Uncle Pancho isn't really anybody's uncle, but he's everybody's friend. He is also a good storyteller. All the neighborhood children love to hear him talk about growing up in a beautiful place called Mexico. Now Uncle Pancho is about to lose his house. The state wants to tear it down to make room for a new freeway. As Gregory and his friends search for a way to help him, Uncle Pancho's stories give Gregory a good idea. If he uses his artistic talent to paint the old man's house, maybe it will be too beautiful to destroy. As Gregory and the neighborhood kids create a beautiful mural, news cameras gather in front of the house. Maybe his idea will work, after all. As Gregory's idea leads to an unexpected conclusion, realistic characters and situations move the story along at a pleasant pace. Johnny Heller's narration captures the poignancy of this moving story for young readers.
Young Daniel and his family live in a log cabin high on a Tennessee mountain. Whenever Daniel has time, he carves things out of wood. First he makes a beautiful dish for his mother. Then he tries a cup and a spoon. But Daniel wants to create realistic animals just like the famous woodcarver who lives in the valley. All winter long after supper, Daniel sits in front of the warm fireplace with his knife and a large piece of wood. He is working on a duck to sell at the spring fair in the valley. But when he finishes his sculpture, everyone laughs! In Clyde Robert Bulla's heartwarming tale, a young boy learns there are different reasons for laughter. Narrator Jeff Woodman's delightful performance will captivate beginning readers and inspire them to read for themselves.
Today is Gregory's ninth and so far his very worst birthday. He isn't having a party or even a cake. His father has another job, so the family must move across town. When Gregory walks into a strange house that night, however, he finds a room of his own where he can hang his paintings. Maybe this is really his best birthday! But the very next day Uncle Max comes to stay. He sleeps in Gregory's room and even hangs posters over the paintings. To make matters worse, the boys at the new school won't play with Gregory. He wonders if he will ever make friends in the new neighborhood-until he discovers an abandoned chalk factory and something magical happens. Award-winning children's author Clyde Robert Bulla turns youngsters on to books with his powerful stories. In The Chalk Box Kid, he tells the poignant tale of a boy coping with his new surroundings. Narrator Johnny Heller perfectly voices Gregory's struggles to fit in and his final, joyous victory. For another entertaining story by Clyde Robert Bulla, try The Paint Brush Kid.
When young Pablo is given some poppy seeds, he dreams of spreading color and beauty throughout his dusty Mexican village. Daring to enter Old Antonio's walled yard to plant the seeds, he is chased away with angry words and a stick. The stingy old man thinks Pablo has come to steal his precious spring water. Poor Pablo becomes sick from staying too long in the hot sun and cannot leave his bed. Meanwhile, the seeds he dropped by the spring have grown into beautiful red poppies. Will the poppies soften Old Antonio's hard heart and make him realize the boy wasn't after his water after all. Clyde Robert Bulla's name is a by-word in beginning-reading circles. This delightful tale of a simple village boy with a generous spirit is sure to enchant young listeners. Robert Ramirez's gentle voice, with its slight hint of an accent, will be their passport to Pablo's world.
