9.27.25 - Part 2

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, and welcome to Rei's Children's Story Hour as a
Reminder is a reading service intended for people who are
blind or of other disabilities that make it difficult to
read printed material. Today we will be reading from various
books on the season fall. Your reader today is Diane.
We will begin with a book We Gather Together, celebrating

(00:23):
the harvest season. It was published by Children's Books, a
division of Penguin on Readers Group. It has a copyright
year of two thousand and six and it was written
by Wendy Pfeiffer. During early autumn in the northern part
of the Earth, chipmunks packed their cheeks full of seeds

(00:44):
to store in underground burrows. Red fox pups hunt for
rodents and fruit to eat, then bury the leftovers to
dig up when food is scarce. Beavers store twigs and
sticks underwater to chew when ice covers their pond. As
the sun appears lower in the southern sky each day,
the sun rises later each morning and sets earlier each evening.

(01:07):
Days grow shorter, the night's cooler, and the growing season ends.
Time to prepare for winter. Blackberr's gobble honey, grubs, fruits
and roots, building layers the fat for the cold days ahead.
People pick purple grapes, yellow squash, orange pumpkins, and crisp
red apples. They hust corn, gather nuts, rape cranberries, and

(01:30):
enjoy the harvest season. But today there's little need for
them to stockpile food for winter, as the animals do. Ships,
trucks and cargo planes transport it from parts of the
world where fruits and vegetables are still growing. When it's
winter in the northern hemisphere, food is brought in from
the southern hemisphere, where it's summer. Fall equal Knox day

(01:54):
and night equal fall, nights longer than days, day's gaining
sh shorter time to harvest. Winter, so the shortest day
with the least sunshine, Winter nights longer than days, days
getting longer. Spring is coming spring equinox day and night
equal spring days longer than nights, days getting longer, seedling sprite,

(02:19):
Summer saltiest, the longest day with the most sunshine, Summer
days longer than nights, days getting shorter. Crops grow. Different
seasons are caused by the tilt of the earth as
it moves around the sun. When the northern part of
the earth tilts, towards the sun, the north gets lots
of sunshine and it's summer there. When another wind the

(02:41):
northern part of the Earth tilts away from the sun,
the north gets less sunshine and its winter. Between summer
and winter. Around September twenty first, the sun crosses the
equator and shines equally on both the northern and southern
parts of the Earth. On that day, in the northern
part of the world, summer ends autumn begins. Day and

(03:02):
night have equal hours all over the world. For many,
the autumnal equinogue signals a time to harvest crops. Each
crop has its own growing season. Most ceilings sprout with
the cool spring rain and thrive under the warm summer sun.
Sunshine helps the plant helps a plant's leaves make the

(03:24):
food that's necessary for the plant to grow. When autumn
of rives, days are cooler, plants can no longer make
the food they need, and the growing season ends. Time
to gather in the crops. Fruits and vegetables that ripen
by autumn must be harvested before winters freezing weather destroys them.

(03:44):
Three hundred thousand years ago, no one knew how to
plant seas to produce a bountiful harvest. Cave bwellers picked berries,
collected nuts, dug roots, and gathered wild plants. Winters were
hard for them. They had to live on what they
gathered and stored in the fall. About ten thousand years ago,

(04:04):
where Syria and Turkey are today, tribes learned to grow
wheat and barley from seeds. How exciting it must have
been to plant one seed and produced a stalk with
many Eight thousand years ago in Egypt, people discovered the
warm climate was perfect for farming. The Nile River provided water,

(04:25):
and one seach year is floodwaters to posited rich, black,
fertile soil on both sides. Plants grew in abundance. Gradually,
farming spread to Asia. About five thousand years ago, people
grew food in a crescent shaped area where Iraqi is
now the Tigris River in small streams that fed it

(04:45):
turned valleys into a fertile crescent of rich farmlands. Each
autumn and many lands, men, women and children worked all
day and even a night under the light of a
bright harvest moon. They cut rice, threshed wheat, and gathered
funds of barley. A good harvest meant plenty of food.
To eat in the fall, and more to store for

(05:06):
days when food was scarce. Time to rejoice and have
fun after hard, back breaking work. Over the centuries, people
celebrated plentiful harvests and passed down traditions at different times,
in different places and in different ways all over the world.
Harvest celebrations from the past are still being carried on today.

