Hi, I'm Joseph Kuefler.
I'm an author and illustrator of picture books.
Picture books like this one, The Digger and the Flower.
My books are published in America, China, even places like Japan.
They're published all over the world, and
it's a pretty special job, a job that I love to do.
Today I'm gonna be reading you my favorite of the books I've made, The Digger and
the Flower.
It's a story about an excavator who finds a flower and learns to care for
the flower and protect the beautiful nature that is around him.
I care very much about the planet and environmentalism.
And this was a little bit of a story that I could tell to hopefully inspire kids and
grownups to care for the world that's around them.
So let's begin The Digger and the Flower.
It was morning and the big trucks were ready to work.
Let's hoist, said Crane.
Let's push, said Dozer.
Let's dig, said Digger.
Together they built tall buildings for working.
They built roads for driving and bridges for crossing.
They built and built, until the loud whistle blew.
[SOUND] I'm beat, said Crane.
Me too, said Dozer.
The other big trucks took a break, but Digger did not.
He had found something in the rubble.
Hello there, he said.
The flower was tiny but it was beautiful.
Every day, while the other big trucks worked, Digger visited the flower.
He watered it when its leaves looked dry.
He shielded it on windy days.
And just before he switched off for the night,
Digger sang the flower a bedtime song.
The flower grew, but the city grew too.
Soon, every space had been filled.
Every space but one.
We need to put a building here, said Crane.
Dozer started his engine.
Before Digger could stop him, Dozer blew a big puff of smoke,
and cut the flower down.
Then the other big trucks went back to work, but Digger did not.
When the smoke cleared, Digger saw something in the rubble.
Little seeds, he said.
He scooped them up, and drove.
He drove past the tall buildings, past the farthest house, on the farthest street.
He drove to a place no big truck had ever been.
[MUSIC]
There, Digger stopped.
He dug, and scooped, and
tucked the seeds into the warm earth.
Every day, Digger cared for the seeds.
He watered them when their leaves looked dry.
He shielded them on windy days.
And just before he switched off for the night,
Digger sang the flowers a bedtime song.
The end.
That was a story about someone who hadn't previously cared for the environment.
It's a story about that person, that excavator, stopping and
protecting that little bit of nature that he loves, like the flower.
And so when you think about this book, which I hope you liked,
I would love for you to think about the little bit of nature in your world,
the flower in your world that you could stop and protect.
Because we all need to protect nature, every one of us,
just a little bit of nature that we love, like Digger's flower.
So thank you for joining me.
Thank you for joining my story time and listening to my book.
And I hope you have a good day.
I hope you have a wonderful Earth Day.
[MUSIC]