Thomas' December stories -- part 12 (and conclusion)

89.

Once upon a time, there was a present.  For Mommy.  Mommy opened it.  It was a trick.  Merry Christmas!  The End.

90.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas.  A mouse Thomas.  A Thomas in a too-dark mouse hat.  He played his flute.  It squeaked, like a mouse.  He played “Jingle Bells”.  It was a rat “Jingle Bells.”  Rat, rat, rat.  Rat, rat, rat.  The End.

91.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was lost and sad.  And cold.  He found a fish.  The fish turned to stone.   And it sank in the waterfall.  He found a book.  It was a king book.  Thomas took the jacket off the king book.  Thomas put on the jacket.  He was King Thomas.   The End.

92.

Once upon a time, there was a doctor.  He was a Doctor Thomas.  He had a card.  With writing on it.  He flew in with the wind.  He took temperatures.  I don’t think he was a real doctor.  The End.

93.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He had glasses.  Like Velma.  He found a clue.  Like Velma.  A chocolate clue.  Merry Christmas!

94.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He had a magic soap.  The soap had eyes.  It could see.  The soap was sleeping.  Thomas put the soap in the bathtub and took a bath.  And he was clean – Magic!  The End.

95.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was a King Thomas.  He wanted snow.  Glow-in-the-dark snow.  He put on his big crown.  It fell in his eyes.  He couldn’t see the no-snow.  The End.

96.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was lost and sad.  It was a dark night.  He found a light.  A dreaming light.  On a silent night.  A starry night.  And the light was music.  For Thomas.  The End.

97.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas.  He found a door.  It was a guy door.  To book trains.  “It’s not for kittens, Molly!” said Thomas.  The End.

98.

Once upon a time, there was a map.  It was a pirate map.  A pirate Christmas map.  To Christmas treasure.  The End.

99.

Once upon a time, there was a castle.  A shooting star castle.  With windows.  Glass windows.  In the windows was a train station.  With trains.  That go everywhere.  The End.

100.

Once upon a time, there was a castle.  A paper castle.  A Thomas named Thomas went through the door.  He tore up the castle.  There was water in the castle.  And a magic purple spider.  The End.

101.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was outside.  He was lost.  It was dark outside.  He found a flashlight.  A star flashlight.  He found a kangaroo with a map.   The End.

102.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He had a shadow of a sea on his ceiling.  “I love my shadow,” said he.  The End.

103.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He wanted snow.  There was no snow.  He sang to the sky snow angels, “Hello, Snow.  Where are you?”  The End.

104.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was lost and sad.  He had cake.  And more cake.  On the moon.  It was delicious.  The End.

105.

Once upon a time, there was a shadow monkey.  He was hanging up, up in the sky.  He was lost and sad.  He wanted to fly like an angel does.  He found a shooting star.  A wishing shooting star.  And he held on.  The End.

106.

Once upon a time, there was a goblin.  A Thomas named Thomas scared him into a cave.  Into a cave tree.  It was dark in there.  The goblin had dark eyes.  The End.

107.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He stood up to go potty.  And he didn’t fall down.  The End.

108.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was lost and sad.  He made a sky.  He made cloud pillow stairs.  Stairs that went up, up, up.  Up to where Molly was sleeping.  The End.

109.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He lived in a garden.  He was lost and sad.  It was raining and Thomas was slippery.  He drew with chalk.  He drew a house.  He was very safe and dry.  The End.

110.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He had shadow hands.  On the ceiling.  He made a hat.  He made a heart.  He turned off the lantern and the shadows were gone.  The End.

111.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He painted a train.  On his wall.  In his room.  A train to bears, and cats, and dancing dogs.  “Come and see!” said Thomas.   The End.

112.

Once upon a time, there was a shadow globe.  It was on the wall.  It was dangerous.  Thomas was scared.  Molly Kitten got the globe with a Batman pillow.  The End.

113.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was lost and sad.  He found a happy house.  He was Turtle Thomas.  He couldn’t run.  He’s not a turtle anymore.  The End.

