Hi there! I’m excited to share a fun story with you. Have you ever had a day so special that you wanted to remember it forever? Maybe you collected seashells from a trip to the beach to keep that memory alive. But what if you couldn’t remember those special times?
Our story is about a young boy named Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge. He lived next to a home where older people lived, and he knew all of them. He liked Mrs. Jordan, who played the organ, and Mr. Hosking, who told him stories. He played cricket with Mr. Tippet and helped Ms. Mitchell, who used a wooden stick to walk. He admired Mr. Drysdale’s deep voice, but his favorite was Ms. Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper. He liked her because she had four names, just like him! He called her Ms. Nancy and shared all his secrets with her.
One day, Wilfrid Gordon heard his parents talking about Ms. Nancy. “Poor thing,” said his mom. “Why is she a poor thing?” Wilfrid Gordon asked. “Because she’s lost her memory,” said his dad. “What’s a memory?” Wilfrid Gordon asked. “It’s something you remember,” his dad explained.
Wilfrid Gordon wanted to learn more, so he asked his friends. Mrs. Jordan said a memory is “something warm.” Mr. Hosking said it’s “something from long ago.” Mr. Tippet said it’s “something that makes you cry.” Ms. Mitchell said it’s “something that makes you laugh.” Mr. Drysdale said it’s “something as precious as gold.”
Wilfrid Gordon decided to find memories for Ms. Nancy. He found a shoebox of shells from last summer and put them in a basket. He added a puppet that made everyone laugh. He gently placed a medal his grandfather gave him next to the shells. He also added his precious football. On his way to Ms. Nancy’s, he picked a fresh egg from the hen house.
When Wilfrid Gordon visited Ms. Nancy, he gave her each item one by one. Ms. Nancy thought, “What a thoughtful child to bring all these wonderful things.” As she held the warm egg, she remembered tiny speckled blue eggs in a bird’s nest. Listening to the shell, she remembered going to the beach long ago. Touching the medal, she spoke of her brother who went to war. She smiled at the puppet, recalling the laughter it brought her sister. She bounced the football to Wilfrid Gordon and remembered the day they met and all the secrets they shared.
Wilfrid Gordon and Ms. Nancy smiled because her memory was found again, thanks to a small boy who wasn’t very old either. This story shows us how special memories can be and how they can be found in the things we love.
I hope you enjoyed this story and will remember it for a long time!
Memory Box Creation: Create your own memory box just like Wilfrid Gordon did for Ms. Nancy. Find a small box and fill it with items that remind you of happy times. It could be a favorite toy, a drawing, or a special rock you found. Share your memory box with a family member and tell them why each item is special to you.
Memory Walk: Take a walk with a family member or friend and try to find things that remind you of past experiences. It could be a tree that reminds you of climbing, a flower that reminds you of a garden, or a sound that reminds you of a fun day. Talk about these memories and why they are important to you.
Memory Drawing: Draw a picture of a special memory you have. It could be a birthday party, a trip to the zoo, or a day at the park. Use lots of colors and details to show what made that day special. Share your drawing with the class and explain why this memory is important to you.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi, I’m Brad Whitford. Welcome to the Screen Actors Guild Foundation BookPALS. Have you ever had something happen in your life that was so fantastic that you wanted to remember it forever? Have you ever collected shells from a trip to the beach to remember a special summer day? What if you couldn’t remember?
We’re going to read a book that’s all about remembering memories. It’s titled “Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge,” written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Julie Vivas.
There once was a small boy named Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge, and he wasn’t very old. His house was next door to an old people’s home, and he knew all the people who lived there. He liked Mrs. Jordan, who played the organ. He listened to Mr. Hosking, who told him stories. He played with Mr. Tippet, who loved cricket. He ran errands for Ms. Mitchell, who walked with a wooden stick. He admired Mr. Drysdale, who had a deep voice, but his favorite person was Ms. Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper because she had four names, just like he did. He called her Ms. Nancy and shared all his secrets with her.
One day, Wilfrid Gordon overheard his parents talking about Ms. Nancy. “Poor thing,” said his mother. “Why is she a poor thing?” asked Wilfrid Gordon. “Because she’s lost her memory,” said his father. “It isn’t surprising,” said his mother. “After all, she is 96.” “What’s a memory?” asked Wilfrid Gordon. He was always curious. “It’s something you remember,” said his father.
Wanting to know more, he visited Mrs. Jordan. “What’s a memory?” he asked. “Something warm, my child,” she replied. He then asked Mr. Hosking, who said, “Something from long ago.” Next, he asked Mr. Tippet, who said, “Something that makes you cry.” He called on Ms. Mitchell, who said, “Something that makes you laugh.” Finally, he asked Mr. Drysdale, who said, “Something as precious as gold.”
So, Wilfrid Gordon went home to find memories for Ms. Nancy because she had lost her own. He looked for a shoebox of shells he had found last summer and placed them gently in a basket. He found a puppet that always made everyone laugh and added that to the basket too. He remembered, with sadness, the medal his grandfather had given him and placed it gently next to the shells. Next, he found his football, which was precious to him, and on his way to Ms. Nancy’s, he took a fresh egg from the hen house.
When Wilfrid Gordon visited Ms. Nancy, he gave her each item one by one. “What a thoughtful child to bring all these wonderful things,” thought Ms. Nancy. Then she began to remember. She held the warm egg and shared a memory of tiny speckled blue eggs she had once found in a bird’s nest. She listened to the shell and remembered going to the beach long ago. She touched the medal and spoke of her brother who had gone to war. She smiled at the puppet and recalled the laughter it brought her sister. She bounced the football to Wilfrid Gordon and remembered the day they met and all the secrets they shared.
The two of them smiled because Ms. Nancy’s memory had been found again by a small boy who wasn’t very old either. You know, I think I’m going to remember that book for a long time.
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while ensuring clarity and appropriateness.