(05:28):
Jewish families have gathered together at harvest time for over
three thousand years to celebrate sue Cot. During this a
day festival of thanksgiving, they wave palm, myrtle and willow
branches than point them in all directions to show that
God is everywhere. Some Jews build a hut called sue Co,
like the ones farmers once stayed in, to be near

(05:49):
their crops during a busy harvest. They decorate the huts
with fruits and vegetables, then invite friends and family to
share food and friendship. People in southern End have celebrated Pongel,
a four day rice festival, for over two thousand years.
On the first day, they decorate their front doors with
rice flower designs and give thanks to rain gods. On

(06:12):
the second day, they cook pongel, a sweet rice pudding
and offer some to the sun goad. On the third day,
they honor their cattle to thank them for pulling the plows.
The fourth day, families and friends gather on river banks
to dance enjoy a bountiful feast, including, of course, freshly
harvested rice. The people of Japan have held rice vessel

(06:35):
festivals for about two thousand years. In spring, girls dressed
in kimonos plant rice while musicians play bills, drums and flutes,
and sum where they hold a lantern festival to express
their joy as the rice ripens. When file comes, they
celebrate the rice harvests with parades and a dragon dance.
During their moon viewing ceremony. People seen while watching shadows

(06:59):
on the full moon. Many think the shadows show a
rabbit making rice cakes. For over seven hundred years, Nigerians
have held a fall festival to give thanks for yams.
The first crop harvested one night before the festivities begin.
The old, wrinkled yams are thrown out. The next day,
new yams are offered to the gods and ancestors in

(07:21):
appreciation of a successful harvest. Dancers wear raffia skirts and
masks that portrayed turtles, lizards, trees in the sun or
moon to celebrate a cycle of nature. Hundreds of years ago,
the English believed that the spirit of their wheat lived
in the last bundle they cut in each field. They
twisted it into the shape of a doll. Since they

(07:44):
called wheat corn, these dolls were named corn dollies. They
were hung in barns or churches during the winter, then
plowed back into the earth in the spring to ensure
a good harvest in autumn. People still make corn dollies
just for fun. Pilgrim from England arrived in America in
the fall of sixteen twenty, too late to plant crops

(08:05):
that winter, many died from hunger and sickness. When spring came,
the surviving pilgrims sowed wheat seeds. A Native American tribe
showed them how to plant maize or corn. The following autumn,
the harvest was fruitful. The pilgrims planned a celebration to
share their blessings, whom upon men hunted and killed five

(08:26):
deer to bring to the feast. The pilgrims stayed busy too.
Men brought duck skies, turkeys, fish, and oysters. Women prepared
corn bread, and cranberries, while children turned meat on spits
over in open fire. Games and feasting lasted three days.
Bountiful harvests have been celebrated since earliest times. People all

(08:49):
over the world still celebrate a fruit a full year
of farming with fun, feast and festivals. They enjoy corn rice, yams, apples, pumpkins,
cramp berries, and other fruits and vegetables of the harvest season. Autumn,
with its brilliant colors and delicious gifts of nature, offers
friends and families a time to gather together and give

(09:11):
thanks for all their blessings. Equinox facts. An equinox occurs
when the center of the sun appears directly over the
equator and shines equally on both the northern and southern
parts of the Earth. Day and night are equal all
over the world. Equinox means equal night on that day.

(09:31):
Everywhere on Earth, there are twelve hours of light and
twelve hours of dark. There are four seasons in each year.
A day the vernal equinox welcomes the first day of spring.
The summer celtis, the longest day of the year, tells
us summer has arrived. The odd mint autumnal equinox greets autumn,

(09:52):
and winter begins on the Winter sulstice, the shortest day.
We enjoy four seasons because the earth tilts. Around March
twenty first, the spring equinox, the sun appears to cross
the equator as it moves from south to north. Day
and night are equal all over the world. It's the
first day of spring. Time to plant our seeds. Around

(10:12):
June twenty first, the summer sultus, the northern part of
the world receives the direct rays of the sun. We
have the longest day of the year, the first day
of summer when our plants grow. Around September twenty first,
the autumnnal equinox, the sun appears to cross the equator
again as it moves from north to south. Day and
night our equal all over the world. It's the first

