Joanie Clarkson
Lotus & Feather is written by Ji-li Jiang, illustrated by Julie Downing and read by Michelle Yeoh. A winter illness left Lotus, a little girl, without a voice and without friends. A hunter’s bullet left Feather, a crane, injured and unable to fly. As Lotus nurses Feather back to health, their bond grows. Soon Feather is following Lotus everywhere, even to school! The bird dances to the girl’s reed whistle, much to the delight of the other children. One day, when the village floods, Feather helps raise the alarm as Lotus and her grandfather urge their neighbors to get to high ground. Feather is a true friend to Lotus, but the time comes when Lotus must be a true friend to him--by encouraging him to migrate with the rest of the cranes. The next spring, Feather miraculously returns, and that’s not all . . . he has brought new life to the nearby lake. Inspired by the true story of a crane that rescued a Chinese village, and graced with sensitive watercolor illustrations, this lovely book about respecting nature offers deep emotion and delightful surprises.
Transcript
Welcome to Storyline online brought to you by the SAG AFTRA Foundation. I'm shallow. And today I'm going to read Lotus and feather, written by Julia Chang, an illustrated by Julie downing. Lotus walked home from school by herself. Yet again. These days, no one invited her to play. Ever since a winter illness had taken her voice. The other kids treated her like a strange creature. Lotus lived with her grandfather. Craftsmen who made beautiful baskets out of reads. Grandpa understood Lotus loneliness. He stroked her hair and invited her to go boating with him on the nearby lake. This lake used to be so a live grandpa said, lotus flowers swayed in the breeze, fish jumped into the boat, birds sang and the sky and foxes watched from the shore. But now he looked around the deserts at landscaped. Hence, it has been ruined by greedy fisherman and hunches and by ignorant people who took over land. Animals once lived. Lotus blew a whistle made out of a room. The sound drifted around the empty lake like a wisp of Psalm. One morning, Lotus went to collect reads for Grandpa. She stopped in all when she saw a big bird. As white as fresh snow standing in the marsh grass is wide wings were edged with black feathers, light glaze on address. Above the long curved neck. His head was crowned with a red top like gasoline be a crane. Notice shouted silently. She had heard many stories about the Endangered cranes from grandpa, but she had never seen one. They had stopped coming because the wetland was disappearing. Loud gunshot startled her. Look, just turned around and saw a man with the hat made out of reads, aiming his barrel straight at the bird. Low, just couldn't matter any sound. But she crouched down and draw and a metal pail with a reed cutter making a noise like thunder, the hands of lead, dropping his hat. Never looking back. Notice how Ridley waded across the wetland toward the bird when the crane spotted her and tried to run, but collapsed. Instead, Lotus gathered up the heavy bird. Hold on. Hold on please. She pleaded silently. She taught at home to grandpa who had rescued or the animals before. Carefully. Grandpa wrapped the birds wound. He's lost a lot of blood, but he will survive. He said, Look, just trusted grandpa. But still she was worried. The quaint barely moved and didn't openness. Not even when grandpa fed him rice soup. Lotus topped the bird into the soft nest she had made for him. Gently stroked him, just like grandpa used to do when she was sick. For two days. Lotus watched the bird anxiously and hardly slept. On the third day, she fell asleep by the nest. She awoke when she felt the ester. The cranes lifted his head for the first time and looked straight at her gingerly. Notice put a small fingers on his head. The bird stretch his neck and robbed a cheek gently. Lotus heart pounded and tears sprang to her eyes. Feather was the name Lotus chose for her new friend. When she helped wash his wound. Feathers stared at her. When she whistled with her remit, feather robbed her cheek with his head, filled with happiness. Lotus searched the rocks and climbed trees to find food for him. At night, she often stroked him until he fell into snow. One day, slow and cautious. Father took his first step. Lotus jumped and swirled and hugged grandpa blissfully. Soon, data was flowing. Lotus everywhere. Hurried whistle like a magic wand made him move up, down slow and fast. Lotus loved her new friends so much that she didn't want to leave him for school. Grandpa, shock has had firmly feather as if he understood what was happening, pushed her outside with his long neck. Then he followed her all the way to school. Feather waited outside Lotus classroom. As soon as school was over, Lotus blue who were so NCR feather came when notice whistled short notes for the Praeneste on his long thin legs and rhythm. When Lotus whistled long nose, he