Sean Hunter's CF Storytime Podcast

The Happy Song Symphony - Opry Style

cfstorytime@esiason.org — Tue, 1 Jul 2008 00:13:00 GMT

Story Notes and Extras
The Happy Song Symphony - Opry Style

written by Sean Hunter

Charlie McCoy â Harmonica and Chest Bones (hockey goalieâs chest protector)
Billy Linneman â Dog House Bass
Joe Edwards â Fiddle and Guitar
Sean Hunter - Narration
Recorded Watershed Studios â Nashville, TN
Jim Dineen â engineer

Learning With Art

Draw a picture of an animal that goes oink, oink
of an animal that goes bow wow
an animal that goes meow
an animal that goes hee ha
an animal that goes honk honk
an animal that goes moo moo
Draw a picture of you singing
Draw a picture of a singer wearing a cowboy hat
Draw a picture of a singer wearing cowboy boots

Talk and Discover

How many animals walked onto the Opry stage?
Who was your favorite singer in âThe Happy Song Symphony â Opry Style?â
Who do you think taught the animals to sing?
Where do you think that they practiced?
Who do you think wrote the song?
What famous country song would you like to hear someone sing at the Opry?
What would you wear to the Opry?
Who would you like to meet if you went to the Opry?
Who would you ask to go to the Opry with you?
What do you think made the Opry so famous?
What song would you sing if you were on the Opry stage?

Having Fun

● visit your library and listen to some country and western music
● ask the librarian to recommend some books to read about country singers
● learn about the instruments that are played in country and bluegrass bands

● write a song that you would like to sing

A Brief History of the Grand Ole Opry

The Grand Ole Opry began in Nashville, TN in 1925 and is one of the most famous shows in the world. Some of the greatest performers have appeared on the Opry, and each week the Opry is broadcast live on itsâ original radio station, WSM â 650 AM.

The success and popularity of the Opry has inspired many TV shows. Many movies have been made about many of the stars that have appeared on the Opry. The music of the Opry has brought joy and happiness to people everywhere, of all ages, and many of the stars and their music will remain timeless and never be forgotten.

Styles of Music Played on the Opry

Country
Bluegrass
Gospel
Western Swing

Famous âOpryâ Singers

Eddy Arnold
Johnny Cash
Patsy Cline
Skeeter Davis
Buck Owens
Tammy Wynette (First Lady of Country Music)
Kitty Wells (Queen of Country Music)
Dottie West
Hank Williams
Faron Young

Famous Songs Sung on the Opry

âElviraâ
âWhere Were You When The World Stopped Turningâ
âAngels Among Usâ
âCrazyâ
âYour Cheatinâ Heartâ

Legends That Have Been On The Opry

Elvis Presley
Dottie Rambo (undisputed Queen of Gospel Music)
Minnie Pearl
Uncle Dave Macon

Opry Stars That Youâll Often Hear On The Radio

Alabama
Glen Campbell
Rosanne Cash
Charlie Daniels
Vince Gill
Tom T. Hall
Emmylou Harris
George Jones
Alison Krauss
Brenda Lee
Loretta Lynn
Martine McBride
Ronnie Milsap
Lorrie Morgan
Willie Nelson
Dolly Parton
Charlie Pride
Marty Robbins
Kenny Rogers
Connie Smith
George Strait
Marty Stuart
The Oak Ridge Boys
Randy Travis
Josh Turner

Websites to Enjoy

Ryman Auditorium - www.ryman.com
Country Music Hall of Fame - www.countrymusichalloffame.com
Opry broadcast - www.wsmonline.com
Midnight Jamboree - www.etrecordshop.com
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame - www.nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com

Other Ideas That Are Fun

● look up - Grammy Awards
● Dove Awards
● read some of the biographies of country music singers and songwriters
● look up where some of the country music singers and songwriters were born

A Floating Cow

cfstorytime@esiason.org — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:25:00 GMT

Story Notes and Extras

A Floating Cow
written and presented by Sean Hunter

an opportunity for parents, teachers, friends and children to have fun together

Learning With Art
(for home and school projects)

Draw a picture of a Floating Cow.
Draw a picture of something that a Floating Cow likes.
Draw a picture of Little Johnny Merry Berry.
Draw a picture of the Judge.

