Thomas' 259th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He ate a blue mollipop.  His tongue was blue and sticky.  He caught a bee on his tongue.  The bee didn't sting him, but his tongue turned yellow.  And he liked cheese.

The End.

(February 2013.)

Thomas' 258th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He fit in a monkey shirt.  And cranky pants.  he was lost and sad.  And that was the end of the story.  How awful!
"But there's another story!" said Thomas.

The End.

(February 2013.)

Thomas' 257th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He had an ABC book and a train book.  How wonderful!  And he had a cupcake book.  It was delicious.  Thomas saw a monkey in a shirt.
Thomas said, "Hello, my friend.  Let me tell you a story."

The End.

(February 2013.)

Thomas' 256th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a goblin in the forest.  He lost his shoes.  he was sad.  He saw a bear.  The bear was wearing his shoes and reading a book.  A goblin book.

The End.

(February 2013.)

Thomas' 255th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.
"I'm not little.  I am tall," said Thomas.  "I am as tall as a tent.  I am as tall as a tree.  I am as tall as a mountain.  I am too tall to take a nap."

The End.

Thomas' 254th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was reading a train book.  To a dinosaur.  And the dinosaur turned into a robot.  And rode the train.  With a bee.

The End.

(February 2013.)

Thomas' 253rd Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a robot.  He was a space shuttle robot.  The robot had a goldfish.  He took the goldfish on the space shuttle.
"Glub, glub," said the goldfish.
"Danger.  Danger," said the robot.

The End.

(February 2013.)

Thomas' 252nd Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He had orange sunglasses in a green box.  He put on the sunglasses.
"How do I look?" asked Thomas.
"Am I Mr. Cool?"

The End.

(February 2013.)

Thomas' 251st Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there were two monkeys.  One monkey rode a bicycle on the road.  One monkey flew with a balloon to the sky.  They went away.  To the robots.  Danger.  Danger.

The End.

(February 2013.)

Thomas' 250th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a space shuttle.  On the train tracks.  With freight cars.  And the cars wanted faces.  And the daddy was grump.

The End.

(February 2013.)

Thomas' 249th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a black robot.  He had a big robot body.  He was marching with hearts.  He had a green heart.  And a purple heart.

The End.

(February 2013.)

Thomas' 248th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a white house.  A white napkin house.  It had a roof.  And windows.  And a door.  The salt went into the house and ate the cole slaw.

The End.

(February 2013.)

Thomas' 247th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He had a meckle on his leg.  And Mater underwear.  He bumped on the floor.  And he wasn't four -- he was five.

The End.

(February 2013.)

Thomas' 246th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He got stuck in his pajama top.  He turned into a robot.
"I can't see!" said Thomas.

The End.

(February 2013.)

Thomas' 245th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was an "R". For rabbit.  And rocket.  A rabbit rode the rocket.  And walked on the moon.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 244th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a monkey.  It was a blue monkey.  And Thomas built it.  The monkey rode in the sky on a rainbow.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 243rd Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He had a windy adventure.  In a picnic woods.  It was a laughing woods.   With curling, laughing trees.  And a giant crow.  And it was a scary woods.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 242nd Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Molly-pop Kitten.  First she was in the room.  Then she was on the front porch, and then she was outside.  She flew up, up, up like a bird, on a windy day.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 241st Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a penguin.  He lived on a pond.  On the rocks.  A Thomas named Thomas made a house for the penguin.  And a bridge.  And the penguin drove the train over the bridge.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 240th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a robot pig.  He had yellow eyes and purple teeth.  And he ate monkey food.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 239th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a fountain fly.  In Thomas' family room.  It had wings like a big fish.  It flew to the ceiling and ate goldfish and popsicles.  And it wore pajamas.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 238th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a brick wall.  And a green light.  And a Thomas with a paper spyglass.  He was a pirate.  And there was a monkey.  A sad little monkey.  In a tree.  And Thomas said, "Who goes there?"

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 237th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a guy.  On a bicycle.  He had a black jacket.  And Scooby Doo underwear.  And he went to the top of the world.

The End

(January 2013.)

Book 170

Doug Unplugged, by Dan Yaccarino, Alfred A. Knopf, 2013.  Preschool to Early Elementary.

Doug Unplugged is adorable.  It is such a sweet, gentle, loving story that you can't help but say "awwww" when reaching the end of it.  Yes, it does end with a hard-to-miss moral, facts vs. experience, but the conclusion is endearing rather than annoying.  And it's about a robot.  Little boys really like robots.

Dan Yaccarino's artwork is always exceptional:  Engaging, colorful, timeless and adorable.  Just like the story of Doug Unplugged. 

