by Poppy Green
Contents
Chapter 1: Morning Masterpiece
Chapter 2: A Wise Challenge
Chapter 3: A Creative Idea
Chapter 4: Calling All Artists
Chapter 5: Sophie the Event Planner
Chapter 6: Helping Hands
Chapter 7: A Long Evening
Chapter 8: The Big Day
Chapter 9: Art Takes Many Forms
Chapter 10: Art Class
About the Author and Illustrator
Chapter 1
Morning Masterpiece
The surface of Forget-Me-Not Lake was as smooth as glass. It reflected the colorful morning sky like a mirror.
Sophie Mouse dipped her brush into the gray-blue paint. She touched it to the canvas. It was her first brushstroke of the day.
There was nothing to distract her. No breeze ruffled the water or the wildflowers. No other animals were about. It was still early. Soon water birds might show up to splash and play. And before long, Sophie’s friends Hattie Frog and Owen Snake would arrive. The day before, they had made plans to meet for rafting and swimming.
Sophie had come early to paint in the peace and quiet. She lost track of time as she studied each part of the landscape: the different shades of yellow in the sky, the shapes of the shadows in the marsh grass, the glints of sunlight on the water.
Sophie mixed a dozen different colors. She painted the background first, then the foreground. Then she worked on filling in details.
At one point, she stepped back from the canvas to look at her work. “Hmm, maybe too much yellow?” Sophie asked herself aloud.
“I don’t think so,” someone suddenly replied.
Sophie jumped and whirled around.
It was Hattie, with Owen at her side.
“Sorry! Did I startle you?” Hattie asked.
“Didn’t you hear us coming?” Owen added. “Hattie was even humming.”
Sophie shook her head and smiled. “I guess I was really concentrating.”
Hattie and Owen stared at Sophie’s painting. “Wow!” Owen said. “That is one of your best.”
Hattie nodded. “Definitely,” she agreed.
Sophie’s whiskers twitched with satisfaction. She loved to paint. It always made her feel happy and confident. But she especially liked the way this painting was turning out. Sophie imagined looking at it later, at home. She thought she’d be able to feel the beautiful lake morning all over again.
Sophie washed her brushes. She packed up her paints. She left her canvas on the easel to dry.
“Ready to hit the water?” she asked her friends.
“Ready if you are!” Hattie exclaimed.
Sophie pushed her way through wildflowers to the edge of the lake. She found her raft tied up in a little inlet. That’s where she left it after each outing.
Owen and Hattie had made the raft just for her. Once upon a time, they had tried to teach Sophie to swim. But unlike painting, swimming wasn’t something she felt confident about.
Sophie was good with a paddle, though!
She stepped lightly onto her raft. Owen and Hattie jumped into the water.
“On your mark. Get set . . . ,” Sophie called. She held her oar, ready to row. “Go!”
Chapter 2
A Wise Challenge
Inside Silverlake Elementary, pencils tapped and scratched on paper. A chair creaked as someone shifted. Everyone was hard at work. It was journal-writing time.
“I’d like to read about what you did over the weekend,” Mrs. Wise had told them. “And please remember include details! Lots of adjectives!”
Sophie had already written a whole paragraph about the lake. She used adjectives like sunny, calm, and peaceful—but also splashy, fun, and silly. She looked over at Hattie at the next desk. Their eyes met. Hattie winked. Sophie bet she was writing about the lake too.
It was nearing the end of the school day. Mrs. Wise asked the class to pass their journals forward. As they did, she began to write on the board. Here comes the homework assignment, thought Sophie.
But when Mrs. Wise stepped aside, all it said was COMMUNITY CHALLENGE.
“Class, we have an important project this week,” Mrs. Wise explained. “So I will not be assigning any written homework.”
Some students let out squeals or chirps of joy. But Mrs. Wise held up her wing to ask for quiet.
She went on. “Instead, I have a challenge for you. I would like each of you to plan and complete a community service project. Think of some way to help Silverlake Forest. You could help a neighbor with a chore. You could help solve a problem. You all have lots of talent. Come up with a way to give back to our community.”
Around the classroom, students turned to one another. Whispers grew into a murmur of voices. They were asking, sharing, wondering: What kind of project would they do?
Mrs. Wise chuckled. “You have until tomorrow to let me know what your project will be,” she said.
Zoe fluttered off her seat and raised her wing. “I think I know!” she exclaimed. “My mom delivers groceries to old Mr. Badger. He lives at the edge of town. I could go with her to lend a wing! Would that work?”
What a perfect use of Zoe’s flight! thought Sophie. Mrs. Wise nodded approvingly.
In the front row, Sophie’s brother, Winston, raised his hand next. “I could clean up at the playground,” he said. “Some branches fell during the last storm.”
Sophie smiled. Winston spent lots of time at that playground near their house. It would be a great project for him.
“And I’ll help!” called out James Rabbit, one of Winston’s best friends. “The monkey bars could use a fresh coat of paint. And I just got a new paintbrush.”
