Valerie’s Story Trail

Valerie and Ruth follow a picture trail through the woods with Mum. Each card shows the next place in a pretend rabbit’s journey. They begin at the bench beside the path.

At the bench, they find a damp card with a blurred grey shape. Rain reached the paper overnight. Valerie cannot tell which animal the picture shows.

Ruth thinks it might be a mouse. Valerie guesses it is a rabbit. Mum explains that everyone needs a clear picture to follow the same story.

Mum takes a dry spare card from her bag. She puts it in a clear sleeve. The girls can see the rabbit’s long ears without touching the paper inside.

They place the protected card on the bench and continue along the path. A picture of a bridge leads them to a low wooden crossing over a dry ditch.

Beyond the bridge, the final picture shows a picnic basket beneath a tree. Ruth spots their basket beside Mum’s folded rug and calls Valerie to come and look.

They sit together and tell the rabbit’s journey from the beginning. The clear picture helped them agree about the character. Valerie explains how they could then carry on with the trail.

On the way back, they collect all three cards so the woods stay tidy. “Our rabbit found its picnic,” says Valerie, “and we found a better way to keep our pictures clear.”