to be alone again.
Then, a tortoise came by. Hank shouted, “Hey! Stay out!” The tortoise got scared and hid in his shell.
Next, a jackrabbit hopped by. “Hiya, Prickles!” she called. “My name isn’t Prickles!” Hank shouted back. “Stay out of my yard!”
More animals came by, like a coyote and a cowboy. Hank yelled at them too. “No dogs allowed!” he said to the coyote. “What grass?” asked the cowboy. “Seems like someone needs a hug.”
Hank started to feel a little lonely. Maybe a hug wouldn’t be so bad after all. But who would hug a cactus?
One day, the wind blew an old cup onto Hank’s face. His arms were too short to take it off. “Oh no,” said Hank.
Rosie the tumbleweed came bouncing by again. “I’ll help you, Hank!” she said. She knocked the cup off Hank’s face and tumbled away.
Hank felt bad for being rude to Rosie before. He wanted to say thank you, so he came up with a plan. He decided to grow a beautiful flower for Rosie.
It took a long time, but Hank finally grew a lovely flower. When Rosie came by again, Hank showed her the flower. “Look, Rosie! I grew it just for you!”
Rosie was so happy, she jumped up and gave Hank a big hug. It felt so nice! Hank and Rosie got stuck together, but they didn’t mind. They were happy to be together.
Wasn’t that a sweet story? Sometimes, being kind and giving a gift can make us feel really good inside. Maybe you can think of someone you’d like to give a special gift to!
Thank you for joining us for storytime. We hope you enjoyed “Nobody Hugs a Cactus.” Remember to read lots of books and take care of yourself and your family. See you next time! Bye!
Plant a Seed: Let’s try growing our own little plant, just like Hank grew a flower for Rosie! With the help of an adult, plant a seed in a small pot. Water it regularly and place it by a sunny window. Watch it grow over time. How does it feel to take care of your plant? What changes do you notice as it grows?
Friendship Circle: Gather in a circle with your friends or family. Take turns sharing a kind word or compliment with the person next to you. How does it feel to give and receive kind words? Just like Hank and Rosie, sometimes a little kindness can make someone feel really special!
Observation Walk: Go on a short walk outside with an adult. Look for different plants and animals you see along the way. Can you find a cactus or something similar? What other plants or animals do you notice? How do they interact with each other? Share your observations with a friend or family member.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi everyone! Welcome back to the Storytime Family. How are you holding up today? Did you have a good day? Did you get to soak up some sunshine and play outside? That sounds awesome!
Today we have “Nobody Hugs a Cactus” by Carter Goodridge. Can you guess what the story is about? Well, let’s get started and see what the story is all about, shall we?
Nobody hugs a cactus. Hank lived in a pot. The pot sat in a window that looked out at the empty desert. It was hot, dry, peaceful, and quiet—just the way Hank liked it. But every now and then, someone would interrupt Hank’s peace and quiet.
“Hey Hank!” Rosie the tumbleweed called out. “Isn’t it a beautiful day?”
Hank ignored her; he just wanted to be left alone.
“Okay, so long!” said Rosie cheerfully as she tumbled away. Hank was happy again.
But just as he was beginning to relax, he heard a shout. “Hey! Private property! Yo Hank, keep out!” The tortoise was so frightened he hid in his shell.
“That’s not nice!” Hank yelled at the tortoise. Just then, a jackrabbit dashed by. “Hiya, Prickles!” she shouted.
“My name isn’t Prickles!” Hank yelled back. “And stay out of my yard!”
Tumbleweeds, tortoises, jackrabbits—what’s next? A coyote came loping by. “No dogs allowed!” Hank yelled.
“I’m not a dog,” said the coyote. “And you are as prickly on the inside as you are on the outside.”
Before Hank could yell back at the coyote, a cowboy strolled past. “Keep off the grass!” shouted Hank.
“What grass?” said the cowboy. “Seems to me somebody needs a hug.”
“Too bad nobody hugs a cactus,” said the lizard.
“Who invited you?” said Hank. “And just in case you’re wondering, I don’t want a hug.”
“That’s good,” said the lizard, “because I don’t want to give you one.” Then he skittered away.
An owl landed on the roof. “If you’re looking for a hug,” said Hank, “well, I guess I could give you one.”
“Who, me?” said the owl. “You must be joking!”
For the first time, Hank began to feel a little lonely. The next morning, Hank was feeling more sad on the inside than prickly. Maybe a hug wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Poor guy! The wind began to pick up, and an old cup blew by and stuck to Hank’s face. His arms were too short to get it off.
“Great,” said Hank.
After a while, Rosie came bouncing by. “I’ll get it off for you, Hank!” she shouted, and she jumped up to knock the cup off Hank’s face. Then she tumbled away.
Hank didn’t have time to thank Rosie; he felt bad about all the other times he had been rude to her. So he came up with a plan. He decided to grow the best flower he could and then give it to Rosie as a thank-you gift.
It took days, but at last, it was ready. He couldn’t wait for Rosie to pass by again. When at last she finally did come bouncing back, Hank held out the flower.
“Look, Rosie!” he said. “I grew it just for you!”
Rosie was so surprised she jumped up and gave Hank a great big hug. It felt so nice! Hank didn’t want to let go, and as it turned out, he couldn’t. Rosie and Hank had become stuck together, but they didn’t care. After all, it’s better to be stuck in a hug than all alone.
Wasn’t that such a cute story? So appropriate for now! Hope you enjoyed “Nobody Hugs a Cactus.” You might want to hug one!
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Meanwhile, take care of yourself and your family. Read lots of books on your own. We’ll see you back here soon. Take care! Bye!
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