(10:33):
day of autumn. Time to start harvesting crops. The full
moon nearest the first day of autumn of the autumnal
equinox is called the harvest moon. Its bright light allow
people to harvest crops late in the night. After the
autumnal equinox, the northern part of the world receives only
the indirect rays of the sun. The days get shorter

(10:56):
and the nights longer until the winter sulus around December
twenty first. Then the cycle begins again. Our next book
is titled Raggedy Ann and Andy Leaf Dance. It was
published by Simon's Spotlight and imprint of Simon and Schuster's
Children's Publishing Division, has a copyright year of two thousand

(11:19):
to twenty fifteen and the author of the book is
Bobby Pearlman. It is the first a fall. Yelled Raggedy Andy,
Let's have a party. The dolls went outside. The air
was cold. It was a perfect fall day. Fido barket
and ran in circles. He loved to party. Let's pick

(11:40):
some apples, Raggedy Ann said. So they did. Raggedy Ann
and the camel with the wrinkled knees saw Scarecrow. The
cold wind blew his arms and legs. It looked like
he was dancing. Raggedy Andy saw the leaves blowing. Let's
have a leaf dance party, he said. May I come
as to big orange pumpkin. I cannot dance, but I

(12:02):
can decorate, he said. Raggedy Ann hugged pumpkin. Of course
you may come, she said. The dolls saw some leaf fairies.
We're going to have a leaf dance. Raggedy Andy said,
may we come, asked the leaf fairies, yes, do come.
Little brown Bear said, leaf dances are so much fun.

(12:25):
The leaf fairies toikle to big tree. The tree laughed
and her leaves floated down. Look. Raggedy Ann said, each
leaf is different. One leaf was long, one was short,
some had points, and some were round. Each leaf is
a different color, too, said Raggedy Andy. One leaf was brown,
one was red, some were yellow, some were green. The

(12:47):
camel with the wrinkled knees stepped on some leaves, crunch
They smelled sweet. Little brown Bear gave each s doll
and apple. Uncle Clem put pumpkin next to the big tree.
The dolls made a big pile of leaves. Fido and
Henny jumped into it. We the leaf fairies cried as

(13:08):
Lee's floated down. The leaves were dancing. The dolls danced
with them. Uncle Clem danced with Fredrika. Raggedy Ann hugged pumpkin.
Henry danced with Cleavie the Clown. Raggedy Andy and Little
Brown Bear spun around. I love the first day of fall,
cheered Raggedy Andy. We love leaf dances, cried the leaf

(13:30):
fairies and the dolls. And I love all of you,
said Raggedy Ann. Next book is called The Pumpkin Patch,
and it was published by Simon's Spotlight and Imprint of
Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing Division. It has a copyright
year of two thousand and three to twenty twenty one

(13:50):
and the author of our book is Margaret nick Namera.
Put on your coat, said Missus Connor. Missus Connor. This
class was going on a field trip to the pumpkin patch.
Katie was ready first, she could not wait to find
the perfect pumpkin. The bus ride was long. The whole time,

(14:11):
Katie imagined the perfect pumpkin. At the pumpkin patch, there
were lots and lots of pumpkins. You may each take
home one pumpkin, said Missus Connor. Choose carefully, Katy began
her search. She looked under vines, she looked in the straw,
she looked in the mud. At last, Katy found it

(14:31):
the perfect pumpkin. Missus Connor's class got back on the bus.
They showed off their pumpkins. Mine's round, said Emma. Mine
is tall, said Anna, mine is big, said Neil. Look
at Katie's pumpkins, said James, it's so small. Katy's pumpkin
was small. It was very, very small. Katie felt bad

(14:55):
her pumpkin was not perfect. Katy took her pumpkin home.
I picked a bad pumpkin. She told her dad. That's
not a bad pumpkin. He said, it's a good pumpkin.
Let me show you. Katie's dead cooked the pumpkin, then
cut it into pieces. Katie mashed the pieces and they

(15:16):
made a pie. Katie took the pie to school. My
pumpkin was small, she said, but it was sweet. Now
it is a pie. The children love Katy's pumpkin pie.
Your pumpkin was perfect, said James. Our next book is
called Oh My Pumpkin Pie, and it was published by

