Hi there! I’m Craig Toby, and I’m so excited to share a fun story with you today. If you enjoy our stories, you can follow us on Instagram or visit our website to see more read-alouds. A big thank you to Carrie and the boys from Auburn, Washington, for sending us today’s book!
Today’s book is called “Henry and The Buccaneer Bunnies” by Carolyn Cryme, with pictures by John Manders. Let’s dive into the adventure!
Once upon a time, there was a group of pirate bunnies sailing the seven seas on a ship named the Salty Carrot. These bunnies were known as the Buccaneer Bunnies, and they were quite a wild bunch! Other pirates were scared of them because of their long floppy ears and fluffy white tails.
The captain of the Salty Carrot was Barnacle Blackie, the toughest bunny pirate ever. He had a wooden paw, shiny golden earrings, and a fierce reputation. But there was one thing Blackie wasn’t happy about—his son, Henry.
Henry loved reading books more than doing pirate chores like cleaning the ship or fixing the sails. He would say, “I’m the captain’s son, so I can read my books!” But the other bunnies thought he should help out more.
Even though Henry loved his books, he felt a little lonely. One day, he noticed the sky turning red and remembered something he read about storms. He tried to warn the other bunnies, but they were too busy to listen.
Henry shouted, “A big storm is coming! We need to get ready!” But Blackie didn’t believe him. When the storm hit, it was very strong and damaged their ship, leaving them stuck on an island.
While the other bunnies were worried, Henry knew just what to do. He built a cozy hut using palm leaves and coconuts, cooked a yummy seaweed stew, and even made clothes from the shipwreck.
Blackie was amazed and asked Henry how he knew all these things. Henry smiled and said, “I read it in a book!”
Henry taught Blackie and the other bunnies many useful things, and together they built a new ship. They sailed to a library on the Easter Islands, where they spent lots of happy hours reading books.
“Buccaneer Bunnies will always need books,” said Blackie, and Henry just smiled and turned the page.
And that’s the story of Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies. Remember, reading can teach you amazing things and take you on exciting adventures. Keep exploring and have fun with books!
Build Your Own Pirate Ship: Gather some recyclable materials like cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, and paper tubes. Work with your friends or family to create your own pirate ship model. Think about what you learned from the story about the Salty Carrot and try to include features like sails or a lookout post. Once your ship is ready, share a story about an adventure your pirate ship might have!
Weather Watchers: Just like Henry noticed the sky turning red, you can become a weather watcher too! Spend a week observing the sky each day. Draw pictures of what you see and note any changes in the weather. Discuss with your family how different weather patterns might affect a pirate ship at sea. What would you do if you were a pirate bunny and saw a storm coming?
Book Adventure Hunt: Henry learned a lot from reading books. Visit your local library or explore books at home to find a story about pirates or adventures. After reading, draw a picture of your favorite part of the story or write a short paragraph about what you learned. Share your drawing or writing with your class or family and explain why you chose that book.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hey, I’m Craig Toby. Welcome to Story Time with Ryan McGann! Remember, if you like what you see, follow us on Instagram or visit our website to watch all the read-alouds or send us a message.
I want to give a big shout-out to Carrie and the boys from Auburn, Washington. Thank you for sending us today’s book; we can’t wait to read it! Today’s book is “Henry and The Buccaneer Bunnies” by Carolyn Cryme, illustrated by John Manders. Let’s get started!
“Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies” by Carolyn Cryme, illustrated by John Manders.
Cruising the seven seas on a rickety old ship called the Salty Carrot sailed a wild, rowdy band of Buccaneer Bunnies. They were quite the mischievous bunch! When pirates on other ships saw their long floppy ears and fluffy white tails, they shook with fear. The captain of the Salty Carrot was Barnacle Blackie, the baddest bunny brute of all time. Blackie was proud of his wooden paw, his golden earrings, and his mean reputation.
However, what Blackie was not proud of was his son, Henry. Instead of performing his proper pirate duties, Henry was more interested in reading the books the Buccaneers stole from other ships.
“But there’s work to be done on a pirate ship! You have to swab the decks and rig the sails. It’s hard labor!” said one of the bunnies.
Henry replied, “But I’m the captain’s son. There are other bunnies who can do that work.”
“You can’t just take advantage of that,” another bunny pointed out.
“How about this? I’m the captain’s son, so I’m going to sit here and read my books,” Henry said.
“That’s not being subtle; that’s being sassy!”
“What’s the difference?”
They continued to bicker, and Blackie ordered, “Swab the decks until you come to your senses!”
Henry sighed and kept reading, thinking about how pirates could be thrown overboard at any time.
Day after day, Henry swabbed the decks while reading some of his favorite books. As much as he loved his books, Henry was a lonely Buccaneer Bunny. One morning, he noticed the red sky and remembered what he learned about storms.
He tried to warn the other bunnies, but they were too busy with their own tasks. Finally, he shouted, “Batten down the hatches! A huge storm is coming!”
Blackie dismissed him, but Henry kept an eye on the skies. When the storm hit, it was fierce, damaging the ship and leaving the bunnies stranded on an island.
While Blackie lamented their fate, Henry got to work. He built a two-story hut out of palm fronds and coconuts, cooked a tasty seaweed stew, and made garments from the shipwreck.
Blackie was amazed and asked how he learned to do all that. “I read it in ‘101 Things to Do with Palm Fronds and Coconuts,’” Henry replied.
Soon, Henry taught Blackie and the Buccaneer Bunnies all kinds of useful things, and they built a new ship. They sailed to the library at the nearby Easter Islands, where they spent many happy hours reading books.
“Buccaneer Bunnies will always need books,” said Blackie, and Henry just smiled and turned the page.
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This version maintains the essence of the story while removing any inappropriate or unclear language.
