Hello, everyone! Welcome back to Storytime. I hope you’re having a great day and taking care of yourself and your family. Did you have fun at school today? Have you been outside to enjoy the sunshine? Sunshine gives us vitamin D, which helps make us happy! If it’s not sunny, you can still go outside for some fresh air.
Today, we’re going to read a story called “The Snarch” by Sean Farrell and Charles Santoso. Let’s see what happens with Ruthie and the Snarch!
Ruthie has a problem at school. It’s not the other kids or the classroom. It’s the Snarch! The Snarch is scribbly, scrunchy, grabby, burpy, and rude. It’s always with Ruthie, making things difficult.
When the teacher asks Ruthie a question, the Snarch throws her pencils, and Ruthie forgets the answer. During recess, the Snarch makes rude noises, and no one wants to play with Ruthie. In art class, the Snarch crumples George’s drawing, and the teacher thinks Ruthie did it. “It wasn’t me,” says Ruthie. “It was the Snarch.”
Ruthie feels like she has the hardest time, but she keeps trying. She draws a picture of the Snarch, and when she shows it to the class, everyone is surprised. “Is that what throws pencils?” asks one kid. “Is that what makes weird noises?” asks another. Ruthie says she’s sorry, and George says, “That’s okay. I like your drawing.”
Ruthie realizes that everyone has their own Snarch. It’s all about learning how to handle them. Ruthie likes school and knows she’s not alone. George has a Snarch too! They all learn to get along with their Snarches.
Now, let’s read “The Gritty Little Lamb” by Dan Elbow. This story is about a little lamb named Lambie who loves to play games.
Lambie loves winning games, but sometimes he cheats. One day, he plays with his dad, who plays by the rules. Lambie gets upset when he loses and throws a fit. Dad explains that losing is part of learning, and how you react is important.
Lambie decides to practice and get better. His mom helps him, and he works hard every day. He learns that it’s okay to say, “I can’t do it yet,” because with practice, he will get better.
Finally, Lambie challenges his dad again. This time, he plays well and almost wins. Dad is proud of Lambie for not giving up. Lambie learns that the journey of getting better is the most fun part.
Remember, if you want to achieve something, you have to work hard and never give up. You can do it!
Thank you for reading with us today! If you enjoyed these stories, make sure to check out the books. Remember to take care of yourself and your family. Give them big hugs and tell them you love them. See you next time!
Draw Your Own Snarch: Just like Ruthie, draw a picture of your own Snarch. Think about what makes you feel upset or frustrated sometimes. Is it a scribbly, scrunchy creature like Ruthie’s Snarch? Or does it look different? Share your drawing with a friend or family member and talk about how you can handle your Snarch together.
Snarch Spotting: Next time you’re at school or playing with friends, try to notice if anyone else might have a Snarch bothering them. How can you help them feel better? Maybe you can share a toy, give them a compliment, or just be a good listener. Write down or draw what you did to help someone with their Snarch.
Practice Makes Perfect: Just like Lambie, think of something you want to get better at. It could be drawing, playing a game, or even tying your shoes. Practice it every day for a week. Keep a little journal or draw pictures of your progress. At the end of the week, see how much you’ve improved and share your journey with your family.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Hi everyone! Welcome back to the Storytime Family. I hope you’ve been keeping well and taking care of yourself and your family. How was school today? Did you go to school today? Have you had your time in the sunshine yet? Did you know that sunshine provides vitamin D, and vitamin D actually makes you happy? It’s true! So make sure you get at least some sunshine every day. But if you can’t, and there’s no sun, maybe you could just go outside for some fresh air.
Thank you so much for sitting down and reading with us! I hope you’ve been reading lots by yourself too. Today, we have “The Snarch” by Sean Farrell and Charles Santoso. Let’s find out what the Snarch is all about, shall we?
The Snarch: Ruthie has a problem at school. It’s not the students, it is not the classroom, it is not the reading, writing, or math. It is the Snarch. Teacher says, “Ruthie, please take your seat.” There is a seat, and there is the Snarch. The Snarch is a lot of things; nice is not one of them. The Snarch is scribbly and scrunchy. The Snarch is grabby, burpy, and rude, and the Snarch is always with Ruthie.
When the teacher calls on Ruthie, the Snarch throws her pencils, and Ruthie forgets the question. During recess, the Snarch makes rude noises, and no one wants Ruthie to play. And when everyone draws in art class, the Snarch becomes truly terrible. It hides, it waits, and when the teacher asks if anyone wants to share their work, it leaps, it grabs, it crumples, and it makes sure no one will like George’s drawing. The teacher says, “Ruthie, that is not okay.” “It wasn’t me,” said Ruthie. “It was a Snarch.”
No one has a life as difficult as Ruthie’s. Sometimes it does sure feel that way, doesn’t it? And that’s okay; we all have bad days. Ten whole minutes later, Ruthie tries to draw something pretty, cute, or happy, but all that comes out of the crayon is unhappy scribbles. The Snarch is no help. Ruthie looks really hard at the Snarch. Ruthie draws.
Art class ends, and the teacher asks if anyone would like to share. No one is more surprised than Ruthie when she stands up. No one except the Snarch. “I will,” says Ruthie. She shows the class her drawing. Her classmates look. “Is that what throws pencils?” says one. “Is that what makes weird noises?” says another. “Is that what drew on my drawing?” says George. Ruthie knows the Snarch and wants to run away and hide. “I’m sorry about that,” says Ruthie. “That’s okay,” says George. “I like your drawing.” And then another kid says the same, and another, and another, until everyone agrees Ruthie has drawn a wonderful Snarch.
Ruthie likes school. She likes the students, she likes the classrooms, she likes the reading, and the writing, and the math. And Ruthie still has a Snarch. The Snarch is still scribbly and scrunchy. The Snarch is still burpy, grabby, and rude, but the Snarch also listens sometimes, and sometimes the Snarch is even sorry. And as hard as it can be to sit next to a Snarch, Ruthie realizes she’s not alone. George has one too. “I like your drawing,” says Ruthie. “Thanks,” says George. See, every single one of these kids has a Snarch. We all have our Snarches, don’t we? It’s all about knowing how to handle them, am I right?
I hope you enjoyed “The Snarch.” If you would like to own a copy of this book, the links are in the description below. If you haven’t, do subscribe for more stories like this. Give us a like or leave us a comment; we always love to hear from you. Until we see you again, you take care of yourself and your family. Give your mommies and daddies and grandpas and grandmas big hugs and tell them how much you love them. Thanks for dropping by! We’ll see you again soon. Bye!
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Today, we have “The Gritty Little Lamb” by Dan Elbow. Let’s have a look.
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 is nothing more I love than games! Come and join me at the table; all are welcome in the stable. I’ve got plenty of room to spare. Don’t stand and stare; pull up a chair.”
From the start, the very beginning, his heart was filled by 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 a 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, “I’ve played this game for years. I’ve lost my share and shed some tears. There’s a lesson in the 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. 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, Lamby; 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 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 a ‘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 a higher 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,” he said. “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 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 bet.
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, right?
Thank you so much for joining us! If you would 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, you take care of yourself and your family. Bye!
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This version removes any informal language, maintains a respectful tone, and keeps the content appropriate for all audiences.
