Bernard Levine

Meet Tommy the funny Toymaker By Bernard Levine Hello girls and boys. My name is Tommy. Thank you for coming to visit me at my Toy Factory. Oh, Good Golly it’s already 9 o’clock in the morning and I haven’t combed my hair and brushed my teeth yet! I’ve been so busy making so many wonderful exciting toys for you ... Come this way with me... I want to show you what I made. You see, I found a piece of plastic lying around in the garage and .... I thought that if I painted it with bright colours, and then stretched it and pulled it this way and that.... I could get it to be a lovely big beach ball. How about that? Don’t you think it looks very nice? If you agree say, Ziggy-wack-a-loo and quickly rub your nose! Ziggy-wack-a-loo! Children, I know that you love to play with Lego and build all kinds of interesting things like houses and cars and... Oh, there is so much you can do with Lego....and that is why I made lots of Lego blocks for you. I also know that every little girl loves to play with dolls and little boys like to have lots of toy cars.... Have a look at the dolls and cars I especially made for you. I’m sure you will agree that I make very lovely toys! Yippee yay! I just remembered I have got some special candy for you... Yes, I’ve got sweets and lollipops... What would you like to have? Please go ahead and have some. Hick-a-doo! Hick-a-doo! Zick-a-dee-dum-dum! Do you like to sing? What’s your favourite song? Guess what I have got? I took a piece of wood and I used my saw and a few other tools, then I got some wire and ...voila! ... I was able to turn the piece of wood into a great looking guitar. I’m so very happy that you like my guitar.... Say... Zoom googly gook! That’s right! Let’s all say it again! Zoom googly gook! Come with me....Yak-a-loo I know what we will do! Come sit down, next to me here... I want to tell you my story... You see, when I was a small boy, I loved playing with my toys. My big wish was that one day, when I grow up, I wanted to be able to make my own toys... because toys make boys and girls very happy. And that’s the reason why I became a Toy Maker. And now every day of my life, I am surrounded by all these wonderful exciting toys. I just never get sad....I always have so much fun making so many different kinds of toys. Children, do you like to go outside and play? I built a super-duper slide for you... .....and also a very nice swing And can you guess what else I made? I made a kite that will fly high in the sky! And I made a wagon and also a wheel barrow for you to put all kinds of things inside. Tell me girls and boys, do you love animals? Yes, that’s very good! I also love animals! Because animals are all God’s friends. I love to watch animals and see what they do.... And I often speak to the animals.... I think they can understand what we are saying. Come and see all the lovely cuddly animal toys I have made.... Each one of the animals I have made has got a name. This is Bingo the big shy pink elephant And here is Dinky the brown bunny rabbit The next animal toy I want you to see, took me a long time to make. I had to first cut some bright yellow material, then fill it with pieces of soft cotton wool, and sew it all together. Meet my giraffe called Kalamazoo. This might be a hard name to remember, but if you say her name slowly like Kal -a – ma – zoo .... Now, you will never forget it! See, it’s easy.... Kal -a – ma – zoo! And I also made a monkey....his name is Tickles .....he always makes me laugh a lot... Tickle my tummy! I almost forgot! Fiddle-dee-dink! I have a sweet brown bear and his name is Honey...because that’s what he likes to eat... That’s right honey! Even though I have never caught him yet... I am sure that when I am sleeping, he goes and opens the fridge and eats some honey from the honey bottle.... because the outside of the honey bottle is very sticky...and there always seems to be some honey missing! Girls and boys, have you ever been for a ride in a train? I love the sound that the train makes..... Chook-a-chook Chook-a-chook Chook-a-chook Ask your mom and dad to take you on a train ride... it’s so much fun! What is your favourite toy that you like to play with? My favourite toy is the rocking horse I made. When I get tired and need a rest, I just like to sit on my rocking horse and rock forwards and backwards while I watch the cartoons on TV. Do you want to know what’s my rocking horse’s name? Her name is Dandy. Don’t you think it’s a nice name? Girls and boys, I want you to always remember that your toys are your very good friends. Your toys love it when you go into your room and play with them ....and when you take them out of .... Hey! That’s strange! I was sure that I had put this teddy bear in a box.... Oh yes, but... Did you know what the toys are busy doing while you are sleeping? What happens to the toys at night? When it’s all quiet and everybody is fast asleep in bed, the toys come alive and dance and sing and talk to each other. So that’s what happened to the teddy bear! The teddy bear climbed out of the box where I put him and joined the toy party! Oh, dear! I see that it’s getting pretty late and you’ve got to leave now. Please promise that you will come and visit my Toy Factory again. Don’t wait too long! Girls and boys, I really enjoyed showing you the toys in my Toy Factory. When you play with your toys ...please think of me! Have fun...enjoy and look after your toys. Tood-li-doot! Bye for now! Come again soon! This is another delightful children's book from the pen of Bernard Levine. And if you want more wonderful children's books for your children to enjoy, have a look at ‘Meet Freddy the friendly Fireman’, 'Fun by the Ton', 'Children love Nursery Rhymes' and 'Children love to tell jokes'. The cover of this book is by courtesy of ClipArtCottage.DeviantArt.com