Thomas' 236th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He found a pirate glass.  He saw a Thomas in the mirror glass.  It was a pirate Thomas.  And he had a map.  A treasure map.  To gold chocolate coins.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 235th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was chasing a train.  The train got away.  Thomas hurt his leg.  He needed a boo-boo bag.  And a popsicle.
"I'm having a bad day," said Thomas.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 234th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a monkey.  He was flying upstairs.  He was a blue monkey.  He had green monkey feet.  And blue monkey legs.  And a monkey head.  And monkey hair.  He was flying in the color lights.
"We're fee!" said the monkey to the coconut.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 233rd Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was drawing a goblin.  A goblin in a train. To toys.  And to colors.  And to Mommy's coffee.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 232nd Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a monkey.  He had long hair tied up with a bow.  And there was a pink frog.  And a woodpecker.  And a bear.  A purple bear.  And they were friends.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 231st Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was nine years old.  He had a robot.  On the ceiling.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 230th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He lived in a garden.  He lost his pants.  He was sad.  He picked some flowers.  For his mommy.
"I farted," said Thomas.
"Thank you, " said his mommy.
"You're welcome," said Thomas.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 229th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time,
there was a Superman,
and he could fly.
Like Thomas.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 228th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a balloon.  A doggy balloon.  It floated up, up, up, outside.  The doggy balloon was caught in a tree.  Woof, woof, woof.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas 227th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a ball.  A Molly ball.  It rolled and made music.  For Molly.  Doesn't that sound nice?

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 226th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He wore Scooby Doo underpants.  They made his eyes pop.  And there was a snow dog.  He was lost and sad.  Thomas found the snow dog.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Stream of consciousness -- part XVI

October 16, 2011 – Still later morning

I limp

Into the hospital

With my cane

And heating pad

And a stash of

Extra-strength Tylenol

And reeking of

Icy Hot

And looking worse

Than half of the

Patients

My job

For the day

Is to entertain

My brother

So we turn on

ESPN and drive

His minder

Crazy

We watched

Football

All day

My brother

And me

And though

I miss

My young son

And my husband

I still have

A pretty great

Birthday

Thomas' 225th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a king.  In a yellow truck.  He boomed the house.  Molly was under the bed.  Thomas was crying.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 224th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He had a booger in his nose.  He caught the booger in a tissue.
"Hooray for boogers!" said Thomas.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 223rd Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He found a Mr. Blue Goldfish.  Wearing Scooby Doo underpants.
Thomas said, "Scooby Doo underpants!  I can't believe it!"

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 222nd Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was an ocean.  With seahorses.  Singing seahorses.  Out in the water.  And there as a Thomas named Thomas.
"Uh, oh," said Thomas, "We're out of gas.  No more stories."

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 221st Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He found a monster.  In a lighthouse.  A monster lighthouse.  Thomas said, "Monster, monster, monster, I'm not scared of you." And he sang the monster to sleep with his song.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 220th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He had a four-leaf clover.  And train underpants.  The sun kissed him.  He was very lucky.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 219th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a frog.  It was a Frog Thomas.  And there was a waterfall castle.  And it was made of bubbles and stars and soapy floors.  And Thomas was slippery King Frog Thomas.

The End

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 218th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there were bubbles.  Bubbles in the bathroom.  Bubbles in the hallway.  Bubbles in the bedroom.  Bubbles in the highway.  They were bubbles for the king.  They were bubbles for King Thomas.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 217th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a story page.  And there was a light.  A very big light.  And there were numbers.  Very big numbers.  And the numbers grew in the light.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 216th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Cowboy Woody Thomas.  He was lost and sad. He had red monkey bow underpants.  Molly Kitten found his underpants.  Molly Kitten found Thomas.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 215th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a castle.  And there was a princess in the castle.  And there was a king.  The king wore a necklace of beautiful diamonds.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 214th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was lost and sad.  He found a blanket.  And a lantern.  And a smoking penguin.  He found the man in the moon.  And it was a robot.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 213th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He lived in the garden.  He found a key.  A gold key.  A gold key to a dream.

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas' 212th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a kitten named Molly.  She was lost and sad.  She was lost in the fish tank.  Poor new fish!  A Thomas named Thomas found her.  Drippy-drop.  Poor Molly!

The End.

(January 2013.)

Thomas 211th Story -- Illustrated

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  And there was a kitten named Molly-pop.  Molly was playing.  In Thomas' room.  Thomas said, "Get the kitten out!  I want to go to bed, Mommy."

The End.

(January 2013)