Alex Polizzi - Recipe for a Story CBeebies Bedtime Stories

Hello, my name is Alex.

I've just put a cake in the oven ready to enjoy as a treat tomorrow.

While it's baking, there's just enough time for a bedtime story.

It's about someone else who's been doing some cooking.

Would you like to hear it?

Great.

The story is called Recipe For A Story and it's by Ella Burfoot.

I am going to cook a book.

I'll break some thoughts into cup.

I'll beat them, whisk them, mix them up.

I'll weigh out the words - just enough -

choosing the right ones can be tough.

The small ones go into the pot.

He, she, it, when and what.

I'll drop some big words from a height.

Elephant, crocodile, dynamite!

Now that my story has begun, I'll cut out characters one by one.

Feelings, colours, sounds, a picture,

all add flavour to my mixture.

I'll add a watery word or two.

I'll pour them in and stir them through.

Splish, splosh, splash. Drip or sprinkle.

Glug and gurgle. Squelch and tinkle.

Now, I'll put a lid on it, wait a while, let it sit.

It's not until I roll it out that I'll find out what it's all about.

And now I'll lay it in the tin, so my characters can jump in.

Next - the middle, the action, the filling -

into the pan without any spilling.

Now, all I'll do is simply add a spoon of good

and a pinch of bad.

Turn up the heat, let the bubbles quicken

and then my plot begins to thicken.

Every sentence will taste much better if I add a full stop

and a capital letter.

But where did I put them?

I've seen them myself, here they are in the cupboard on the top shelf.

Lastly, the ending. I'll press it down and add decoration all around.

I will glaze with happiness, leave it to cook,

then bake it, brown it and finish my book.

I turn the pages and I can tell that my recipe has turned out well.

I've done everything that I need to make my story a delicious read.

That was Recipe For A Story. I hope you enjoyed it.

Now that you've found out how to make a story,

it's time to you to go to bed.

I hope you cook up some sweet dreams!

Sleep tight. I'll see you again soon.