Penelope Florence Has a Brave Day

Penelope Florence was going for a walk. It was a lovely day and she wanted to feel the sun on her fur.

All she had to do was … open the door.

“I can do it!” she said.

Penelope Florence put on her hat and buttoned her coat. But as she reached for the doorknob, she had a scary thought.

“What if there are MONSTERS outside?”

Suddenly, the door seemed very, very… BIG. Her breath SQUEEEEEZED in like a balloon with no air in it. Her tummy wibble-wobbled.

Penelope Florence unbuttoned her coat and took off her hat.

“It is just a silly walk,” she said. “I will have more fun INSIDE!”

Penelope Florence danced,

painted,

sorted her Interesting-Things collection,

and played Pretend.

When she was done, the sun had set.

“I will go for a walk tomorrow!” she said.

In the morning, the sun sparkled. Penelope Florence imagined how good it would feel on her fur.

All she had to do was…open the door.

“I CAN do it!” she said.

She put on her hat and buttoned her coat. But as she reached for the doorknob, she had that same scary thought. “MONSTERS!”

Her breath SQUEEEEEZED in and her tummy wibble-wobbled.

“SUCH a silly walk!” she said. “I will have more fun STAYING INSIDE!”

Penelope Florence danced,

painted,

sorted her Interesting-Things collection,

and played Pretend.

When she was done, the sun had set.

[The colors in the illustrations have turned progressively grey and shrouded.]

The same thing happened the next day. And the next…. And the next….

One morning, the sun sparkled in the sky.

Penelope Florence shivered.

“I can’t do it,” she whispered.

Suddenly, a ray of sunlight reached through the window.

Keep trying, she thought it said.

Keep trying. Keep trying.

“I … will keep trying,” she said.

But she still felt wibbly-wobbly SQUEEEEEZED.

Penelope Florence loved playing Pretend. What if she played Pretend now?

She breeeeeathed in …

She was a balloon filling with sunshine! She felt BIG and shiny on the inside.

But what about those wibble-wobble MONSTERS?

Penelope Florence breathed in again and blew out the wibble-wobbles … WHOOOOO! … like she was blowing out birthday candles.

She imagined the monsters blowing away and her tummy smiled.

Now she chose a blue feather from her Interesting-Things collection and tucked it into her hat.

Blue was her favorite color and she loved feathers. Wearing something she loved made Penelope Florence stand TALL like a queen.

Next, as she put on her coat, she pretended it was sewn from sparkling stars. Hugged in sparkles, Penelope Florence glowed.

She stood at the door.

Penelope Florence breeeeeathed in … and out ….

WHOOOOO!

“I am a BRAVE bunny,” she said. “I am BRAVE to keep trying!”

Penelope Florence reached for the doorknob…

and opened the door.

The sun rushed down to warm her fur. Her blue feather waved. Her sparkles danced.

Penelope Florence breathed in and out.

She took one step outside. And another. And another.

“Such a lovely day for a walk,” she said.

And it was.