Transcript for Parent Storytellers
Once there was a boy named Oni who lived in sunny Santa Barbara.
“Rise and shine!” called Mama early one morning. “Today is special because I’m helping at your preschool!”
Oni jumped out of bed with excitement. “Hooray! School day with Mama!”
The sun was shining as they walked to Little Sprouts Preschool. Oni held Mama’s hand, hopping over every crack in the sidewalk.
“Good morning, friends!” Oni waved as they arrived. His classmates were already playing in the yard.
Mama helped Teacher Rosa set up painting stations while Oni built a tall tower with blocks. Everything was going just as planned.
But then… the sky turned gray.
“What’s that sound?” asked Leo, looking up from the sandbox.
Tap, tap, tap.
Tiny raindrops began to fall, first slowly, then faster and faster.
“Children! Time to come inside!” called Teacher Rosa.
Just as the children stood up, the rain turned into something else.
Plink! Plonk! Plunk!
“It’s hailing!” shouted Oni. “Ice balls from the sky!”
The children squealed with delight and surprise as they raced toward the door. Mama and Teacher Rosa quickly gathered everyone inside.
“That was close!” said Mama, counting heads to make sure all the children were safe. “Everyone made it just in time.”
The hail bounced against the windows like popcorn popping. The children pressed their noses to the glass, watching the ice pebbles collect on the ground.
“It’s wild out there,” whispered Oni to his best friend Betty, who always wore purple shoes. “Like a weather adventure,” Betty whispered back.
For the rest of the school day, the children painted pictures of the storm, built hail shelters with blocks, and listened to Mama read stories about rain and sunshine.
When school ended, the sun had returned, making the leftover hail sparkle like diamonds.
“Can Betty come to play after dinner?” Oni asked Mama.
“That sounds fun,” Mama smiled.
That evening, Betty arrived wearing her favorite purple rain boots.
“Let’s have an adventure!” said Betty.
“Yes! Let’s be explorers in our own secret hideout,” said Oni.
While Mama and Betty’s Mama sat in the kitchen drinking tea, Oni and Betty collected pillows and blankets to build a magnificent fort.
“This is Explorer Castle,” announced Oni, draping a blue blanket over two chairs.
“We need supplies,” said Betty. They filled the fort with toys and snacks.
Then they found a bag of white packing peanuts that Betty’s mother used for mailing packages.
“Look! It’s just like the hail from today,” said Betty, sprinkling a few on the floor.
“It’s snowing inside!” giggled Oni, tossing a handful into the air.
They got so excited that they closed the door to Oni’s room and sprinkled the white pieces everywhere. It looked like a winter wonderland!
When they heard Mama and Betty’s mother coming to check on them, Oni had an idea.
“Let’s surprise them!” he whispered, turning the lock on Betty’s door.
“Hello? What are you two doing in there?” called Betty’s Mama.
“Just playing!” they answered, giggling behind their hands.
“Please open the door,” said Mama in her serious voice.
“Just a minute!” called Oni. When they looked around at the mess of white packing pieces everywhere, they realized their adventure had gotten too wild.
“Oh no,” said Betty. “Our snow adventure is all over the place.” “Oni? Betty? We need you to open this door right now,” said Mama.
Oni and Betty looked at each other.
“I think we should let them in,” said Oni.
“But they’ll see our mess,” said Betty.
“Maybe we should clean up our adventure,” suggested Oni.
Together, they unlocked the door. Mama and Betty’s Mama looked surprised at the white “snow” covering the floor.
“We were having a hail adventure,” explained Oni. “But now we’re going to clean it up.”
“All by ourselves,” added Betty.
Mama smiled. “That’s very responsible. Would you like some help?”
“Yes, please,” they said together.
Soon, all four of them were picking up the little white pieces, making a game of who could collect the most.
“Adventures are fun,” said Mama, “but cleaning up together makes everyone happy at the end.”
When the room was tidy again, Mama read a bedtime story to both Oni and Betty.
As Oni snuggled into bed that night, Mama kissed his forehead.
“Did you have a good adventure today?” she asked.
“The best,” yawned Oni. “First the wild hail at school, then the snow fort with Betty.”
“And what was the most important part?” asked Mama.
“Cleaning up our adventure together,” said Oni, his eyes growing heavy. “Because that’s how we help the people we love.”
Mama smiled. “That’s right. Every good adventure needs a good ending.”
As Oni drifted off to sleep, he dreamed of his next big adventure with Betty and Mama.