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A Place for Every Friend
The best club has room to grow.
FREE ILLUSTRATED STORY
A Place for Every Friend
The best club has room to grow.
STORYTIME, HANDS FREE
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A club of their own
Gribou found a huge cardboard box. Zouki brought cushions. Mimo brought string and paper stars. By lunchtime, a little clubhouse stood beneath the tree. Gribou bowed proudly at its doorway.
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The first rule
“Everyone must crawl through here!” Gribou announced. He slipped inside with a wiggle. Mimo followed. Zouki bent his tall orange body. His shoulders bumped the roof. The paper stars trembled.
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Outside the fun
“Try smaller,” Gribou called. Zouki crouched lower, but the doorway still pinched. “I can’t make myself smaller,” he said. Inside, the clubhouse suddenly felt much too quiet.
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Change the doorway
Gribou crawled back out. He looked at Zouki, then at the box. “Then our doorway needs to grow.” Together they marked a taller opening. Zouki helped make a wide cardboard arch.
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A proper entrance
Now Zouki could step inside. Gribou hung a star above the arch. “Welcome!” he cheered. Mimo clapped. Their clubhouse had become a little taller and a great deal happier.
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The unreachable bell
Zouki hung a bell to announce visitors. Ding! Gribou loved its bright sound. But when Mimo stretched toward it, his fingers missed. He tried once more, then lowered his hand.
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Ask the friend
“I can ring it for you,” Gribou offered. “I’d like to ring it myself,” said Mimo. They listened. Zouki tied on a longer cord. Mimo pulled gently. Ding! His whole face brightened.
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Different kinds of fun
Gribou fetched a drum. BOOM, boom, BOOM! Mimo covered his ears. “Too loud for me.” Gribou lowered his sticks. Zouki asked, “Could our club have a noisy place and a quiet place?”
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Two good corners
They put the drum outside, away from the doorway. Inside, Mimo arranged a soft reading corner. Gribou tried both places. He liked a big drumbeat and a little rest afterward.
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The grand entrance game
Next, Gribou laid stepping stones across the entrance. “To enter, everyone must hop!” He bounced from stone to stone. Mimo looked at the gaps. “I don’t want to jump,” he said.
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Must everybody hop?
Gribou loved his game. He looked disappointed. Zouki sat beside him. “Could hopping be a choice?” Gribou thought about the low doorway. A club should not make a friend stay outside.
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Another way in
They moved the stones to one side and cleared a smooth, wide path. Gribou hopped. Mimo walked. Zouki took a long, gentle step. Three different ways led to the same clubhouse.
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A sign to share
They needed a sign. Gribou drew a drum. Mimo drew a cushion. Zouki drew three friends beneath a tree. Underneath, they added a simple promise: “Tell us what helps you join in.”
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Trying it together
They tested the clubhouse again. Tall doorway? Ready. Bell within reach? Ding! Quiet corner? Cozy. Clear path? Open. Mimo spotted a loose cushion in the way and moved it aside.
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Room for new ideas
“Is it finished?” asked Gribou. Zouki smiled. “For today.” Mimo nodded. “Another friend might need something different.” Gribou left a blank space on their sign, ready for the next good idea.
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A place to belong
That afternoon, Zouki painted, Mimo read, and Gribou tapped a gentle rhythm outside. Soon they gathered for a story. Nobody had to become smaller, louder, or braver to belong.
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One more little thought
Talk together: What helps you join a game or feel welcome? Ask someone what would help them. Can you change a rule, a space, or a way to play?
Take the story off-screen
Try a little activity together after your story.
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