The Hollow · ages 3-5

Two the Same

The idea: two the same size bump, and both go home.

Two hares the same size bump noses on the path and bounce off home while Tí laughs.

Read it

The five-night book 236 words

Five nights, one book

Little children love the same story again. Read this one five nights running, with a different job each night.

listen.
say the last words.
join in the refrains.
stop and ask what comes next.
tell it to a toy.

Who is in this book

Flitter A secret is kept under a leaf until somebody lifts it from HollowTots
Hopwell A hare who looks first, and sits on the path from HollowPals
Tí a child of the Green Notices small things; says "again"
Skipwell Two the same size bump, and both go home from HollowPals

Every recurring character has a short tune, so you can tell who is on stage before a word is said. The tunes play only when you tap, and the Reading Access sound switch turns them off.

The Honest Page

Which parts of this story are true, stretched or made up?

True

In many hidden-piece board games, when two pieces of the same rank meet, both are taken off. In Stratego, two equal pieces both go back to the box. Source
Hares are fast runners and can jump a long way, and young hares are called leverets. Source

Stretched

The hares go home laughing. What we simplified: In the game, the two pieces just go back to their start. Nobody is hurt, and they play again next game.

Made up

The Hollow and the Moonstone are made up. Flitter comes from HollowTots; Hopwell and Skipwell from HollowPals.

Tell it back

Tell the story to a toy, or to a grown-up. When you have, the grown-up taps the button, and a paper leaf with two little hares drawn on it goes on your belt.

Ring the hammer for someone

Pick this book for someone younger. The link carries only the book, and it will wait for them on the Green.

Across the Table → For the grown-up: the story in three lines, one question to ask, and one thing to do together.