Story_Can_low_res

Story of
a Can
Begonia Ibarrola
Illustrations
Antonio Amado
Emotional
Stories

Emotional
Stories
-Gustaríame ter unha casa onde vivir e alguén a quen esperar na
porta. Son moi vello pero aínda podo ladrar se vén algún estraño.
O dono do restaurante díxolle:
-Podes vir This a buscar book belongs comida to: cando queiras, así non pasarás fame.
-00-

Story of a Can.
© Begonia Ibarrola
© Primerapersona
First English edition 2013,
Illustrations: © Antonio Amado Lorenzo (a.amado@coag.es)
Translation and layout: © Sonia Fernández (sfordas@gmail.com) & Emily Polacek
Graphic design and layout: Singulart Visual Communication
Printing: Grafo Industrias Gráficas (Basauri-Bizkaia) Spain
www.primerapersona.com
www.begoniaibarrola.es
www.singulart.es
ISBN: 978-84-95923-94-3
LEGAL DEPOSIT: C-1191-2013
Made in Spain (Made in Europe)
In writing this book every possible effort has been made to obtain permission from the owners
of the relevant rights to reproduce their material here. In the event of any omission, please put
the corresponding request in writing so that the error can be rectified. All rights reserved.

Story of a Can
Begonia Ibarrola
Illustrations by Antonio Amado

This is my story, and I assure you that the adventures I am about to tell you
are true. And I learned a lot of interesting things with each one.
I know your life is very different from mine because you are a kid, boy or girl,
you go to school, and you have somebody to look after you, a place to sleep
and a desk to do your homework at.
1

I am just a simple tin can.
When I was made, I didn’t know what they were going to do with me until
one day somebody poured a sort of red purée inside me and stuck on a label
saying CAN OF TOMATO. I was so excited to have a name!
2

I was taken to a huge place called Supermarket, and then I realized I was
not that special, because there were loads of cans just like me. Then I got very
upset.
3

And then came the day when somebody grabbed me from the shelf and put
me into a shopping cart. “Where will they take me?”, I wondered.
4

I was a bit scared because I had already gotten used to living there, but I
was taken to a beautiful place that I had never seen called Kitchen. Then I
wasn’t afraid anymore, because it was a very cozy place.
-30-
5

Only two days had passed when somebody took a can opener, opened me up
and poured my contents into a frying pan. I suddenly felt very strange, because
they had emptied what was inside me. I wasn’t a can of tomato anymore! I
was kind of shocked for some time and didn’t know what to do. What would
become of my life?
-31-
6

Then something terrible happened: I was dumped into a garbage bin, among
leftovers and papers, as if I was good for nothing.
7

I cried and cried, and felt that my life had ended, that there was nothing else
I could do in this world, but I was wrong, since my adventures had only just
begun.
8

That night, some cats took me out of the garbage bin and began to play with
me. I had a lot of fun, although I ended up a bit dizzy. And I found out something
new about myself: I could make sounds! Every time the cats dragged me along
the ground I heard clank, clank, clank... And they gave me a new name: BALL.
9

“How funny! I thought I was just a simple can, but I am... a can that can make
noises!”, I thought, and I fell asleep on the street, happily dreaming of the
supermarket, the kitchen and the garbage bin...
10

Suddenly, a hand picked me up and startled me awake. It belonged to a man
who was a bit dirty and shabby. He used me to beg for money and gave me a
new name I was thrilled with: TIN CUP.
11

There, on the ground and by his side, I was really happy to receive the coins
that the people gave him, and I loved the sound they made as they fell inside
me: clink, clink, clink, clink... I felt so proud when he told me:
“Today we have earned enough money to get some food, my friend.”
And he put me away in the pocket of his old coat.
12

But one day he left me on the sidewalk and I felt very sad again. I never knew
why he did it... And when I was feeling most desperate, another hand, this
time smaller and softer, picked me up and took me to his home. The hand
belonged to a boy called Asier, who made me feel important again.
13

Asier filled me with soil and planted a chickpea inside. He then gave me a new
name that made me really excited: PLANT POT. Asier said something new
was being born inside me. When the roots started to grow, they tickled me and
I couldn’t stop laughing. I was very happy in that house with that new name.
14

After a short time, a little stalk began to come out of the soil. Everyone around
me celebrated, and I felt really special. I never would have imagined what was
going to happen next.
15

The plant grew and grew, and one day, all of a sudden, Asier decided it couldn’t
be stuck in such a little pot, so he moved it into a bigger one. So I was empty
and sad again, because by that time I had gotten used to being a plant pot.
16

But his sister Alba washed me and glued a beautiful flowery paper all around
me. I had never seen myself dressed like that and I felt gorgeous. Alba gave
me a new name that got me really excited: PENCIL HOLDER.
And she put her lovely colored pencils inside me.
17

I loved to watch Alba drawing while she sang in a quiet voice. She was a great
singer and I felt very happy to hold all her colored pencils.
Alba, – I said without words,– I am so happy to be with you. Please, please
don’t ever leave me.
18

Then on her birthday, somebody gave her a pencil holder decorated with her
favorite cartoon characters. And then, Alba, unaware of my feelings, dumped
me into the garbage bin.
19

