Poppy and the Welcome Kick
Poppy just moved to town and doesn’t know anyone. Then a ball rolls by...
Poppy the penguin had just moved to a new town. Her things had come in a rattly old bus, and now she stood alone at the edge of Lantern Park, hugging a football.
All the other children were laughing and playing. Poppy wanted to say hello, but the words were stuck in her throat like jam in a jar.
Just then, a ball rolled across the grass, all the way to Poppy’s feet. Rosie the raccoon came running. ‘Sorry!’ Rosie panted. ‘Can you kick it back?’
Poppy kicked the ball. It flew through the air, straight to Rosie! ‘Whoa!’ said Rosie. ‘Nice kick! Do you want to play with us?’
Poppy nodded so hard her head almost wobbled off. Rosie gave her a red shirt to wear. ‘Welcome to the Red Rockets,’ said Rosie.
Poppy played and played. She passed to Rosie. Rosie passed to Bear. Bear passed back to Poppy. It was like a happy ball dance.
That night, Poppy looked out of the window at the new town. It didn’t feel so new anymore. ‘Tomorrow,’ she whispered, ‘I have friends to play with.’
The little lesson
A kind hello can turn a stranger into a friend.
Let’s talk about it
- How could you help a new child feel welcome?
- What do you think Poppy was feeling at the start?
Finish stories to collect Poppy as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
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