Hello everyone I'm Lynn cannon. I am reading
the book called Quarantine
Kids sound familiar.
It is written by Esther Harder,
illustrated by Dana Regan.
Are you ready? Here we go.
Monday time to pack my backpack,
lunch box and finally see my friends. Sorry,
Changuito mom says schools still close.
What would you like to do after my meeting?
Can we go to the jungle gym?
The germs might be using the playground.
What can we do around here? Mom asks.
I just want to climb and swing with
the lamps and curtains are off limits.
I know let's go see the real monkeys.
I wish we could, but the germs could
have plans to visit the zoo too.
Let's check out the monkey Cam
in the little while, Mom says.
It's not fair. Why do the germs
get to do everything someday?
We'll have outdoor adventures, Mom says.
But right now we have to have imaginary ones.
My imagination is tired.
I say maybe it will feel
better after breakfast.
Mom says Munch Munch, Munch, my sloth.
Imagination tickles.
I climbed the tallest tree I can
find and peeked through the branches.
To find my friends.
The balcony is no place for a
sloth and it is no fun for me.
No wonder the germs chose
the playground and the zoo.
Help see Monster Emmy and Eric shout.
My imagination surges on my way.
I call splash splash swoosh, look at
Treasure Island and he says X marks the spot.
Eric says.
I have a shovel I call wells,
can't use shovels, they laugh.
My imagination rumbles.
I can fix that.
Now I can dig up the whole
island in two seconds.
No way Emmy says treasure divided by two
is more than treasure divided by three,
Eric says.
You're going to have zero treasure when
I steal it. All you can't do that.
Emmy says it's against the rules, Eric says.
Komodo Dragons don't care about
rules and next door voice says.
Michaela's usually too busy to play with me,
but today she has a plan.
Forget those guys.
She says pirates are so pre balcony.
I'm a virus hunter.
I don't think I've had a shirt for that.
I say all you need is a mask and spray
bottle. We swab, swipe and swivel.
We dab doodle and dust.
We scrub every crack and corner.
We're virus free.
Can we be zookeepers next I ask I've got
samples to analyze and microbes to scope.
Science never sleeps,
want to be my assistant.
Michaela asks my imagination sighs,
my balcony is clean but lonely.
There are no treasures or viruses to hunt.
It is time for this raccoon
to make her own adventure.
Screech cackle snap in no time flat.
I have the biggest best one of a kind zoo.
A balcony zoo opened for business.
I call nobody answers.
I need a louder shirt.
Balcony, Zoo, come one come all three
peanuts then I hear a far below voice.
How do we get up there?
You can fly like a Flamingo.
You can climb like a chameleon.
You can even bumble like a bee.
How do you fit a whole zoo on your balcony?
It's not even big enough for one shark.
Do you have sharks? Akosh ask.
My zoo has everything.
If you imagine it,
it's just right, I say.
Watch out I have my rocket shoes on.
Akash says this way to the landing pad.
I say a Rocket zoo Emmy and Eric ***.
Can aliens, spaceships, dock there.
Everyone is welcome I say except the germs.
Michaela says no germs allowed.
I agree. Roar, swish chomp.
My research confirms this is the
biggest best balcony zoo Michayla says
can we play shark astronauts tomorrow?
Akash asks. What times the launch?
I say before any one can
stomp on his imagination.
Mom, where's my helmet?
Sorry peanut, the skate park is closed.
I'm not skating.
It's 321 shark blast off tomorrow
and I need to be ready now.
That sounds like an adventure.
Mom says
thanks for joining us for
tonight's bedtime story.
If you would like to help put books in
the homes of children in our community,
simply go to khou.com/books and
help us turn the page on illiteracy.