Once again, I felt sad and alone. Nevertheless, I had gotten used to expecting
surprises and I still hoped to become important to somebody.
When Alba’s mom saw me lying there, she said to her daughter: – Alba, this
can could be reused to make new things. Please, honey, put it in the blue
container, you know how important recycling is.–
20

I had never heard that word, but Alba had learned it at school, so she did as
her mom told her and put me into a huge blue bin that didn’t look anything like
the first garbage bin I had known.
21

Some time passed and I was still there, all excited about my next name, my
next destiny, my next home.
But then one day I was taken to a factory, similar to the place where I was
born, and I don’t know what happened there because I fell asleep.
22

When I woke up, I didn’t recognize my new shape, I didn’t feel comfortable in
that new suit. But one day I was seized by a soft, wrinkled hand that belonged
to an old man:
– Oh! What a beautiful tin train! The toys I used to play with were just like this!
How much is it? –
23

He thought the price was reasonable and I was wrapped in a beautiful
multicolored paper.
I was very excited to have a new name: TRAIN. And that’s how I started a new
life, full of adventures that I will tell you about some day.
24

Emotional
Stories
Story of a Can
Advice
to
parents

Advice to parents
It is extremely important to know your children’s
emotional world so as to help them express their feelings
appropriately. Being excited is one of the aspects that can
help them feel happy and more optimistic about life.
To help your kids feel excited you can do as follows:
• help them enjoy the little things
• suggest situations and activities that prevent them from
getting bored
• set an example with our attitude
• be enthusiastic about their achievements and the things
they learn
• develop an optimistic approach to life
• avoid monotony and idleness
• share their excitement
• encourage their relationships with friends
• help them find out what sparks their interest
• stimulate their fantasy and imagination by reading
• design with the children projects or goals that excite
them
• show them that we can’t always get everything we are
excited about

Emotional
Stories
EXCITEMENT
Definition
It is a pleasant feeling provoked by the anticipation of
something we wish or that appears as desirable, close
and accessible. Enthusiasm, happiness associated to
surprise.
How it manifests
People who have the ability to get excited find reasons
to smile and feel good every day. They usually have a
happy, optimistic nature and they enjoy that happiness
partly due to their ability to get excited, as a basic
approach to live their lives and enjoy the little things.
When kids feel excited, they look lively, with sparkling
eyes, in good spirits, smiling, confident and enthusiastic.
They are interested in things and struggle to achieve
little goals, since they trust their own abilities. They
often act as if there were no difficulties, as if they
could attain everything they wish, especially when they
are less than four years old. Then they start to grasp
a better control of reality and when they come across
any obstacle, their ability to get excited sometimes
decreases. Nevertheless, being able to get excited is not
incompatible with accepting reality; on the contrary, it
helps to live a happier life. It is desirable to develop this
emotion, for it also plays an essential role in preventing
depression.
When it can be felt
Kids may feel excited:
• when their loved ones praise what they do
• when they receive a present they especially value
• when they meet their friends
• when they win a prize in a raffle or draw
• when they see someone they love who they haven’t
seen for a long time
• when they try to do something and they accomplish it
• when they are given a pet
• when they carry out something they put their mind to
• when their favorite team wins
• when they learn something new

ACTIVITY
Choose what a tin can may
become after it is recycled:
- a pencil holder
- a bottle
- a fork
- a key ring
- a plate
- an umbrella
- a different tin can
- a teddy bear

The
End

The Collection
Emotional
Stories
Chusco the Stray Dog
Chusco was an old dog that was sick
and lived in the street. He dreamt of
having a home and an owner who
loved him. One night, his friends
decided to help him.
The Story of Dracolino
Dracolino was a little dragon that
preferred to sing rather than breathe
fire. His parents didn’t understand him,
and at the beginning they were angry
because he was different from the rest
of their family. That made him feel awful,
until one day…
Crisol and his Star
Somewhere in the universe, in a place
called Tierra Cristal, lived a town of
people who could talk to the stars.
When children turned seven years old,
a big party was celebrated, and they
had to choose a star to communicate
with. Crisol was anxious; he was
having his party that night and then he
would have to pick out his star.
The Adventures
of a Water Drop
This is the story of a water drop that
had lived under the soil for a long time
until one day she felt an irrepressible
desire to see the light. Travel along
with the droplet and live her adventures.
Timothea the Giraffe
Timothea the giraffe didn’t have many
friends in the savannah because she
looked down on everyone and treated
them with disdain. The rest of the animals
tried to get away from Timothea
when she came around so that they
didn’t have to listen to her, until one
day…

Excitement
This is the story of a tin can that had
different owners and uses. At the beginning
she was just a can of tomato, but
then she was used as a ball, tin cup,
plant pot… Every time she had a new
function, she found out new things
about herself that made her really
happy.
A story about excitement.
3 years and older.
It contains collectible fact sheets
for parents and educators and an
activity for kids.
Emotional
Stories
www.primerapersona.com
GRL- N
Reading grade equivalent- 3
Interest level- grades K-3
ISBN: 978-84-95923-94-3 / IBIC: YBCH
$13.95 U.S. / $13.95 Can. / 12,00€ EU