Talk and Discover

How do you think the Floating Cow learned to float?
Does a Floating Cow have their own airport?
Where do you think the Floating Cow sleeps?
Do you think the Floating Cow eats anything special?
What do you think would be a good name for the âFloating Cow?â?
Do you think the Floating Cow has taught any of his friends how to float?
How high do you think the Floating Cow can float?
Do you think that the Floating Cow listens to moo-sic?
Does the Floating Cow go to the moo-vies?

Why did the Floating Cow want Little Johnny to behave?
Do you think that the Floating Cow was Little Johnnyâs friend?
Do you think that Little Johnny had any friends in school?
What is a good way to make friends?
What is something at a friend might tell you?
What is something that a Floating Cow might tell you?
What is something that a friend might do for you?
Who are some of your friends?
Do you think the Floating Cow has ever seen a cowboy or cowgirl?
What else do you think a Floating Cow has seen when they were floating in the air?

Famous Cow Tales

Mrs. Murphyâs Cow and the Great Chicago Fire

Friends of the Floating Cow
(that you can read about)

Babe, the Blue Ox
The Little Red Hen
The Three Little Pigs

Cow Jokes

Q â What does a farmer use to count the cows?
A- a cow-culator

Q â What happens if a cow laughs to hard
A- they cow-lapse

Q â What does a cow like to do in the morning?
A â wake up in a happy mooo-d

Famous Cows

Elsie

Names of Cows

Dolly - Daisy - Maggie - Maisy
Betsy - Bessy - Buttercup - Nel
Heidi - Pixie - Bella - Lilly
Clarabelle - Lulu - Rosie - Nel

What Are Some Names That You Would Call A Cow?

What Are Some Of The Foods That Are Made With Milk?

(hint)

ice cream would be one of them

What Is Your Favorite Flavor Of Ice Cream?

What Is Your Favorite Food?
and
Have You Seen A Cow Today?

Funny Farm

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:11:00 GMT

Story Notes and Extras
Funny Farm
musical version
written and presented by Sean Hunter

acoustic guitar - harmonica -Charlie McCoy
(www.charliemccoy.com)
fiddle - Wanda Vick
doghouse bass - Mark Burchfield
drum - vocals - Sean Hunter

Learning With Art

Draw a picture of a farmer and a scarecrow
Draw a picture of a weather vane on top of a barn
Draw a map of the Funny Farm
(showing where the barn is, the farm house,
the corn field, vegetable garden, chicken coop,
pig pen, fields for the sheep and other animals,
pumpkin patch, apple orchards, bee hives
and anything else
that you think you would find on a farm)

Who On A Farm Should

drive the tractor
pull the plow
plant the corn
milk the cows
chow the wood
and
paint the barn

More Fun With Art

Draw a picture of â the donkey going oink oink
a bull going meow
a turkey going quack
a goose going bow wow
an owl whistling
a rooster playing the horn
and
a picture of the sun smiling
(because everyone is happy on the Funny, Funny Farm)

What are some of your own ideas that you might draw?

Note:
Parents and teachers can draw an outline of some of the Funny Farm animals
for younger children to color

Talk And Discover
(an activity for parents, children and friends)

What would be a good day to visit the Funny Farm?
How would you get there?
Would you need to ride in a âfunny carâ? or a âfunny busâ? to get to the Funny Farm?â?

Draw a picture of a âfunny carâ? and a âfunny bus.â?

Who would you take with you to visit the âFunny Farm?â?
Who else do you think would like to visit the Funny Farm?
Do you think that the Funny Farm is funny every day?
What would be the funniest day to visit the Funny Farm?
Could they have a parade at the âFunny Farmâ??
What would a âFunny Farmâ? parade be like?
Where on the Funny Farm could they have a picnic?
What would you bring to a Funny Farm picnic?
What songs would you sing at a âFunny Farmâ? picnic?
What songs would you sing on the way to the Funny Farm?
Does the âFunny Farmâ? have a cuckoo clock?
Is there more than one Funny Farm?

