The Day the Backpacks Went In

Read-aloud note

Use gentle animal voices, but keep them quiet enough for bedtime.

Story

Mia and her best friend Leo stood at the big blue door with their backpacks on. Mia's was yellow. Leo's was red. "What do you think is in there?" Mia whispered. Leo shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

They pushed the door open together, and oh! The classroom was full of the most interesting things. There was a whole wall of windows with sunlight coming through in long golden stripes. There were tiny chairs in every color, a basket of soft animals on a rug, and right in the corner, a big round fish tank with three orange fish going round and round. Mia pressed her nose to the glass. One fish had a little white stripe. "Hello, stripe fish," she said softly.

Their teacher, Miss Plum, had curly brown hair and a sweater with pockets, and she knew where everything was. She showed them the art table with fat crayons in a tin can, the shelf of picture books with crinkly pages, and a low wooden box full of smooth wooden blocks. Leo started stacking blocks right away. He made them go up, up, up, and then — whomp! They tumbled down, and Leo giggled so hard his tummy shook. "Can I try?" asked a small voice. It was a girl named Bea, sitting near the blocks, watching. She had a green sweater and a very serious face. Leo handed her the biggest block first, because big ones are the best ones to start with. Bea smiled. Her serious face turned out to have a very big smile hiding in it.

At story time, everyone sat on the soft rug near the fish tank. Miss Plum read a book about a bear who found a hat, and all the children leaned in to look at every page. Mia leaned in so close that Leo whispered, "Can you even see?" and Mia whispered back, "I can see everything." When the story was done and it was time for snack, Mia looked over at the fish tank one more time. The fish with the little white stripe was still going round and round. "See you tomorrow, stripe fish," she said quietly. And you know what? She was already sure she would.

Scenes

At the Big Blue Door

Mia and Leo stood at the big blue door with their backpacks on. Mia's was yellow. Leo's was red. "What do you think is in there?" Mia whispered. Leo shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

Oh! So Many Things

They pushed the door open together, and oh! The classroom was full of the most interesting things — long stripes of sunlight, tiny chairs in every color, and three orange fish going round and round.

The Biggest Block First

Leo stacked the blocks up, up, up — and whomp! — they tumbled down. "Can I try?" asked a small voice. It was Bea. Leo handed her the biggest block first, because big ones are the best ones to start with.

Leaning In at Story Time

At story time, everyone sat on the soft rug near the fish tank. Miss Plum read a book about a bear who found a hat, and all the children leaned in to look at every page.

See You Tomorrow, Stripe Fish

When the story was done, Mia looked over at the fish tank one more time. The fish with the little white stripe was still going round and round. "See you tomorrow, stripe fish," she said quietly. And she was already sure she would.