“Come on, B.B.!” shouted his new friend, Grace. She was a little human with brown hair like his and bright blue eyes that sparkled. “It’s time for school!”

Just two days ago, B.B. and Grace met at the playground, where they had so much fun playing hide-and-seek together. When it was time to go, Grace looked at her mom, who smiled and nodded. Then Grace turned to B.B. and asked, “Do you want to come to my school on Monday for Show and Tell?”

B.B. didn’t know what Show and Tell was, when Monday was, or even where school was, but he was ready for another adventure!

Grace called out to the woods again, this time a little louder, “Let’s go, B.B.! We’re going to be tardy!”

B.B. zoomed out of the treeline, sending leaves flying everywhere! His mom, Willow, and Papa Thorne peeked from the shadows. They were still a bit nervous around humans, especially the small, noisy ones, but they could see how much B.B. liked Grace. They had also heard tales of a place called school where little humans grew taller, stronger, and smarter, so it couldn’t be bad!

Together, they walked to a colorful building at the edge of the woods. It was painted purple and green, with a brand-new playground! B.B.’s big feet made soft thumps on the ground, and his heart raced with excitement.

They stopped, and B.B. peeked inside a classroom that was even more colorful. There were little tables, a big rug, stacks of blocks, and cheerful pictures on the walls. Grace led B.B. to two empty seats at the end of the table and helped him hop into a chair. Just then, a friendly lady stood in front of a big whiteboard and said, “Good morning, everyone!”

All the kids shouted back at the same time, “Good morning, Mrs. Wells!” B.B. was startled, slipped out of his seat, and landed on the floor with a thud! He quickly got back up just in time for Mrs. Wells to say, “Today, we have a special new friend—this is B.B.!”

The other kids turned to look at B.B., some giggling and whispering. B.B. slowly waved his big hand and put a shy smile on his furry face.

“Today, we’re starting with art!” Mrs. Wells announced. B.B. perked up as the classroom helper, Ms. Bonnie, wheeled over a cart filled with supplies. He loved making things! There were sheets of paper, trays, tubes of bright colors, soft towels, and special shirts called smocks. 

B.B. quickly noticed that his classroom had both a big helper and a little helper. The student with a star on his smock handed out the paper while Ms. Bonnie squeezed the paint into the trays—not a job for a little helper!

When they gathered around the art table, Mrs. Wells introduced finger painting. “Today, we’ll use our fingers to make beautiful pictures!” she said.

B.B.’s eyes lit up. He already knew he was going to love finger painting! It was like playing in the mud and making marks on the rock walls in his cave. But no mud here, so Grace showed him how to dip his big fingers into the paint—red, blue, and yellow—and they both began swirling the colors on the paper. B.B.’s final masterpiece did resemble something like mud, since he mixed all the colors!

After washing their hands and settling back in their seats, B.B. wondered if it was time for Show and Tell. But Grace shook her head and said, “Nope! It’s time for science now.”

Mrs. Wells gathered the children around a different table filled with rocks, plants, and even a small fish tank. “Today, we’re going to learn about different habitats!” she announced with a smile. B.B. leaned in, his little ears open wide, as she explained how some animals live in forests (like B.B.) while others splash around in oceans (like the fish he caught at the beach)!

Excited to share what he knew, B.B. jumped up and began acting out scenes from his forest habitat. He pretended to be a squirrel scurrying up an imaginary tree, then paused to mimic a deer sipping water from a stream. Mrs. Wells and the other kids giggled as he flapped his arms like a bird soaring through the sky. Soon, everyone joined in, flying around the classroom!

But just as he was about to imitate a sneaky fox, a bell rang, and all the kids lined up at the door. “It’s time for lunch!” Mrs. Wells said. They walked along a blue line on the floor that led them into a room called a cafeteria. It smelled so good! Once inside, they scattered to different tables and began unpacking the boxes they carried in. Grace asked B.B. if he had anything to eat, and he proudly held up a grass basket with a fresh apple, some acorns, a mushroom cap, and a pine cone dipped in honey. It was a sticky mess!

The kids thought B.B. might want to try some new “people food,” so each of them offered him something from their lunch. He took a big lick of peanut butter off a spoon, which stuck to his tongue until he started crunching on some round crackers with white specks on top. He still liked salt; he remembered it from the French fries at the playground. But his new favorite treat was a cookie sandwich with icing in the middle! Just as he finished his third one and gulped down a whole carton of milk, a whistle blew, and all the kids packed up their trash and dashed out the door.

B.B. was confused. Is Show and Tell over? Did I miss my turn? he wondered, scratching his head.

Grace took B.B.’s hand and pulled him out the door. “It’s Recess! Let’s play tag!” she shouted. B.B. felt a rush of energy—maybe it was all the cookies he ate! With a loud laugh, B.B. chased after Grace, his big feet thumping on the ground like drums. He playfully pretended to roar, and the other kids squealed with joy, racing away! When B.B. finally caught up to one of the boys and tapped him on the shoulder, he forgot to run the other way and was instantly tagged again!

After a second whistle blew, the kids lined up at the gate and returned to the classroom. They sat in a circle on the big rug, their legs folded in a position called crisscross applesauce. Mrs. Wells held up a flashcard with a tree on it and asked, “What letter does this start with?”

B.B. jumped up, grunting eagerly to answer, while Grace whispered loudly for him to raise his hand. Although he still couldn’t speak human, he recognized some letters and definitely knew the picture on the card. When Mrs. Wells called on him, he proudly made a “T” with his arms!

“Correct, B.B.!” Mrs. Wells cheered. The kids all joined in, chanting, “T-T-T for Tree!”

Then, Mrs. Wells showed them a picture of a treehouse. “What’s this?” she asked the class..

“Treehouse!” Grace shouted without raising her hand, feeling a bit embarrassed when she realized her mistake. B.B.’s eyes grew larger. He had never seen a house on top of a tree before. How did it get up there? What’s inside? Who lives there? he thought.

Mrs. Wells placed the card to the side and announced that it was now the perfect time for Show and Tell. Finally! B.B. thought. Mrs. Wells explained that this was the time when each student gets to share something or someone special and explain why it’s important! B.B. felt warm and fuzzy. This must mean that he was special to Grace—so important that she wanted to show off her new furry friend!

But today, Mrs. Wells said that it was going to be a little different! She had a big surprise, and it was she who was going to be showing the kids something special today! 

Mrs. Wells asked everyone to close their eyes, double-checking that no one was peeking. Then, with a big smile, she opened the curtains that had been covering the windows all day.

When the kids opened their eyes, they gasped together! Pressing their little faces against the glass, they saw outside, in the sturdy oak tree right by the classroom, was a brand-new treehouse! It had a shiny slide, a rope ladder, and even a little balcony! B.B. could already imagine all the amazing adventures they would have there—transforming it into a pirate ship, pretending it was their secret hideout, or even a magical castle overlooking a kingdom!

The final bell rang, snapping the kids out of their treehouse daydreams and signaling the end of the school day, but B.B. wasn’t ready for the fun to end. With a big grin, he turned to Grace and pointed his eyes toward the new treehouse, and she gave him a nod!