Some Books About Farms
that you can get at your library

The Little Red Hen
The Three Little Pigs
Charlotteâs Web

Some Funny Farm Jokes

Who on the Funny Farm goes to bed with their shoes on?
the horse, of course

What runs all the way around the pasture but never moves?
a fence

How did the chicken learn to tell jokes?
he read a yoke book

Some Books and Stories
Good For Bedtime Reading

the stories of Beatrix Potter
the stories of James Herriot

The âFunny Farmâ? was
recorded at Watershed - Nashville, TN
arrangement â Charlie McCoy mixing and editing â Jim Dineen

Mr. Duck Hee

Tue, 8 Jan 2008 21:39:00 GMT

Story Notes and Extras

Mr. Duck Hee
written and presented by Sean Hunter

Having Fun With Children
For Parents and Teachers

Learning With Art
draw a picture of Mr. Duck Hee
draw a picture of some of Mr. Duck Heeâs friends
draw a picture of Mr. Duck Hee looking for a puddle

Talk and Discover
What do you think is Mr. Duck Heeâs favorite food?
What are some good songs for a duck to sing?
What songs do you like to sing?
What are some good songs to sing on a rainy day?
What does a duck do on a sunny day?

Reading For Everyone
Stories About Ducks That You Can Get At The Library

Make Way For Ducklings â by Robert McCloskey
The Ugly Duckling â by Hans Christian Andersen

Duck Facts

Ducks wash their face at least 2 or 3 times a day.
A duckâs feathers are waterproof.
A ducks feet never get cold.

Some Famous Ducks

Donald Duck
Daffy Duck
Daisy Duck
Huey, Dewey and Louie

Duck Jokes

Q â What time do ducks get up?
A - At the quack of dawn.

Q - What happened to the duck when he flew upside down?
A - He quacked up

Q â What did the detective say to the duck?
A â I hope we quack this case.

Q â What did the duck say when the clerk at the supermarket asked to be paid?â?
A â Put everything on my bill.

Being A Ducks Friend
- with an adult -

visit the ducks at the zoo
feed the ducks at the communities pond or stream
visit a farm
remember that dogs, cats and many other animals arenât always a ducks friend

Duck Games

Duck, Duck, Goose
Follow The Duck (aka â Follow The Leader)

Ducks That Play Games

Anaheim Ducks
Oregon Ducks
Long Island Ducks

How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

Sean Hunter — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:30:00 GMT

Story Notes and Extras
How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

In the spirit of Dr. Seuss,
celebrate the holidays in the way that the good Dr. had most likely envisioned
by taking the time and opportunity
to share this story with your family, friends and children of all ages.

For Parents and Teachers

Learning With Art

Draw a picture of the Grinch with his friends
(hint â there shouldnât be anyone else in the picture)
then
Draw a picture of the Grinch with his friends after he brought back the âroast beastâ?
Draw a picture of some of the toys that Grinch brought back to the Whos
Draw a picture of something that you could make as a gift

Imagining What The Whoâs Might Do To Make Someone Elseâs Christmas Happier

They would send them kind greetings by writing a note
Sing them a song
Visit them â especially if they were in the hospital or sick in bed
Bake them some cookies

and of course â the Grinch with the new heart would probably have some ideas too.
What would they be?

For Lenny â The Happy Fire Truck

storytime@esiason.org — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 20:58:00 GMT

Story Notes and Extras

For Lenny â The Happy Fire Truck

Written and presented by Sean Hunter

Lenny is a very special story â for it was inspired by a visit to a childrenâs hospital in New York, where on the third floor there is a real fire truck for the children to play on and enjoy. With the encouragement of Pat Lafontaine this story was then written.

October is Fire Prevention Month and the hope is that all families will take the time to review with all their children the rules of fire safety by reading and reviewing the material being offered by their local fire department and on the web sites of community and national Fire Organizations.

Learning With Art

for home and school projects

draw a picture of a fire truck
draw a picture of a fire fighter
draw a picture of a forest ranger
draw a picture of a fire dog
give the dog a name
If the dog could talk â what are some of the safety rules that the dog would tell you about.

