Hello, my name is Pamela Reed. Today, we’re going to enjoy a wonderful story called “Stellaluna,” written by Janell Cannon. It’s a tale about a little bat and her adventures in the forest.
In a warm and cozy forest, far, far away, there lived a mother fruit bat and her tiny baby. The mother bat loved her baby so much and decided to name her Stellaluna. Every night, Mother Bat would carry Stellaluna close to her as they flew through the sky, searching for delicious fruit to eat.
One night, while they were flying, a sneaky owl spotted them. The owl swooped down silently, trying to catch them. Mother Bat tried her best to escape, but the owl was too quick. It knocked Stellaluna out of her mother’s grasp, and she began to fall through the air. Her little wings were too weak to fly, and she tumbled down into the forest.
As Stellaluna fell, the branches of the trees caught her. She managed to grab onto a small twig with her tiny feet. She wrapped her wings around herself, feeling scared and cold. “Mother,” Stellaluna squeaked softly, “where are you?”
When the sun came up, Stellaluna couldn’t hold on any longer. She fell again, landing with a soft “flump” in a nest full of fluffy feathers. The nest belonged to three baby birds, and they were very surprised to see Stellaluna! She quickly climbed out of the nest and hid nearby.
Stellaluna’s adventure teaches us about courage and friendship. Even though she was scared and far from home, she found new friends and learned to adapt to her new surroundings. Just like Stellaluna, we can be brave and make new friends, even when things seem a little scary.
Thank you for joining us for this story. Remember, every adventure can lead to new discoveries and friendships!
Bat Observation Walk: Take a walk in your neighborhood or a nearby park with an adult. Look for bats or other animals that come out at night. What do you notice about their behavior? How do they move? If you can’t find any bats, try to find pictures or videos of bats online. Draw a picture of Stellaluna and her mother flying in the night sky. Share your drawing with your class and talk about what you learned about bats.
Fruit Tasting Adventure: Stellaluna and her mother love to eat fruit. With the help of an adult, try tasting different types of fruit. Which ones do you like the most? Imagine you are Stellaluna and write a short story about your favorite fruit adventure. What fruits would you find in the forest? Share your story with your friends and see if they have similar fruit adventures!
Friendship Circle: Just like Stellaluna made new friends, think about your friends. What makes a good friend? Draw a picture of you and your friends doing something fun together. Write a few sentences about why you like spending time with them. Share your picture and story with the class, and talk about how you can be a good friend, just like Stellaluna.
Hello, my name is Pamela Reed. Welcome to Storyline Online, brought to you by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. Today we’re going to read the book “Stellaluna,” by Janell Cannon.
In a warm and sultry forest, far, far away, there once lived a mother fruit bat and her new baby. Oh, how Mother Bat loved her soft, tiny baby. “I’ll name you… Stellaluna,” she crooned. Each night, Mother Bat would carry Stellaluna clutched to her breast as she flew out to search for food.
One night, as Mother Bat followed the heavy scent of ripe fruit, an owl spied her. On silent wings, the powerful bird swooped down upon the bats. Dodging and shrieking, Mother Bat tried to escape, but the owl struck again and again, knocking Stellaluna into the air. Her baby wings were as limp and useless as wet paper. Down, down she went, faster and faster, into the forest below. The dark leafy tangle of branches caught Stellaluna as she fell. One twig was small enough for Stellaluna’s tiny feet. Wrapping her wings about her, she clutched the thin branch, trembling with cold and fear: “Mother,” Stellaluna squeaked. “Where are you?”
By daybreak, the baby bat could hold on no longer. Down, down again she dropped. Flump! Stellaluna landed headfirst in a soft, downy nest, startling the three baby birds who lived there. Stellaluna quickly clambered from the nest and hung out of sight
