River Goes To School

After River and Gail found River's missing shoe, 

it was finally time to head to school. 

River was excited but a little nervous too since this was his first time going to school with Gail.

Once they climbed onto the bus, River met Gail’s best friends, Little Robin and Little Lori. 

They were both really friendly and waved as River and Gail sat down behind them.

“Little Robin and Little Lori, this is River,” Gail introduced with a big smile. 

Little Lori's eyes lit up, and she squealed, “Aww, he’s so cute!”

“And he’s a tiger!” Little Robin added, clapping her hands in excitement. “Tigers are my favorite animal!”

“I like monkeys more,” Little Lori said with a grin. “But tigers are cool too.”

River smiled shyly and said, “I actually have a friend named Monkey—he’s really a monkey!”

Little Lori gasped. “That’s so cool!"

"You’re the cutest tiger ever," said Little Robin.

River blushed and thanked her.

“You’re going to love school,” Little Robin said as she brushed her blonde hair out of her face.

“I hope so!” River said, starting to feel more excited.

When they got to school, River couldn’t wait to learn new things. He spent the morning practicing counting to five and learning the first few letters of the alphabet. Little Lori even helped him tie his shoes, which made River feel proud.

Art class was River’s favorite part of the day. The teacher handed out paper, paints, and crayons, and River decided to paint a picture of the jungle where he grew up. His classmates gathered around, amazed by the tall trees, flowing rivers, and colorful animals he painted. Little Robin even drew a picture of a tiger, and Little Lori drew a playful monkey. River was so happy when the teacher put his jungle painting on the wall for everyone to see.

During show-and-tell, River felt a little nervous, but Gail whispered, “You’ve got this!” River stood up in front of the class and talked about his home in the jungle, describing the tall trees and the fun he had with his animal friends. Gail even pulled out a jungle book from her backpack to help him. Everyone listened closely, especially when River mentioned his best friend, Monkey. 

At recess, River explored the playground with Little Robin and Little Lori. At first, River wasn’t sure about the slides and swings, but his new friends encouraged him to try. He climbed up the slide and let out a joyful roar as he zoomed down, loving the fun. They spent the rest of recess playing tag and hide-and-seek, and River couldn’t stop smiling.

After recess, it was time for music class, and River discovered something new—he loved to sing! The teacher gave out instruments, and River tried the tambourine and drums. When the class started singing a song, River joined in, surprising everyone with his sweet voice. Soon, the whole class was singing together, and River felt like he belonged.

At snack time, River was curious about what everyone was eating. Gail shared her favorite snack—carrot sticks with hummus. River wasn’t sure at first, but after taking a bite, he decided it was delicious! The whole class laughed when River said the carrots reminded him of his friend Abby, the dog, who loves to eat carrots too.

In science class, they learned about different animals, and when the teacher talked about tigers, everyone looked at River. The teacher asked him if he knew a fun fact about tigers, and River proudly told the class that tigers love to swim. The other kids were surprised, and when the teacher added that tigers are the biggest of all big cats, everyone clapped for River. He felt like a star!

By the end of the day, River made lots of new friends.

River’s first day of school was a huge success! He learned so many new things, made great friends, and was already looking forward to tomorrow. Stay tuned for River’s next adventure when he and Gail visit the library!