Some of the important fire safety rules.

In any emergency â the most important rule is to get out of the house immediately,
let your parents or baby sitter warn everyone else.

Never run or panic. Take nothing with you. Leave all toys, dolls and games where they are, and call 911 once you are out of the house and out of danger.

It is always the firefighters job to find out where the smoke, fire or smell of gas
is coming from.

Always keep a kitchen clean â and follow all kitchen and cooking safety rules.

Never leave the house with any candles burning or a space heater on.

And keep all clothing, paper and anything soft from touching anything that is able to become hot.

And three other very important rules.

Always know where to find in your home a fire extinguisher, a fire escape, and two doors that can be used in an emergency.

Never play with matches

And test all smoke detectors regularly and replace their batteries every six months.

Hop Hop

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 18:47:00 GMT

Story Notes and Extras

Hop Hop The Kangaroo

written and presented by Sean Hunter

Below are some ideas and ways for parents, teachers and families

to continue having fun with Hop Hop.

Learning With Art

Draw a picture of Hop Hop The Kangaroo.

Draw a picture of Jumping Jack.

Draw a picture of Hop Hop jumping over the worldâs biggest bowl of ice cream.

Draw a picture of you jumping over the worldâs biggest bowl of ice cream.

Talk and Discover

For Parents and Teachers

What songs do you think Hop Hop likes to sing?

(hint-one song would be Waltzing Matilda)

What do you think is Hop Hopâs favorite color?

What other animals are good at jumping?

What exercises do you think Hop Hop likes to do?

What do you think Hop Hop ate that helped to make him big and strong?

What should you eat to become big and strong?

What do you think Hop Hop likes to read?

How many times a week do you think Hop Hop goes to the library?

What else would Hop Hop be good at doing?

What time do you think Hop Hop goes to bed at night?

What do you think are some of Hop Hopâs chores are at home?

In the Olympic Games â what are some of the contest where there is jumping?

Having Fun

What games do you think Hop Hop likes to play?

What are some good games that you and Hop Hop could play together?

What games do you think Hop Hop likes to play on a rainy day?

If Hop Hop was in a band, what musical instrument do you think Hop Hop would play?

If Hop Hop played football, what position do you think he would play?

Reading For Everyone

Stories about some of Hop Hopâs friends

Youth

If I Ran The Zoo â by Dr. Seuss

Peter Rabbit â by Beatrix Potter

Curious George â by Margret Rey

Young Adults

Black Stallion â by Walter Farley

Adults

authors from Hop Hopâs home in Australia

Thorn Birds â by Colleen McCullough

Tim â by Colleen McCullough

The Breaker â by Kit Denton (Breaker Morant)

Scapegoats of the Empire â by George Witton (Breaker Morant)

Toot Toot, Honk Honk and Beep Beep

Fri, 25 May 2007 18:08:00 GMT

Toot Toot, Honk Honk and Beep Beep
Story Notes and Extras
for teachers, parents and children

Talk and Discover

Which friends are you always happy to see?
Which of your friends havenât you seen in a while?
How do you meet some of your friends?
Where do you and some of your friends go?
What is someplace that you would like to go with your family?

Talking Cars

What are 10 names of cars?
What is your favorite name of a car?
What are good colors for a car?
What is your favorite color for a car?
What is your favorite color for a truck?
What is your favorite color for a sports car?

Designing Cars

Draw a picture of a fancy sports car.
Draw a picture of a pick up truck.
Draw a picture of a good car for a family.
Draw a picture of a car with a rumble seat.
Draw a picture of a car that some day might fly.

Knowing About Cars

What is something that a mechanic does to a car?
Name something on a car that begins with a B.
Name something on a car that begins with an E.
Name something on a car that begins with a D.
Name something on a car that begins with a S.
What is something on a car that needs to be kept clean?
What is something on a car that needs a lot of air?

