Hello, friends! Today, we’re going to hear a special story called “Remember to Dream, Ebere.” It’s written by a wonderful person named Cynthia Erivo and has beautiful pictures by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow. Let’s dive into the magical world of dreams!
Every night, when it was time for Ebere to go to sleep, her mommy would give her a sweet kiss on the cheek and say, “Remember to dream, my love.” But sometimes, Ebere found it hard to stay asleep. She would get out of bed and look for her mommy.
One night, Ebere said, “Mommy, I had the most amazing dream. I dreamed of a rocket ship!”
Her mommy asked, “Oh my, how big was this rocket ship?”
Ebere thought and said, “I don’t know.”
Her mommy smiled and said, “You’d better go back and dream some more.” So, Ebere went back to dreamland.
Later, Ebere came back and said, “Mommy, the rocket ship is as big as two houses!”
“That’s wonderful. And what color is the rocket ship?” her mommy asked.
Ebere replied, “I don’t know.”
“Go back and dream, my love,” her mommy said. And Ebere did just that.
“Mommy, the rocket ship! It’s as big as two houses—and as red as a fire engine,” Ebere exclaimed.
“That sounds wonderful. Does the rocket ship have a name?” her mommy asked.
Ebere said, “I don’t know.”
“Go back and dream some more, my love… and dream it in the biggest letters ever,” her mommy encouraged. And Ebere went back to dream.
“The rocket ship is as big as two houses and as red as a fire engine—and it’s called The Light Chaser,” Ebere announced proudly.
“That is a beautiful name, my love. It would be a shame for such a beautifully named rocket ship to have no captain. Who is the captain of the ship?” her mommy asked.
Ebere thought and said, “I don’t know, Mommy. I’d better go dream some more.”
“Great idea,” her mommy said with a smile.
Later, Ebere came back and said, “Mommy, I dreamed again, and guess what? I am the captain of the ship! I can go anywhere in the universe.”
Her mommy said, “My love, you are the captain of all your dreams. And I want you to have as many dreams as you can—just remember to always dream them as big as two houses, as bright as fire-engine red, and as bold as the name The Light Chaser.”
This story is a special gift from Cynthia Erivo to you. She wants you to know that your imagination can fly and soar. You should dream big dreams, bigger than you can imagine. When someone tells you to be smaller or quieter, remember this story and dream big, colorful dreams. You are special, and the world needs your dreams!
Thank you for joining us for this story. Keep dreaming, keep reading, and remember, your dreams are important!
Create Your Own Dream Rocket: Gather some craft materials like colored paper, markers, glue, and scissors. Encourage the children to design their own dream rocket ship. Ask them to think about how big it would be, what colors it might have, and what special features it could include. Once they have created their rockets, have them share their designs with the class and explain why they chose those features.
Dream Journal: Provide each child with a small notebook to use as a dream journal. Encourage them to draw or write about a dream they had or a dream they would like to have. Ask them to think about details like where the dream takes place, who is with them, and what adventures they might have. This activity helps children practice recalling and imagining details, just like Ebere did in the story.
Imagination Exploration: Take the children on an “imagination walk” around the classroom or playground. Ask them to imagine they are on a journey in their dream rocket ship. What do they see? What planets or stars do they visit? Encourage them to describe their journey using as many details as possible. This activity helps children practice using their imagination and expressing their thoughts verbally.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Welcome to Storyline Online, brought to you by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. I’m Cynthia Erivo, and today I’m going to read “Remember to Dream, Ebere,” written by me and illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow.
When it was time to go to sleep, Ebere’s mother always kissed her on the cheek and said, “Remember to dream, my love.” And when it was time to go to sleep, Ebere usually had a hard time staying asleep. She often crept out of bed and went looking for her mother.
“Mommy,” she said one night, “I had the most amazing dream. I dreamed of a rocket ship!”
“Oh my. How big was this rocket ship?”
“I don’t know,” said Ebere.
“You’d better go back and dream some more.” And she did.
“Mommy, the rocket ship is as big as two houses!” Ebere exclaimed.
“That’s wonderful. And what color is the rocket ship?”
“I don’t know,” said Ebere.
“Go back and dream, my love.” And she did.
“Mommy, the rocket ship! It’s as big as two houses—and as red as a fire engine.”
“That sounds wonderful. Does the rocket ship have a name?”
“I don’t know,” said Ebere.
“Go back and dream some more, my love… and dream it in the biggest letters ever.” And she did.
“The rocket ship is as big as two houses and as red as a fire engine—and it’s called The Light Chaser.”
“That is a beautiful name, my love. It would be a shame for such a beautifully named rocket ship to have no captain. Who is the captain of the ship?”
“I don’t know, Mommy. I’d better go dream some more.”
“Great idea.”
“Mommy, I dreamed again, and guess what? I am the captain of the ship! I can go anywhere in the universe.”
“My love, you are the captain of all your dreams. And I want you to have as many dreams as you can—just remember to always dream them as big as two houses, as bright as fire-engine red, and as bold as the name The Light Chaser.”
“Remember to Dream, Ebere” is a gift from me, a self-professed dreamer, to you. You, whose imagination deserves to fly and soar. You, who should be taught to dream dreams bigger than you can contain. This little book is to celebrate you. I wrote it for you, so that when someone tells you to think a little smaller, to be quiet, to be less bold, to fit in, you come back here to this little book and my words, and remember to dream big, gargantuan dreams in the brightest colors. Because without you and your big dreams, this world would cry. We need you because you are special.
With love, from me. Thank you for watching Storyline Online. Make sure to check out all of our stories. Keep watching and keep reading.
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