Hello, friends! How are you today? Have you been reading lots of books? Did you play outside and have fun? Even if you miss school, we can enjoy a story together right now!
Today, we’re going to read a story called “The Box,” with pictures by Martha Lightfoot. Are you ready to find out what’s inside the box? Let’s begin!
“What’s inside?” asked Annie. “I don’t know,” said Flora, “but can it be mine?” Annie walked around the big, empty box. “I know! It’s a monkey! Can it still be mine?” Flora asked excitedly.
Annie ran inside the house. “I’m getting some bananas in case it’s hungry!” she shouted. “Can I have one?” Flora asked. When Annie came back, she looked at the box and said, “The box is too big. Maybe it’s an elephant!” Flora sat on the swing, eating a banana, and thought the monkey might like to swing too. “Whatever it is, can it still be mine?” she wondered.
Annie ran back inside. “I’m getting a handkerchief in case it has a runny nose,” she said. “Can you get me one too?” Flora asked. When Annie returned, she stood in front of the box and said, “Oh, the box is really tall. Maybe it’s a giraffe!” Flora sat in the long grass, thinking it would be a great place for an elephant. “Maybe, but can it still be mine?” she asked.
Annie dashed into the house again. “I’m getting a scarf to keep its neck warm,” she said. Flora thought she might like a scarf too. When Annie came back, she saw the edge of the box looked a bit chewed. “Maybe it’s a crocodile inside!” she gasped. Flora thought for a moment. “In that case, I think it might be yours,” she said, but she wasn’t sure. She thought they might need a toothbrush for the crocodile after its long journey.
Flora looked up at the treetops and thought a giraffe would have been more fun. Then, they heard a voice calling them for dinner. Annie and Flora looked at the box. “Let’s come back later,” they said, and went inside.
“I think it better wait outside, don’t you?” they said. They were all inside the box. “Did you like the box? It’s pretty fun, right?”
If you enjoyed the story, let us know! For more fun stories, make sure to come back and join us again. Take care of yourself and your family. See you soon! Bye!
Box Adventure Creation: Gather some empty boxes of different sizes and let the children use their imagination to turn them into something new. Encourage them to think about what could be inside their box, just like Annie and Flora did. They can decorate the box with crayons, stickers, or paint. Ask them, “What do you think is inside your box? Is it a friendly animal, a magical toy, or something else?” Let them share their ideas with the class.
Animal Guessing Game: Play a game where you describe an animal, and the children have to guess what it is. Use clues similar to those in the story, such as “This animal has a long neck and likes to eat leaves from tall trees” for a giraffe. After guessing, discuss what kind of box would fit that animal and what items they might need to take care of it, like a scarf for a giraffe or bananas for a monkey.
Observation Walk: Take the children on a short walk around the school or playground. Ask them to look for things that remind them of the story, like a big tree that a giraffe might like or a swing that a monkey could play on. Encourage them to think about how they can use their surroundings to imagine new adventures, just like Annie and Flora did with the box. Ask them, “What do you see that could be part of a new story?”
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 we doing today? Are you reading lots of books on your own? Did you get to play outside today? I bet you missed school. In the meantime, we can sit down and enjoy a book together.
Today, we have “The Box,” illustrated by Martha Lightfoot. Would you like to know what “The Box” is about? Great! Let’s get started.
**The Box**
“What’s inside?” asked Annie. “I don’t know,” said Flora, “but whatever it is, can it be mine?” Annie walked slowly around the empty box. “I know! It’s a monkey! Can it still be mine?” said Flora.
Annie ran inside, shouting, “I’m just going to get some bananas in case it’s hungry!” “Can I have one?” called Flora. When Annie came back, she looked at the box and said, “The box is too big. Maybe it’s an elephant.” Flora sat on the swing, eating a banana, thinking the monkey might have liked to swing too. “Whatever, can it still be mine?” she said.
Annie ran back inside, saying, “I’m just going to get a handkerchief in case he has a runny nose.” “Can you get me one?” asked Flora. When Annie came back, she stood in front of the box and said, “Oh, the box is really tall. Maybe it’s a giraffe.” Flora sat in the long grass, thinking this was a great place for an elephant. “Maybe, but can it still be mine?” she said.
Annie ran into the house, thinking, “I’m just going to get a scarf to keep his neck warm, just in case.” Flora thought she might like a scarf too. When Annie came back, she saw that the edge of the box looked a bit chewed. “Maybe it’s a crocodile inside,” she gasped. Flora thought for a minute. “In that case, I think it might be yours,” she said, but she wasn’t too sure. She thought they might need a toothbrush after its long journey.
Flora looked up at the treetops and thought the giraffe would have been more fun. Dinner time came, and a voice from inside the house called. Annie and Flora looked at the box for a while. “Let’s come back later,” they said, and went inside.
“I think it better wait outside, though, don’t you?” they said. They were all inside the box. “What do you know? How did you like the box? It’s pretty fun, right? If you like the box, leave us a comment and let us know what you think. For more videos like this, make sure you click on the bell, give us a like, and subscribe. In the meantime, take good care of yourself and your family, and we’ll see you back here soon. Take care! Bye!
[Music]
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