Generosity, kindness, and consciousness come in all different shapes, forms and may take some time  to ignite.  Here is another story from the Butterscotch Barnyard collection written by Anna Lee Nissenholtz and myself that illustrates this point from a child’s point of view.  Please feel free to share with your young children and start a dialog with the Talking Starters that are included.  Enjoy!

The score was 5 to 6 with only two innings left.  Max could not remember when he had ever been more excited.  His team was winning and he was the captain. Outside playtime was the very best part of school.

The boys and girls on his team had the ball and were getting ready to bat.  Max heard his name.  His teacher was calling to him.

“Max, I think Jimmy would really like to play ball with you but he is very shy,” said his teacher.  Max looked over to where the new boy, Jimmy, was sitting.

“But Miss McGooch,” Max said, “Jimmy has those silver braces on his legs.  He’ll make my team lose.  He can’t run or anything!”

Max had seen Jimmy in class and had felt badly when Miss McGooch explained Jimmy couldn’t walk without those bars on his legs.  Max liked to run and jump.

Max looked over once more.  “I just can’t today Miss McGooch.” He ran back to his game.

Max’s team won and he forgot all about Jimmy.  Later that day he remembered. He was just about to go over to him when a friend suggested they play on the jungle gym.  Max thought he would try to play with Jimmy later.

Several days passed and Max thought of Jimmy often.  Somehow he never got around to the lonely boy with those big, silver bars on his leg.

More time went by.  One day Max was sitting on the floor with his friends working puzzles.  He wasn’t very good at puzzles.  He was getting very angry.  Everyone was putting their puzzle together except for him.  Soon, some of the children noticed Max couldn’t do his puzzle.  They started to laugh and make fun of him.  Max’s eyes began to burn and tears started rolling down his cheek.  Suddenly, he felt a hand on his arm.

“Don’t cry Max, I’ll help you.  I’m real good at puzzles.”  Before Max could even say anything he looked up to see Jimmy putting his puzzle together.

“Wow, Jimmy, why are you so good at puzzles?” exclaimed Max.

“Well,” said Jimmy.  “I can’t run and jump like you so I have a lot of tie to practice with puzzles.”

Max thought a minute.  “Hey, Jimmy I have a great idea.  You can help me with puzzles and tomorrow when we play ball I will help you.  You can be our catcher and when you bat I can run for you.”

“Gee Max” said Jimmy.  “Would you really?  I’d like that more than anything.”

Max thought he would like that too.

TALKING STARTERS

Pretend you’re Jimmy watching all the children play ball.  Show me how you would look.

How would you feel if Miss McGooch asked you to let Jimmy play ball?  What do you think you would do?

Jimmy was different from his friends because he had a special problem.  How do you think Jimmy was like his friends?