A read-aloud story · 2 min
Stompy Is Mad
Little listeners · Short and rhythmic, with sounds to join in on. About 2 minutes.
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Stompy stacks river stones. One, two, three, four, five! His tower reaches past his nose. It gives one wibble…
WOBBLE. Clack! Splash! Down it falls. Stompy’s ears flare. His trunk curls tight. His knees lock. Then his feet begin.
He can hardly find the last word. “Mad is big. Mad is loud. Mad goes… away.”
STOMP. STOMP. STOMP. Mum stomps too. Her ears flap. This is serious elephant business. Stompy’s mad is still huge, but his toes uncurl.
The last word takes a long, long pause. “Mad is big. Mad is loud. Mad goes… away.” His ears lower one flap.
Mum lifts her trunk. Stompy watches. He breathes in through his nose, slow and deep, like a trunk filling with water. Then he blows out. Whoooooosh!
Again they fill their trunks. In… and out. Whoosh. Stompy steps into the shallows. SPLASH! Water freckles his belly. The mad slips down to his knees.
This time, the last word floats softly. “Mad is big. Mad is loud. Mad goes… away.” His knees give one small wobble.
Stompy chooses the broadest stone. Mum holds only that one. He stacks the others. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
The tower leans. Stompy waits. It wibbles, then stays. Five stones shine beside his toes.
Hush… the wobbly tower sleeps by the water.
Talk about it
This story gives your child a physical way to move through big feelings and practice trying again with patience.
What does mad feel like in your body?
How would you make your biggest elephant stomp?
What helps you wait before trying something again?
One more? Try a five-minute puppet show, or pick another story below.