Sophie didn’t know James painted. What a fun idea!
Then Hattie spoke up. “I could plant some flowers by the post office.” Hattie loved gardening.
Willy wanted to volunteer at the library. Ellie decided to plant trees in the apple orchard. Malcolm thought he could help his new neighbors in some way.
Sophie sat back in her chair and listened. Everyone had such great ideas. How did they think of them so fast?
What should I do? she wondered. How can I give back to Silverlake Forest?
Chapter 3
A Creative Idea
After school, Sophie and Winston walked the long way home. It would take them past the library. Winston wanted to stop in to look for a book.
“Piper told me about it,” he said to Sophie. “It’s about a mouse who likes to build things. Doesn’t that sound just like me?”
“It really does!” Sophie replied. Winston was an expert fort builder.
Inside the library, Winston hurried off to the young readers’ section. Sophie headed for the check-out desk.
“Hi, Mrs. Reeve,” Sophie said to the librarian. “Does the library have books on community service?” She told Mrs. Reeve about their challenge from Mrs. Wise.
“How wonderful,” Mrs. Reeve said kindly. “You know, I think we do have a book that might be helpful.”
She motioned for Sophie to follow her. Then Mrs. Reeve led the way to the young readers’ section. She stopped in front of the nonfiction shelves. “Now let me see . . . oh yes! Here it is!” Mrs. Reeve pulled out a book and handed it to Sophie.
Sophie read the title out loud. “Helping Hands: Ten Ways to Give Back to Your Community.” She looked up at Mrs. Reeve and smiled. “Sounds perfect! Thank you!”
“You’re very welcome,” Mrs. Reeve replied. Then she headed back to the check-out desk.
Sophie sat down in a comfy reading chair. She opened the book and scanned the table of contents.
Chapter 1: Neighbors Helping Neighbors. Sophie thought that
sounded like what Zoe and Malcolm were planning.
Chapter 2: Sprucing Up Public Spaces. “Like what Hattie, James, and Winston are going to do,” Sophie said.
Then Sophie read the title of chapter three: Organizing a Community Event.
Sophie looked up from the book. A community event? Like a party? Or a picnic? Or a show? That sounded like fun. And different. No one had mentioned anything like that in class.
“But what kind of event?” Sophie asked herself.
What was it Mrs. Wise had said? Something about using their talents.
“My talents,” Sophie said, thinking it over. “Like . . . painting? An art event?” Then she sat up straight in her chair. “Wait! That’s it!”
Just then Winston peeked around a bookshelf. “I found what I was looking for,” he said.
Sophie closed her book and stood up. “Me too!” she replied. “Winston, I’m going to put on an art show.”
Winston looked surprised. “Oh, wow! Like a show of all of your paintings?”
“Not just mine!” Sophie replied excitedly. “Everyone’s! The Silverlake Art Show!”
Chapter 4
Calling All Artists
The next morning, Sophie smiled as she drizzled honey on her oatmeal. An art show, she thought dreamily.
From her chair at the table, Sophie stared out the window. She could see it now.
Paintings and drawings hung on a white wall. Music played softly—a violin or a cello. Platters of elegant food were passed around: tea and lemonade, tarts and tiny sandwiches.
And there, front and center, was Sophie’s painting. In her mind’s eye, it was her finest work—a brand-new, extra-special painting.
What would it be like to see it in an art show, next to other artists’ work?
But wait. Sophie snapped out of her daydream. She frowned. Would anyone else sign up?
She looked across the table at Winston. “You’ll sign up to be in the art show, won’t you?”
Winston put down his oatmeal spoon. “Of course!” he replied—like he couldn’t believe she had to ask.
Sophie smiled. “Thanks, Winston. That’s two of us, at least.”
Sophie quickly made a sign-up sheet to bring to school.
Sophie wrote her name on the first line. Winston wrote his on the second. She hoped at least a few classmates would add theirs.
At school, Mrs. Wise passed out morning math worksheets. “Please work on these quietly,” she told them. “Meanwhile, I’ll call each of you up to tell me your project idea.”
Soon it was Sophie’s turn. She brought the sign-up sheet to show Mrs. Wise.
“It will be a community art show,” Sophie explained. “Anyone can submit art to display. And anyone can come to see it!” Sophie paused. “I just hope others will sign up.”
Mrs. Wise smiled at Sophie. “I think it is an excellent idea,” she said.
The teacher cleared her throat and addressed the whole class.
“Students, I am putting some information on Sophie’s project here.” Mrs. Wise put the sign-up sheet on a side table, along with a pencil. “When your worksheet is complete, you may come up and read it. Quietly, please.”
Sophie returned to her desk. She felt curious eyes on her as she focused on her math.
When Sophie was done, she put her pencil down. She looked up.
Hattie’s sister, Lydie, and James Rabbit were at the side table. They were looking at the sign-up sheet.
Sophie saw Lydie pick up the pencil. She was signing up!
Then James did too!