114.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was lost and sad.  He found a map to candy canes.  Thomas ate a candy cane.  He was sticky all over.  And happy.  The End.

115.

Once upon a time, there was a boat.  It was sleeping.  In a tent.  With spaghetti and rainbow lights.  The End.

116.

Once upon a time, there was a web.  It was streaming down.  Like a string.  And there was a monkey.  The monkey wanted to climb down the web ladder.  He couldn’t.  He was too big.  The End.

Book 144

Donut Chef, by Bob Staake, Golden Book (Random House), 2008.  Preschool to Elementary.

My four-year-old son received five books for Christmas this year:  A Thomas the Tank Engine book, a Dr. Seuss Book, two Eric Carle books and Donut Chef.  I let him choose one new book to read at his bedtime.  He almost chose the Eric Carle kangaroo book because he also received a plush kangaroo for Christmas, but, in the end, he chose Donut Chef.

Donut Chef is a longer rhyming text picture book, so perhaps it was a mistake to make it the fourth picture book I read tonight -- Christmas night -- after a very long day.  Normally, when I encounter longer picture books, I skim them; that is, just read what I need to in order to make the story work.  With Donut Chef, I had to read every line.  Every rhyming line was needed to tell the story properly.  Every rhyming line is needed.

I first bought a Bob Staake children's book for the artwork.  I love the artwork.  I didn't really expect to like the text.  I was pleasantly surprised, delighted, and mildly annoyed when I did like the writing in the first book.  I'm no longer surprised.  Now I buy the books because my son REALLY loves them.  I know he likes the artwork, but he also really likes the text.  He likes the text so much that when he received a robot today for Christmas, he stared quoting "Hello, Robots". 

I buy Mr. Staake's books for self-preservation:  If I do have to read a Bob Staake book to my son every day, and usually more than once a day -- which I do -- it is good if I have a few choices. 

Thomas' December stories -- part 11

81.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He lived in a garden.  He was lost and sad.  He built a castle out of pillows.  With blankets for the floor.  He had a candy cane Christmas tree.  And he didn’t take baths.  The End.

82.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  There was a monkey in his room.  It was a scary monkey.  It scared Thomas.  Thomas scared the monkey away.  Hooray!  The End.

83.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was lost.  He found a glowing map and an airplane.  He went to a cave.  To go potty.  The End.

84.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He found a square picture frame.  He took pictures of the wall.  He took pictures of the ceiling.  He took pictures of Mommy.  He took pictures of his trains in his messy room.  He took pictures of a green feather in the bathtub.  The End.

85.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  And there was a daddy named Daddy.  Daddy was lost and sad.  Thomas found Daddy.  The End.

86.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was five years old.  And there was a Mommy.  She was three thousand.

87.

Once upon a time, there was a big, white moon.  It had legs.  It could run.  It was a water-tower.  And there was a little rabbit moon.  A candy cane moon.  And it was an angel.  The End.

88.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He lived in the garden.  He was lost and sad.  He found a rock.  It was a beautiful rock.  It was a blue rock.  It was a sleeping rock.  Thomas made a happy hat for the sleeping rock.  The End.

Thomas' December stories -- part 10

73.

Once upon a time, there was a boat.  A ship.  On a blue blanket sea.  The blanket went up.  The boat went down.  The End.

74.

Once upon a time, there was a kitten named Molly.  She was playing on the fireplace.  She bumped into the fireplace, and CRASH!  She broke it.  There was thunder in the house.  Molly ran away.  She was fine.  The End.

75.

Once upon a time, there was a gold door.  To a train pond.  With duck-swans.  And hopping horses.  And cows that jumped to the sky.  Shadows were in the sky.  And there was a light bulb.  A Thomas named Thomas turned on the light bulb and the shadows were gone.  The End.

76.

Once upon a time, there were stairs.  Going up.  To a castle on top of the world.  The castle was locked.  There was a key.   Thomas had the key.

77.

Once upon a time, there was a castle.  It was made of letters.  And it was full of books.  It was a castle for Thomas.  The End.

