Hello, friends! Are you ready for a fun story? Today, we have a special book called “Ponk” by Edwina Wyatt and Christopher Nielsen. Let’s see what adventures Ponk has!
Ponk is a little bird who lives at the top of a tall tree. From up high, he can see a big hill that makes him feel excited and dizzy! Ponk loves to watch the hill and dream about adventures.
One day, Ponk sees a funny creature and waves at it. He dreams about dancing and singing with the creature. But the other birds laugh at Ponk because he likes to stay so high up in the tree.
Even when they laugh, Ponk stands tall and starts his journey back home. He loves the view from up high! But sometimes, he loses his balance and says, “Sorry!” The other birds say, “Never mind,” but they really do mind.
Ponk asks the other birds to come up to his tree. They say, “What’s the point? We might fall!” But Ponk doesn’t give up. One day, the birds say, “If you didn’t go so high, we could visit you.”
So, Ponk moves to a lower branch, and the birds come to visit. But when they leave, Ponk feels a little sad. He looks up and thinks about the ants who never fall.
The next day, Ponk sees the birds up high and says, “You came up! What a great view!” The birds say, “Sorry!” and Ponk replies, “Never mind. Just hold on like the ants do!”
Now, Ponk and his friends enjoy the exciting view together. And Ponk sees something new beyond the hills, making him feel dizzy with excitement!
Now, let’s meet Little Lambie! Lambie loves to play games and have fun. He invites everyone to join him at the table for games and laughter.
Lambie loves to win, and sometimes his friends let him cheat. But one day, he plays with his dad, who plays by the rules. Lambie gets upset and says, “This game’s not fair!”
Dad tells Lambie that losing is okay and that it’s important to keep trying. Lambie learns that practice makes him better. His mom helps him practice, and he works hard every day.
Even when it feels tough, Lambie remembers that he can do anything if he doesn’t give up. He learns to say, “I can’t do it… yet!”
Finally, Lambie is ready for a rematch with his dad. He plays with all his heart and wins! His dad is so proud of him for not giving up.
Lambie learns that with hard work and practice, he can achieve his dreams. He knows that he can do anything if he keeps trying!
Thank you for joining us for these wonderful stories! Remember, you can do anything if you keep trying and never give up. We hope you enjoyed “Ponk” and “The Gritty Little Lamb.” See you next time for more fun stories!
Bird Watching Adventure: Go outside with a grown-up and look for birds in your neighborhood. Can you spot any birds sitting high up in the trees like Ponk? Try to count how many different birds you see. Talk about why some birds might like to sit up high and what they can see from there.
Balance Like Ponk: Find a safe place to practice balancing, like a line on the ground or a low curb with a grown-up’s help. Pretend you are Ponk balancing on a branch. Can you walk along the line without falling? Try different ways of balancing, like standing on one foot or walking backward. Talk about how it feels to balance and why it’s important to keep trying even if you wobble.
Practice Makes Perfect with Lambie: Choose a simple game or activity you enjoy, like drawing or building with blocks. Set a goal, like drawing a picture of a bird or building a tall tower. Practice every day for a week. At the end of the week, see how much you’ve improved. Talk about how practicing helped you get better and how it felt to keep trying, just like Lambie.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:
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[Music]
Hi everyone! Welcome back to the Storytime Family. How are you today? Have you been reading lots of books on your own? [Music]
I sure hope you have! Thank you for sitting down and reading with us today. We have “Ponk” by Edwina Wyatt and Christopher Nielsen. Let’s check it out!
Ponk could see the hill from the top of his tree. The hill was so exciting it made him dizzy. Ponk watched the hill from the top of the tree. He watched a strange beast and waved until Ponk dreamed new dreams from the top of the tree. He danced with the beast and sang until Ponk wondered why he stayed at the top of the tree. The other birds laughed.
However much they laughed, Ponk always straightened his beak and began the long journey home. It was such an exciting view! Ponk tried to watch his step as he gambled in the treetop, but he always lost his balance.
“Sorry,” he said.
“Never mind,” they all replied. But they did mind; they minded their eggs and their toes, their gardens and their clothes.
“Why don’t you come up?” asked Ponk one day.
“What’s the point?” said one. “How would we balance? Besides, you’d be down in a moment.”
They laughed.
“Never mind,” thought Ponk, but he did. One morning, the birds gathered around.
“If only you did go so high,” they said, “you wouldn’t fall so far, and we could visit you.”
So Ponk moved to a lower branch and waited, and sure enough, they visited. But once they went home, there was nothing to see. Ponk looked up at the ants and wondered for a moment. Then he packed up his things and waved goodbye.