dipped his neck and opened his wings wide. He could not yet fly, but he could dance. The astonished kids clapped and cheering. They all joined in dancing in a circle. Lotus heart swelled with pride. She blew her were so long and high like the melody at the Chinese New Year celebration. Feather walked to school with Lotus every day after that. And every day the other kids danced with them. Lotus whistle was no longer sad, but full of joy. One night, noticed was awakened by feathers, urgent crows. Grandpa opened the door to find different steps underwater. A faraway earthquake had vibrated the lake and flooded the village. We have to enlarge the neighbors. Said grandpa, he enlarges, jumped into their boat. Feathers stood tall on the bottom. Wake up. The lake has flooded. Grandpa shouted as they pulled the past the dark homes. Low, just struck the metal pail with a bamboo stick. Again making a noise like thunder. Feather crowed. House by house, neighbors came out and jumped into their boats. Over 300 villages were saved. Feather was the hero. Feathers story was reported in the local newspaper and he became famous throughout the province. People stopped by to see the rat bird and hear the story again. Grandpa told them how the crane had been shot. He asked for their help in keeping hunches away from the lake. Lotus always blew her whistle and let's feather dance for the guess. March arrived. It's began appearing in the sky, migrating back north. Feathers wings was still too weak for flying, but he watched the flux until they disappeared. We'll Feather, leave us. Lotus asked grandpa with her hands. She was frightened by crevice longings. Then that's where his home is. Grandpa said Lotus Notes down. She didn't want her friend to leave, but she knew she would never separate him from his home and family. Quietly. She's search to more rocks and climbed more trees to find him food. At night. She stroked him longer and hugged him tighter than one day. For the spread his wings wide and leaped into the sky. He didn't go far. But Lotus could see that he was completely healed. She stroked his wing and her tears drips onto his soft feathers. She knew the time had come for him to leave. Lotus walked slowly behind grandpa as he carried further to the lake. He held further Hi, tossed him gently into the air. Further, flew up, circled a few times, but landed back at Lotus Feet. Grandpa, try it again. Again. Whether return. He is waiting for you. Grandpa said, handing feather to Lotus. Notes disparate ahead and feathers warm body. For a long time. When she heard another flock of birds passing overhead. She hugged further one more time and then threw him into the sky. Feather hovered, answer, circled and hover. Lotus waved goodbye, holding her chest back with a long Crow. Feather flapped his big wings and sword North, disappearing into the horizon. Notice Mr. feather. So did her schoolmates. When Lotus climbed up the hill that faced north, her friends followed. They sat around her and listened to her whistle. Her notes filled with love and yearning floated into the sky. They all believed feather could hear them wherever he wants. One early morning in autumn, lunches heard a crow outside. She jumped off a bad, ran to the door and pushed it open. Feather, as white as snow stood on the doorstep. Behind him was a beautiful red peak to female and a chick. Feathers family moving slowly so as not to frighten the birds. Notice held out her hand, feather stretch his neck over and robbed her palm. Then Lotus heard a commotion. She looked up and gassed. She tucked on grandpas arm, and they ran to the late. The sky tuned quite as it was filled by hundreds of queens. They were circling in diving, singing and dancing around them. Rather as protists and tie a flock. And Nevada miracle, grandpa said, the lake will not be lonely this year. Notice. She told and Praeneste with feather and his friends. Her whistle accompanied by the birds, singing, echoed far, far away and the, and the sky. I think my favorite part of the book was when Lotus realized that she had to let feather go back to join his family. And we always have to remember they are wild creatures and they deserve to be free as we all do. So for me, for a young child to come to understanding with that was very special. Thank you for watching Storyline online. Make sure to check out all of our stories. Keep watching, and keep reading. (As provided by SchoolTube video transcript.)
Standards Alignment
Suggested Grade Level: 2nd-3rd
Standards listed below are for 2nd and 3rd grades but can be adapted to 1st grade standards.
CCSS.SL.2.1, CCSS.SL.3.1, CCSS.SL.2.2, CCSS.SL.3.2, CCSS.RL.2.1, CCSS.RL.3.1, CCSS.RL.2.2, CCSS.RL.2.3, CCSS.RL.3.2, CCSS.RL.3.3, CCSS.RL.2.1, CCSS.RL.3.1, CCSS.L.2.1, CCSS.L.3.1, CCSS.W.2.3, CCSS.W.3.3, CCSS.L.2.1, and CCSS.L.3.1
View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/LotusFeather
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