Room on the Team for Toby
Toby just moved to town and doesn’t know anyone. Then a ball rolls by...
Toby the tiger had just moved to a new town. His things had come in a creaky yellow wagon, and now he stood alone at the edge of Sunnyside Park, hugging a football.
All the other children were laughing and playing. Toby wanted to say hello, but the words were stuck in his throat like jam in a jar.
Just then, a ball rolled across the grass, all the way to Toby’s feet. Flo the hedgehog came running. ‘Sorry!’ Flo panted. ‘Can you kick it back?’
Toby kicked the ball. It flew through the air, straight to Flo! ‘Whoa!’ said Flo. ‘Nice kick! Do you want to play with us?’
Toby nodded so hard his head almost wobbled off. Flo gave him a maroon shirt to wear. ‘Welcome to the Maroon Mighty,’ said Flo.
Toby played and played. He passed to Flo. Flo passed to Pip. Pip passed back to Toby. It was like a happy ball dance.
That night, Toby looked out of the window at the new town. It didn’t feel so new anymore. ‘Tomorrow,’ he 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 Toby was feeling at the start?
Finish stories to collect Toby as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
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