Olive Floats Over the Hills
Olive takes a hot air balloon ride across the countryside and sees the world from above.
It was a calm, golden morning, perfect for a balloon ride. Yusuf the pony lit the burner. WHOOSH! The big striped balloon swelled and tugged at the ropes. Olive climbed into the basket.
Slowly, the ground slipped away. The people below became tiny. Olive held the edge of the basket and looked down. ‘We’re flying!’ she whispered. Her stomach did a little flip.
They drifted over winding rivers. Everything looked small and neat, like a map. A flock of birds flew alongside. Ben the bear waved a wing. Olive waved back.
Olive spotted her own house, no bigger than a matchbox. She saw the school, the park and the river. ‘It’s all so close together,’ she said. ‘From up here, nothing seems far.’
They landed softly in a meadow, with a gentle bump. Olive climbed out, legs wobbly. ‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘That was the best view ever.’ Yusuf grinned. ‘The world is always lovelier from a new angle.’
The little lesson
Seeing things from a new point of view changes how you see them.
Let’s talk about it
- What could you see from above?
- What did Olive learn?
Finish stories to collect Olive as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
More Trains, Boats & Balloons stories
Up, Up and Away with Holly
Holly takes a hot air balloon ride across the countryside and sees the world from above.
Zane Floats Over the Hills
Zane takes a hot air balloon ride across the countryside and sees the world from above.
Isaac the Little Train
A little train has to climb a big hill, and says, ‘I think I can!’
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