(upbeat music) - "Starting with Sound."

- Hello, my name's Carl Ray, and I'm so excited to be with you today to talk to you about the importance of reading.

And reading is so important, I love reading.

It expands your thinking, it helps you understand more about the world.

It helps you to love deeper, think broader, and to become a better person.

And I'm excited to read to you a great book today, "Tiger in My Soup."

It was written by Kashmira Sheth, and also illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler.

Let's start this book, "Tiger in My Soup."

Well, today my big sister is in charge of the house, the lunch, and me.

Wow, big job.

I hold up my book, "Will you read to me?"

I ask.

"Not now," she says.

(Carl mimics growling) Well, I look at the pictures, myself.

Downside up and upside down, front to back and back to front with my eyes open, with my eyes closed.

But it's no fun doing it by myself.

"Will you read my book to me?"

I ask again, it's about tigers, big hungry tigers!

(Carl mimics growling) My sister doesn't answer.

I try to say something else.

"I'm hungry!"

This time she hears me.

(Carl laughs) My sister gives me a bowl of soup for lunch.

"Be careful," she says, "It's hot."

"While the soup cools, you will read to me, right?"

I beg, "Later," she says.

I stir my soup, something steamy puffs up, a tiger.

"There's a tiger in my soup," what?

I drop the spoon, I glance over at my sister, "Help!"

(Carl mimics growling) My sister grumbles, she hands me a clean spoon.

The tiger looks really mad.

I have to protect myself, I stab at him with my spoon.

Some tiger spit lands on my face.

Jeez!

This means war.

I launch a missile at the tiger right, on the target.

(Carl laughs) "Where did he go?"

My sister looks up from her book, "Why'd you let the soup get cold?"

She asked.

"Here, I'll warm it for you."

Look out for the tiger.

"It's too late, the tigers muffled roar rumbles from the inside the microwave, ooh!

"Hide," I yelled, "It's a big, hungry tiger."

"Okay," my sister's says.

"Where's the book, where's the book?"

I hand it to her and she begins to read.

"No, no," I say, "You have to roar it like a tiger."

(Carl mimics growling) (Carl mimics growling) I eat my soup and keep one eye on my sister.

And I wonder, where the tiger will show up next?

(Carl mimics growling) The end, "Tiger in My Soup.

Hey guys, again, so glad to be with you today.

As I said, reading is so incredibly fun that inspires you.

And it inspired me to write a song titled, "Tiger in My Soup."

Written by myself and my grandson, Shaya Stefan Macon.

Here we go.

(guitar music) ♪ After reading the book I wrote a song ♪ ♪ I hope you all will sing along ♪ ♪ I got a tiger in my soup ♪ ♪ You can take a chance if you want a bite ♪ ♪ Dive on in, have all you like ♪ ♪ But there's a tiger in my soup ♪ ♪ Like a catfish swimming beneath the green beans ♪ ♪ Underneath and all around them ♪ ♪ Between the tomatoes, the carrots, and the celery too ♪ I almost lost that (laughs).

♪ You give a growl and a smile ♪ ♪ And your black flip of the spoon ♪ ♪ There's a tiger in my soup ♪ We're gonna try that again, and you're gonna sing with me this time.

♪ After I wrote a simple song ♪ ♪ I hope that you would sing along ♪ Here we go.

♪ I got a tiger in my soup ♪ You got it.

♪ You can take a chance if you want a bite ♪ ♪ Just dive on in, have all you like ♪ Here we go!

♪ 'Cause there's a tiger in my soup ♪ ♪ I got catfish swimming beneath the green beans ♪ ♪ Underneath and all around them ♪ ♪ To the tomatoes, the carrots, and the celery too ♪ ♪ You give a growl, a smile ♪ ♪ Getting back flipped off the spoon ♪ ♪ Ooh, I got a tiger in my soup ♪ ♪ Just as sure as one plus one equals two ♪ ♪ I got a tiger in my soup ♪ (guitar music) (Carl mimics growling) - Staring with sounds.

(upbeat music)