Famous Cars In Movies

Austin Martin DB5 â James Bond 007
1968 Dodge Charger 400 and Mustang 350 GT â Bullitt
The General Lee â 1969 Dodge Charger R/T - The Dukes Of Hazzard
DeLorean â Back To The Future
The Batmobile
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Songs About Cars

The Little Old Lady From Pasadena - Jan and Dean
Fun, Fun, Fun - Beach Boys
Hey Little Cobra - Rip Cords
Little GTO - Ronny and the Daytonas

Famous Muscle Cars

Pontiac GTO
Oldsmobile 442
Plymouth Road Runner
Chevelle Super Sport
Pontiac Firebird

Famous Car Races

LeMans
Indianapolis 500
Daytona 500

Famous Car Museums

There are many wonderful automotive museums throughout the world. Visit your local library or search on the internet to read about the ones that you might like to visit.

A Novel Idea

Tell a story about one of the cars that you drew a picture of.
Write a story about one of the cars that you have ridden in.

Other Ideas

Make a list of all the different cars that have been manufactured in
England, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, and Sweden.
Make a list of the cars manufactured in the United States in the 1930âs.
Make a list of cars manufactured in the United States that are no longer made.
Make a list of the names of US made cars and do it by manufacture.
Make a list of famous people from the automotive world.
Make a list of famous people from the racing world.
Be creative - design a hood ornament for a car

Other Questions

What is the difference between a roadster and a cabriolet?
How many cars have been made with just 3 wheels?
Which Of These Cars Would You Like To Ride In?

1956 T-Bird or 1966 Cobra 427
1959 Corvette or 2001 Corvette Z06
1956 Mercedes Benz 300SL or Jaguar XKE
1957 BMW 507 or 1990 BMW Z1
your choice of a Ferrari or Lamborghini Countach
Lotus Formula 1 or 2007 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet
1993 Rolls Royce Corniche or 1949 Land Rover Series 1

Cars That Someone You Know May Have Owned

1956 Buick Roadmaster convertible
1975 Cadillac Eldorado convertible
1947 Chevrolet Sedan
1936 Ford Phaeton
1968 Mustang convertible
1961 4 door Lincoln Continental
1982 Sciracco
1939 Plymouth convertible
1950 Jeepster
1940 Cadillac V 16 limousine
WV Beatle
1960 Studebaker Lark Regal
1958 Chevrolet 4 door
Chrysler New Yorker
Hudson Hornet
Ford Falcon
Rambler
1964 T-Bird convertible
1963 Oldsmobile F-85
1952 Willys Station Wagon
1955 Sunbeam Alpine Roadster

1954 Ford Courier
1963 Mini
Nash Metropolitan
1955 Ford Fairlane Sunliner
1959 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner
Karmann Ghia
1947 Chrysler Town and Country
1969 327 Camaro convertible
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
1972 Camaro 396 SS
VW Bus
1957 Ford Ranchero
1970 El Camino
Jeep FC-150
Ford Bronco
1964 Scout
Ford F-100
1957 Cheverolet Side Step
Jeep 4 x 4
Ford F-150
Willys M-38

What Rules Do You Know About Cars?

What Are Some Of The Ways To Take Care Of A Car?

T.T. Rabbit

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 20:10:00 GMT

Story Notes and Extras

T.T. Rabbit written and presented by Sean Hunter

Enjoy the story of T.T. Rabbit â and I hope that you have the opportunity to enjoy all types of ice skating.