(15:39):
Reading Random House, which is a trademark of Penguin Random House.
It has a copyright year of two thousand and five
and it was written by Charles Ghigna. Autumn in the
Pumpkin Patch, no two pumpkins ever match. See them growing

(16:02):
row by row, pumpkins put on a quite a show.
Pumpkins come in many sizes. Pumpkin shapes are such surprises,
Pumpkins round as basketballs, pumpkins flat as old beach balls,
pumpkins striped in shades of yellow. One looks like a
large marshmallow. Some have bumps, some have none. Some look

(16:26):
like a setting sun. Some look like a big balloon.
Some look like a harvest moon. Some look like a
spinning toy. Some look like a baby boy. Pumpkin skinny,
pumpkins fat, some look like a tabby cat. Some are
shaped just like a pair. Some go to the county fair.

(16:50):
Some big pumpkins win a prize. Some wine wound up
in pumpkin pies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread. One becomes a
scarecrow's head. Pumpkin butter on your toast. Pumpkin seeds are
fun to roast. What's the biggest one you've seen? Was
it during Halloween? Looking friendly, looking mean, with a smile,

(17:13):
or with a scream? Pumpkin faces burning blight on this
cool October night. Our next stories are about a character
named Pedro, and the first one is called Pedro Goes Buggy.
It was published by Picture Window Books, a Capstone in print.

(17:34):
It has a copyright year of twenty seventeen and the
author is fran Manshkin. Chapter one, Wild about Bugs. Who
likes bugs, ask Miss Winkle, I do yell Pedro. I
am wild about bugs, me too, said Katie Woo. I
like the green bugs that are like caddy DIDs. Ah,

(17:59):
Pedro smile you would. We're going to study bugs, said
Miss Winkle. After school, go out and look for bugs.
Pick one that you like and write about it. I
like stink bugs, shouted Roddy. I can bring one to school.
That would be fun. Not a good idea, said Miss Winkle.
Pedro went home and found his bug jar. He began

(18:20):
looking for bugs in the wheeze. He found ten ants
and put them in his jar. Pedro found a filled
with lots of lady bugs he took home at fifteen.
His puppy, Peppy, tried to eat them. No way, yep, Pedro.
Pedro loved beetles too. They are so shiny, he told Jojo,
and they are fun to say, he added, beat o, beetle, beetle.

(18:45):
He took home twenty Chapter two bed Bugs, head bugs.
Pedro couldn't stop catching bugs. Each jay he found more.
He told his little buck brother Pawco, it's a good thing.
I have a big jar. One day, when Pedro was
at school, Paco told the bugs, I want to watch
you run around. He opened the jar and let them out.

(19:07):
There were bugs on the bed and bugs on Poco's head. Cool,
he said. When Pedro came home, he said, not cool.
Out they go, said, Pedro's dead. These bugs are driving
me buggy. Chapter three, Get Hoppin'. The next day, Pedro
told Katie I have no bugs to write about. You

(19:29):
better hurry and find one, said Katie. Get Hoppin'. I
love hoppin, said Pedro. He hopped down the block looking
for a new bug. He saw a wasp. No way,
he yelled. He saw a grasshopper jumping in the weeds.
Let's race, Pedro yelled. Pedro hopped. Then the grasshopper jumped.

(19:49):
It's a tie, yelled Jojo. You both win. Pedro told
the grasshopper, you are the most fun I will write
about you. Pedro wrote about the grasshopper, then he let
him go. Good work, said miss Winkle. Next we will
be writing about tigers. Great, Pedro smiled. I can't wait

(20:10):
to bring one home. Our next story is called Pedro's
Tricky Tower, and it was published like picture window books,
a Capstone imprint. It has a copyright of twenty eighteen
and the author of our book is Frand Mannushkin. Chapter one,
A Tricky Project. Pedro loved to build. He helped his

(20:34):
father make a tree house. He helped his grandpa build
a fireplace. One day, as teacher, Miss Winkle told the class,
I have a tricky building project for you. Yay, yelled Roddy.
I love tricks. I play them on people all the time.
That's not the kind of tricky I mean, said Miss Winkle.
We are going to try to build the tallest tower.

(20:56):
That's easy, bragg Pedro. All we need are loss of bricks.
We are not using bricks, said Miss Winkle. We are
using nineteen paper cups. You will be working in teams.
Barry and Jojo were on Katie Woo's team. Sophie was
on Pedro's team, so was Roddy. Watch out warned Katie.