78.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He lived in a garden.  He had rain in his fireplace.  And ho ho thunder in his house.  The End.

79.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He lived in a messy room.  He was lost and sad.  He found a closet.  In the closet was a ladder rug.  Thomas went up the ladder rug and out of the room.  The End.

80.

Once upon a time, there was a Monkey Thomas.  He came down, down, down from space.  He blew down, down, down in the wind.  He couldn’t move, so he held on to the wind and his Batman underwear.  The End.

Thomas' December stories -- Part 9

65.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was crying.  Upstairs.  In his room.  His mommy gave him a big hug.  And a kiss.  And she said, “I love you.  So much!”  The End.

66.

Once upon a time, there was a balloon.  A pink balloon.  It broke.  It popped.  In the balloon was a robot.  In the robot was a mouse.  The mouse was looking for clues.  The End.

67.

Once upon a time, there was a kitten named Molly.  She was happy.  And there was a cat named Buster.  He was happy.  Come and see!  And there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was painting.

68.

Once upon a time, there was a monkey.  He lived in the garden.  He played with a duck.  He was lost and sad.  Molly Kitten found the monkey.  The End.

69.

Once upon a time, there was a Topham Hatt Thomas.  He road a train and put gas in it.  He went fishing.  Like a bear.  He caught a Molly Kitten.  With a shoestring.  The End.

70.

Once upon a time, there was a hare rabbit.  He was lost and sad.  He lived in a garden.  He was awake.  He wanted to be sleeping.  He made a snowman.  It was a dancing snowman.  The End.

71.

Once upon a time, there was an angel.  It was a strawberry angel.  It went up, up, up.  It played in stardust.  Lots of stardust.  And library books.  The End.

72.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  And he had a shadow named Shadow.  And there was a Molly named Molly.  And Molly had a shadow.  Thomas’ shadow was running and flying and chasing Molly’s shadow.  Thomas and Molly were dancing.  The End.

Book 143

The Fourth King: The Story of the Other Wise Man, by Ted Sieger, Candlewick, 2006.  Preschool to Elementary.

There are a few modern versions of this classic Henry Van Dyke tale.  I chose this one because I liked the whimsical drawings. 

The story tells us of another wise man beyond the well-known three.  Every time he tries to catch up with the three wise men, he would encounter a situation where he needs to help a person or people.  Because he stops to help, he arrives at the stable too late.  Joseph has already taken his family and fled to Egypt to escape Herod.  But the fourth wise man didn't really miss the Christ Child -- He was present in every person that was helped, and in one case, literally, although the fourth wise man did not know it. 

The illustrations are whimsical, which keeps this tale from feeling too heavy.  The whimsical illustrations also make this book very appealing to young listeners. 

Thomas' December stories -- part 8

57.

Once upon a time, there was a fork.  He lived in the garden.  He was lost and sad.  A Thomas named Thomas took him outside.  There was rain.  The fork got wet.  He was sad.  A Thomas named Thomas found him.  The End.

58.

Once upon a time, there was no story.  There was a moon box.  And it was a song.  The End.

59.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He lived in the garden.  He ate Thomas’ hummus.  There was a Molly named Molly.  She ate Thomas’ hummus.  Oh, Molly!  The End.

60.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He lived in a garden.  On the moon.  It was dark.  He was lost and sad.  He turned into a firefly and flew home.  The End.

61.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He was playing with his shadow.  He lost his shadow.  He found a mystery.  He found a clue.  Like Velma.  The End.

62.

Once upon a time, there was a robot named Robot.  He was a cowboy robot.  He was lost and sad.  He found a pocket.  There was cereal in the pocket.  Two boxes.  It made him wise.  The End.

63.

Once upon a time, there was a Thomas named Thomas.  He had blond hair.  Like Mommy.  He had curly hair.  Like Mommy.  He had long hair.  Like Mommy.  He needed a haircut.  The End.

64.

Once upon a time, there was a little boy.  Named Thomas.  He got a haircut.  And a mollipop.  Two mollipops.  He looks like a little boy.  Named Thomas.  The End.