Sophie did a little happy dance in her seat. Next to her, Hattie looked at her curiously. Then Hattie got up and went to the side table.
Sophie watched as Hattie read the sign-up sheet.
Then she picked up the pencil. She was signing up too!
Hattie returned to her seat and gave Sophie two thumbs up.
Sophie was so excited. That was three more artists! Plus Winston and herself made five. She couldn’t wait until recess. She hoped she could get Owen to sign up too.
Out of the corner of her eye, Sophie saw someone else heading for the side table.
It was Mrs. Wise. She was holding up her red marking pencil. She was writing her name on the sheet!
Sophie’s mouth fell open. Mrs. Wise wanted to be in her art show!
Chapter 5
Sophie the Event Planner
“This is actually going to happen!” Sophie cried.
She was walking down the schoolhouse steps with Hattie and Owen. Winston was right behind them.
Owen was holding the sign-up sheet. Hattie pointed at it. “Six artists already!” she said.
“Seven!” Owen said. He handed the sheet to Sophie. Owen had added his name under Mrs. Wise’s.
Sophie clapped for joy. “Now I’d better figure out where to have it,” Sophie said. “But I have an idea.” She started to run off—then stopped and turned around. “Want to come see?” she asked them. “There’ll be snacks.”
Hattie, Owen, and Winston nodded. So Sophie led the way. She took the path toward the center of town. Then she blazed a shortcut through the Buttercup Patch. The friends came out right near the back door of Lily Mouse’s bakery.
The aroma of fresh bread wafted through the open windows.
“Hi, Mom!” Sophie called as they entered the kitchen.
Lily Mouse was peeking into an oven. She looked up and beamed at the sight of visitors.
“Hello!” Mrs. Mouse called merrily. “Have a seat. I’ll bring over the whoops tray.”
The whoops tray was where Lily Mouse put the treats that hadn’t turned out quite right. Some were the wrong shape or broken or lopsided. But they were perfectly delicious.
Sophie chose a flower cookie with one petal missing. Winston and Owen reached for broken cheesecake tarts. And Hattie picked an éclair with no filling.
Then as Hattie, Owen, and Winston nibbled, Sophie turned to her mother.
“Mom,” said Sophie, “could I have an art show here at the bakery? On Friday? With fancy food? And lemonade? And maybe music?”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Lily Mouse said with a laugh. “Slow down, please. And say all that again.”
Sophie was too excited to say it slowly. But she explained all about the Community Challenge. “This is my idea for a project. An art show for everyone!”
Sophie’s mom loved the idea. “I would be honored to host your event,” she replied.
Mrs. Mouse offered to dress up the café tables with fancy tablecloths. She said she could bake up some special treats. “You could leave the sign-up sheet here,” Mrs. Mouse suggested. “Maybe some customers will be interested.”
Sophie threw her arms around her mom. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
The art show was coming together. She had a place. She had a date. She had artists.
Now she needed to spread the word.
Chapter 6
Helping Hands
Over the next few days, Pine Needle Grove bustled with activity.
On Tuesday afternoon, Sophie went all over town putting up posters for the art show.
And everywhere Sophie went, she saw classmates busy with the Community Challenge. She saw Willy pulling a wagon full of books.
“I’m doing a book drive for the library,” Willy told Sophie. “I’m starting with all the books I don’t need anymore.”
Sophie met Zoe coming out of the general store with her mom. They each had a full grocery bag.
“We’re taking these to Mr. Badger’s house,” Zoe told her. “And we’ll see if any of his neighbors need anything.”
Then in the distance, she spied Winston, James, and Ben heading toward the playground. Winston had some empty sacks thrown over his shoulder. The two bunny brothers were lugging paint cans. Sophie wondered what colors they had picked for the monkey bars.
After school on Wednesday, Sophie and Owen helped Hattie with her project. Hattie had dug up plants and flowers from her own
garden. She was going to put them in the wooden planters around town.
They started by weeding the planter in front of the post office.
Piper zipped over carrying a bag of envelopes. She stopped to say hello. “I’m doing my mail carrier’s route this week,” Piper said. “Do you know she hasn’t taken a day off in years?”
Piper told Hattie she’d just seen her sister, Lydie.
“She was helping Malcolm with his project,” Piper said. “They’re digging a root cellar for the new hedgehog family.”
Later, Sophie skipped into the bakery to check the sign-up sheet. There were three more names: Ellie, Zoe, and Mrs. Follet, the bookstore owner!
On Thursday after school, Sophie and Hattie helped Owen with his project. He had a plan for making a walking path through the Buttercup Patch.
First, they collected lots of wide, flat stones. These would be the stepping stones.
Then they mapped out a good route for the path to take around the Buttercup Patch. And then they started clearing the route.
They moved sticks and pulled up grass and weeds. Some buttercups had to be dug up too. Hattie replanted a few, off the path. Sophie offered to take the rest home.
“Just think of all the buttercup yellow paint I can make,” she told them.