The birds looked up at the treetop and waited for him to fall, but this time nothing happened. They wondered for a moment.
The next morning, Ponk walked through a bump.
“You came up!” said Ponk.
“Exciting view!” said the birds.
But then they called, “Sorry!”
“Never mind,” called Ponk. “Hold on for balance like the ants.”
So the birds straightened their beaks and journeyed back. It was such an exciting view! The next time Ponk looked, he saw something new beyond the hills—something exciting. He felt dizzy for a moment.
“What a cute little thing!”
Hope you enjoyed “Ponk.” Leave us a comment and let us know what you think of the book. Do give us a like and subscribe if you haven’t! If you’d like to own a copy of this book, the links to purchase it are in our description below.
Thanks for dropping by and reading with us! We’ll see you back here again soon. Take care! Bye!
[Music]
Let’s have a look at “The Gritty Little Lamb.” Little Lambie loved to play. If he had his way, he’d play all day—building towers, playground slides, jumping, hanging, wagon rides, blowing bubbles, climbing trees—nearly all activities.
When asked his favorite, he exclaimed, “There’s nothing more I love than games! Come and join me at the table; all are welcome!”
Then the stable—”I’ve got plenty of room to spare! Don’t stand and stare; pull up a chair!”
From the very beginning, his heart was filled with the joy of winning. There’s not an animal he couldn’t beat, but he loved to win, so they let him cheat.
Then one day he played with Dad, who played it straight, which made Lamb mad.
“I’ve played this since my days in school; you’re not playing by the rules!”
Lamby screamed and cried and threw a fit, stomped and kicked and said, “I quit!”
Out of anger, he tipped his chair and said, “This game’s not fair!”
That sounds like someone I know. Daddy understood his pain. He paused for a moment, then explained, “Son, I’ve played this game for years. I’ve lost my share and shed some tears. There’s a lesson in losing; your response is your own choosing.
It’s true in games and true in life. You have tough breaks, bad luck, and strife, but your reaction matters more than the scoreboard’s final score.”
Lamby knew that—that’s a shrewd thought. So he rearranged his attitude. Now little Lamb was filled with drive, confident that he would thrive.
“I’ll study hard and learn the rules; I’ll excel; I have the tools. Next time we play, I’ll go farther; I’ll beat you; I’ll work harder!”
Very quickly, he improved. Mommy helped to show him moves.
“Stick with it,” she told him. “Practice, practice—that’s the key!”
But all the hours started mounting—way too many, and sheep love counting.
“It’s so much work,” Lamby said. “I can’t do it!” Then he hung his head.
Mom’s next words kept him going, helped him see that he was growing.
“Remember, kid, you weren’t born talking. At 12 months, you started walking. When you fell, you weren’t done. First you crawl, then walk, then run. It all happens bit by bit, but you never get there if you quit. So when you say, ‘I can’t do it,’ don’t forget to add ‘yet.’”
Lamby knew that moms are wise; he’ll listen well to score the prize.
“I can’t give up and quit on me; I’ll never know how great I’ll be!”
So every day he trains some more, striving for the highest score. A rematch will be his finest hour; all this practice gives him power.
The day arrived when he felt ready.
“I can win! Prepare confetti!”
He challenged Dad to that same game, his passion burning like a flame. His hard work showed for all to see; the game was as close as close could be.
The final move comes down to me; I will secure the victory!
Let me squeak by with the win! His dad gave him a sheepish grin.
“I’m proud of you! You thought to quit but saw it through. I’ve had my share of wins, but that’s not where the joy begins.
On that journey of improvement, it’s fun to find that you can do it—grow the biggest watermelon, tell the funniest joke worth telling, ride a skateboard, surf a wave. You can do them if you crave.
Have bigger dreams; make them yours. You could dig up dinosaurs or take a trip to Mars, then you’ll live among the stars.
With any passion you pursue, your success is up to you. Whatever you may want to be, don’t quit, and you’ll achieve your dreams.
You can do it—just not yet. You will do it!
I’ll take that bit, and that was “The Gritty Little Lamb.”
If you want something, go for it! But always remember that you have to put in the work. People never tell you how hard it is to be where they are, but really, it all comes down to how much you want it and how much work you want to put into it.
Thank you so much for joining us! If you’d like to buy a copy of this book, the links are in the description below.
Give us a like and subscribe if you haven’t! Leave us a comment; we always love to hear from you. Until we see you again, take care of yourself and your family. Bye-bye!
[Music]
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