Zara's First Day in the Little Woods

Zara has questions about her first day at school in the Little Woods—but she’s ready to help. When teacher Ada asks her to mark four places for lunch, Zara takes the job seriously. She knows her own name, but the other name cards are tricky to read. Could pictures help? Zara isn’t sure which picture belongs to each classmate, and soon the chalk must wait while the children head to clay time.

With soup drawing closer, Zara returns to her lunch leaves and tries to find a way to make each place clear. But a gust of wind sends her careful work tumbling into the yard. Now Zara and her classmates must gather the leaves and come up with a plan that can stand up to another breeze. Can Zara turn what she learned with clay into a solution before lunchtime?

This warm, gently funny story follows a curious young gnome as she navigates new classmates, a first-day challenge, and the courage to ask what others think. A charming read-aloud for ages 5–8, it invites young readers to enjoy Zara’s inventive thinking and the small acts of friendship that make a new place feel welcoming.