Learning With Art

â Draw a picture of someone ice skating

â Draw a picture of a pair of ice skates

â Draw a picture of T.T. Rabbit

â Draw a picture of yourself ice skating

â Draw a picture of yourself ice skating with someone

â Draw a picture of a snowman

â Draw a picture of a snowman ice skating

â Draw a picture of a snowman playing hockey

Some Famous Ice Skaters

Torval and Dean

Peggy Fleming and

Tina Noyes

Janet Lynn

Sarah Huges

Kristi Yamaguchi

Sonja Henie

Bobby Orr

Pat LaFontaine

Wayne Gretzky

Paul Henderson

Bobby Hull

Tom Johnson

Eric Heiden

Bonnie Blair

Gaetan Boucher

Eric Flaim

Dan Jansen

Hans Brinker

T.T. Rabbit

Famous Paintings of Skating

Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddin

by Sir Henry Raeburn

Skater

by Gilbert Stuart

Boy Skating â Gramps Skating

by Normand Rockwell

Famous Art Work About Ice Skating

Number Four

by sculptor Armand LaMontagne

various ice sculptures done at winter festivals

Famous Moments In Skating

USA beating USSR at Lake Placid

USA winning the Gold Medal at Squaw Valley

USA Women winning first Gold Medal awarded in Olympic Ice Hockey

Famous People involved with Skating

Snooks Kelley

Paul Stewart

Lord Stanley

Some Place Famous to Ice Skating

Rockerfeller Center â New York City

St. Moritz â Switzerland

Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado

The Canals of Holland

Talk and Discover

For Parents and Teachers

â How do you think that T.T. Rabbit learned to ice skate?

â Who do you think taught T.T. Rabbit to skate?

â What do you think T.T. Rabbit does when heâs not ice skating?

â Do you think that T.T. Rabbit knows how to dance?

â Do you think that T.T. Rabbit can dance on skates?

â What do you think that T.T. Rabbit does when itâs too warm to ice skate?

â What do you think T.T. Rabbit does to take care of his ice skates?

â How high do you think T.T. Rabbit can jump when heâs skating?

â What are some of the safety rules when ice skating?

â What other sports are played on ice?

â What other sports are played outside in the winter?

â What would you ask T.T. Rabbit if you were able to meet him?

Reading For Everyone

â Look in your local library for a biography of different figure skaters, hockey players and speed skaters

â read and enjoy and the web sites of the

NHL

Olympics

US Olympians

Canadian Olympians

Hockey Hall of Fame

US Hockey Hall of Fame

College Hockey

Beanpot

Danny The Fisherman Who Caught Footballs

storytime@esiason.org — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 21:53:00 GMT

Story Notes and Extras

Danny â The Fisherman That Caught Footballs
written and presented by Sean Hunter

    Enjoy âDanny â The Fisherman That Caught Footballsâ? presented as an âold fashionâ? radio show. Much of the story reflects many of the moments of Super Bowl XVI which was played between the Cincinnati Bengals and the San Francisco 49ers. The game received one of the highest TV ratings ever, is considered to be one of the most memorable games of the decade, and in that game Dan Ross of the Cincinnati Bengals set a Super Bowl record that has yet to be broken.

        Enjoy the story, and enjoy the following activities and moments with your children.


Activities that Parents, Teachers and Children Can Share
after listening to the story

Learning With Art

â Draw a picture of Danny at the beach fishing.

â Draw a picture of some of the fish that Danny caught.

â Draw a picture of some of the fish that Danny didnât catch.

â Draw a picture of the Coach.

â Draw a picture of Danny running with the football.

â Draw Danny learning how to play football.

â Draw a picture of the band marching.

â Draw a picture of the cheerleaders.

â Draw a picture of some of Dannyâs friends.

â Draw a picture of Danny

Talk and Discover for Parents and Teachers

Ask some of the questions now â and save some for another time

â How do football players get ready for a game?

â What rules do football players need to know?

â Do football players have to do homework?

â Where do you think Danny did his homework?

â What do you think was Danny's favorite book to read?

â How often do you think that Danny read the newspaper?

â How many times a week do you think that Danny went to the library?

â What instruments do you think were in the band that was marching and playing all the favorite songs?

â What do we need to remember when weâre playing a game?

â Who do you think are some of Dannyâs friends?

â What other sports do you think Danny liked to play?

â What would you ask Danny if you were able to meet him?

Other Books To Read

Youth

Tom Thumb â Illustrated by Richard Jesse Watson
(questions that can be asked afterward)
How could Tom Thumb be part of a football team?
(answers)
Tom Thumb could be the coach, maybe the team doctor, broadcast the game, sell tickets,
be the team reporter, etc.

Young Adults

Reggie White â Minister of Defense

Adults

Vince Lombardi - When Pride Still Mattered â by David Maraniss

this podcast from the Boomer Esiason site may be downloaded and shared without violating any present laws

print this page out and share with a teacher and any children in the hospital or at home recovering
www.cfstorytime.com and www.esiason.org