STINKY BUTTS: THE STORY OF JACK AND IRENE

DEDICATION

 

Stinky Butts was written in response to our County Judge banning two books from the local library because of the words “farting” and “butt” in the titles.  Children love scatological humor.  The words butt and farting never hurt a child.  While small groups of people around the country are busy banning books, our children are being trained to protect themselves from people entering the classrooms with assault rifles.  It’s easier to ban books than ban ARs killing our children.  Let’s encourage our children to read books.  

 

Stinky Butts is dedicated to our County Judge.  May he open his eyes to see.

 

To my two grandchildren: I love you with all my heart.  You bring me endless joy.

 

This book should be read to young children by parents.  Please feel free to expound on the page about sharing feelings by giving children examples of how they might express themselves in stressful situations.

 

 

 

Jack, age six, is in the first grade. Jack's sister, Irene, is age five and attends kindergarten.  They love going to school and feel like big kids as they ride the bus daily.  What fun they have learning to read and write!  Both of them like to add and subtract numbers.

 

Jack loves to play with miniature race cars and airplanes.  Walking through his house, you often step over airports with planes lined and ready for take-off.  Racetracks loaded with cars in the starting lanes are near the front door. 

 

One day, Jack was running slower than the other boys at school.  A boy made fun of him.  Jack felt sad and hurt.  A teacher saw the boy making fun of Jack and called the parents of both boys.  After school, the boy and his mother went to Jack's house to apologize.  Bullying others or making fun of others is not nice.  The boy was sorry for making fun of Jack and apologized to him.

 

Irene loves to play soccer.  She likes kicking the ball as much as possible and making a goal.  She gets excited when the ball goes into the net.  When Irene scores points for the team, everyone cheers and claps. Hearing the cheers makes her want to make more goals.

 

Jack loves playing basketball.  He is often outside throwing balls into the net in the driveway.  Jack has even more fun when he plays with friends.

Jack calls himself a "gamer." His Nintendo switch is fun!  Jack sometimes gets focused on the game and doesn't hear his mom or dad calling him.  Sometimes Mom makes him turn it off.

Irene and Jack are members of the swim team.  Jack has won races at swim meets.  Irene decided that the water was too deep for her at the last swim meet, so she didn't compete.  It's okay to not jump in the water when you're afraid.  Irene might not be scared next time.

Skiing has become their latest fun sport.  There's nothing like racing down a mountain on skis as fast as you can with the wind blowing your hair every which way!

Drawing is Irene's unique talent.  Her parents often hang her beautiful paintings on the walls of the house.

 

Irene often snuggles with her beloved stuffed animals.  The softness of her stuffed animals brings her comfort and helps her go to sleep at night.

 

When Jack and Irene get into arguments, they sometimes lose privileges or are sent to their rooms to calm down and think about what upset them.  Even when we love someone, we can disagree. It's okay to disagree, but hitting others is not okay.  It hurts when someone hits us.

 

We use feeling words when we are upset.  Expressing our frustrations or anger without hitting others is how we should treat each other.  If someone says something hurts our feelings, we tell them, "My feelings are hurt." If someone says we hurt their feelings, we respond, "I'm sorry." If we get angry, instead of hitting someone, we say, "I'm angry, or I'm mad that…." It's okay to be sad, mad, frustrated, or hurt, even though we'd rather be happy all the time.  Expressing our feelings is important.

Being a mom or a dad can be challenging. Sometimes our parents need a rest.  We show our love for them by letting them have some time alone.

The best words you can say to those you love are "I love you." When someone is having a bad day or feels hurt by something you said or did, the best words you can say is, "I'm sorry." When Jack and Irene tell their grandparents or parents, "I love you," everyone glows inside.

 

Irene once saw a new girl sitting by herself in the school cafeteria.  Since Irene knows what it's like to feel alone and unhappy when no friends are around, she asked the girl if Irene could sit with her.  Soon, they were talking and laughing.  She made a new friend with a girl who had felt sad just a few minutes earlier.  Doing nice things for someone else shows we care.

 

One day at the school library, Jack wanted to check out a book about World War II.  The librarian wouldn't let him take the book because she thought it was too violent for a first-grader. Jack's mom met with the librarian the next day and told her it was okay for Jack to check out any book he wished.  Reading is important.  When we read, the world opens to us.  Our imaginations can take us to faraway places like Africa, where elephants, lions, and giraffes freely roam.  Or we can be transported to the land of penguins in Antarctica. We can even go into space and visit other planets!

 

Jack and Irene love playing the piano.  They often listen to music while dancing to the beat.  When they dance, Grandmama calls them stinky butts.  Jack and Irene laugh and laugh while shaking their bottoms.

And that's the story of Stinky Butts. 

 

                                                                   THE END