Description

Benji, the Bad Day, and Me– by Sally J. Pla
Illustrated by Ken Min

建議年紀：5-8歲

音樂來源：
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgPOMwfZYqk

Sammy有一個自閉症的弟弟 Benji，今天是Sammy和Benji非常糟糕的一天。你知道他們後來發生什麼事嗎？Sammy在學校，因為踢柵欄而惹上麻煩；自助餐廳的午餐發完了他最喜歡的披薩；校車司機過站了，Sammy不得不冒著傾盆大雨步行回家後。回到家，他發現弟弟Benji也過得很糟糕。Benji心情不好時，有一個大盒子可以躲進去，但Sammy 並沒有一個特別的地方可以讓他感到受到保護。當他覺得傷心難過的時候，Benji看到了，Benji來安慰Sammy!

小朋友，當你傷心難過的時候，你都會做什麼事情呢？有沒有人會來安慰你呢？你有沒有一個可以躲起來的地方，自己一個消化，讓心情好起來呢？

tiptoe 鼓起精神
flap 摺板
this instant 即刻, 馬上
stick my tongue out 吐舌頭
plain old rotten 平淡又糟糕
thump 用力打
gush out 湧出
grumpy 脾氣暴躁
ka thunk 咚一聲
lean over 倚靠
clunck 用力地敲打

At recess, I got yelled at for kicking the fence.
At lunch, they ran out of my favorite pizza, so I didn’t eat.
And on the bus home, the driver missed my stop,
So I had to walk all the way back in the rain.
Now I’m hungry, cold, and wet. Grrrrrrrrrr!

“Shhhhhh,” says Mama as soon as I opened the door.
“Benji’s playing in his box.”
When Benji’s in his box, it’s because he’s had a bad day at preschool.
When Benji’s had a bad day, we tiptoe and speak softly.
When I’ve had a bad day, no one tiptoes or speaks softly.
Benji, Mama, and I made that box last summer.
Mama cut the window flaps, and Benji and I splashed on the paint.
Inside, it’s cozy and safe, but only big enough for Benji and his blue blanket.
I sure wish I had a box for days like this.
Benji wiggles his fingers at me.
“Hi, Benji,” I say softly.
Benji’s face appears.
“Wet Sammy,” Benji says.

“Samuel!” Says Mama.
“There’s water all over the floor! Take your shoes off this instant.”
It’s not my fault I had to walk all that way in the rain.
Benji’s block city is spread all around.
Watch your step!”Mama says.
Benji’s been working hard on that.”
“I know. I helped!” I start to say- but Mama’s phone rings. And she turns away.
I stick my tongue out at the box.
I do my best karate kick high in the air, above Benji’s block city.
“Ka-Cha!”
I’ve always wanted to learn karate.
Mama says I can’t right now because the classes are on Tuesdays, and that’s when we have to visit the Super-Happy Lady at Benji’s clinic downtown.

“Let’s bounce the ball!”
Super-Happy Lady likes to say. But Benji never does.
“Let’s play a game!” But Benji never plays.
Meanwhile, I’m told to sit in the waiting room and not bother anyone.

On Super-Happy Lady days, we always get back home tired.
So Mama will make berry smoothies to help us feel better.
The she’ll wrap Benji tight in his big blue blanket, just how he likes, and tell him,
“You’re my little burrito!”
But today there are no berry smoothies and no burritos.
Today Mama is busy and Benji is hiding.
This day is just plain old rotten.

Thump! goes the box.
It’s Benji, kicking around in there.
“Hey!” I say.
“Come out and I’ll teach you karate!” But he doesn’t.
So I go to the kitchen and pour some cereal.
But when I add the milk, too much gushes out.
I am grumpy, hungry, and cold, and now there is milk everywhere!
I have had it with this fence-kicking, rain-dripping, milk-splling day.
I cry mad-sad shivery tears.
No one notices.
Ka-thunk! Benji’s coming out!
He holds his blanket up high and tiptoes through the block city.
Benji spreads his blanket flat on the floor.
What’s he doing?
He pulls me down on the fuzzy blueness and makes me lie straight and still.
Then he rolls me over and over.
He works hard to wrap me up tight.
Benji leans over me.
His forehead clunks my forehead.
His eyes look right in my eyes.
“You’re my little burrito,” he says.

I open the blanket and let Benji in.
“You’re my little brother!” I day.
And that’s how Mama finds us.
“Can I come in too?” she askes.
Whenever the day is good or bad, Benji and I will be okay.
That’s because the two of us are brothers.
Side by side is where we are, and how we’ll always be!

Boys and girls, what do you do when you are sad? Will anyone come to comfort you? Do you have a place to hide, digest it yourself, and feel better?

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