(21:16):
R O D d WI spells t r O U
b l E. Chapter two, Time to build. Miss Winkle
told the teams. Before you build, you need to plan.
I don't need to plan, said Pedro. I know what
to do. Pedro began piling up paper cups. He tried
to build high, but the towers kept falling down. Roddy

(21:38):
put four paper cups on his head. Watch out, he joked,
My towers are falling down to Pedro and Sophie tried
again and again, but the cps cups kept falling. Oh boy,
said Pedro. I wish we had some bricks. Then it
was time for recess. Roddy told Pedro forget the tower.

(21:59):
Let's see who can do the most handstance. I know
I'll win. Roddy flipped upside down and back again. Pedro
tried it. He kept falling down. Watch me and learn,
said Roddy. Pedro did. Watch Roddy. Then he began thinking
that's it. Pedro yelled, you show me how to build
the tallest tower. Chapter three, The Tallest Tower. After recess,

(22:24):
Pedro ran back to class. He said, let's put some
of the cups right side up and some upside down.
Pedro and Sophie began to build. Let me help, said Roddy.
He began piling up the cups. Their tower got higher
and higher. It did not fall. It was the tallest tower.

(22:45):
Way to go, said miss Winkle. Roddy couldn't stop smiling.
He told Pedro. I knew we could do it. He
gave Pedro a high five. After school, Pedro said, want
to help me fix my tree house cools, said Roddy,
I'll raise you there. They both won. Our next book

(23:06):
is called Pedro Is Rich. It was published by Picture
Window Books, a Capstone imprint has a Copyreyer of twenty
twenty two, and the author of the book is Friend Mannushkin.
Chapter one Pedro's Birthday. It was Pedro's birthday. His grandma
gave him a funny card. It had lots of money
in it. Wow, yell Pedro, thank you Grandma. I am rich.

(23:29):
I have lots of money too, said Katie. I keep
it in a piggy bank. I love shaking my money
and making it jingle. I keep my money in a
glass jar, said Jojo. I can see it when I
shake it. Jojo asked Pedro, where do you keep your money?
I keep mine in the box, said Pedro. I love
to count it. You can put some money in the bank,

(23:50):
said Pedro. S dead, it will be safe and your
money will grow. Wow, said Pedro. I hope my money
grows as tall as you. Chapter two, Future Plan. Pedro
and his dad went to the bank. Pedro gave them
a lot of his money, but he kept a little. Later,
Pedro told Katie and Jojo, my money is growing in
the bank. Maybe we'll grow as high as a mountain.

(24:12):
My money is growing too, said Katie. I will buy
my dad to go watch. He will never be laid again.
I'm getting my mama new car, said Jojo. The car
will of a shiny red like her ooopstick cool, said Pedro.
We can all take a ride, Pedro, toe, Katy and Jojo.
I have a little money to spend today. What should

(24:32):
I do with it? You should get ice cream, said Katie.
Ice cream is a good way to spend money, for sure,
said Pedro. I will do that. Chapter three, time for
a treat. On the way to the store, the three
friends saw Roddy. Let's play soccer, said Roddy. That's a
good idea, said Pedro. I can get ice cream. Later,
Pedro kicked the ball hard. He kicked and ran whoops.

(24:56):
His money went flying out of his pocket. The wind
blew it away. I'll help you find it, said Katie.
Us too, said Jojo and Roddy. They looked in the
tall grass and the trees. They found all the money,
Thank you, said Pedro. This is a lot of money.
I can buy myself ice cream cones all week. That's right,
said Katie. You can have a new kind every day,

(25:19):
said Jojo. Lucky you, said Roddy. They begin walking away. Wait,
yelled Pedro, I know the best way to eat ice cream? How,
asked his friends. With you, said Pedro. The ice cream
is my tree. Yay, yelled every one. They each hit
a different flavor. All the cones tasted cool and sweet.

(25:40):
Feeling happy is as much fun as feeling rich, said Pedro,
and it was. This concludes the children's story I have
for today. Please join us next time as we will
read more stories, fables and fairy tales. Thank you for listening,
and please stay tuned for the Lexton Herald Leader on
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