Henry grabbed his blue bike from the shed. Today, he was planning a long ride. One day recently, he had found a map tucked inside a library book he had borrowed from Queenie’s library. His basket was filled with a compass, a peanut butter sandwich, and a thermos of tea.
Henry checked the map, then pedalled off, heading high into the hills. The road twisted and turned until Henry found himself somewhere he had never seen before. He slowed his bike and read the colourful sign in front of him:
“Welcome to Fun Food Town.”
“What is this place?” Henry wondered, leaning on his handlebars. His bright blue eyes sparkled, and a big smile spread across his face. He carefully parked his bike, took a sip of tea, and decided it was time to explore. All around him, the shops looked like food stalls. There was a sweet shop, the big sign said Welcome to Daisy's Sweet Shop. Henry was amazed when he saw that it was where Ella Pink Éclair, Danny Doughnut, Gigi Gummy Bear, Isabelle Ice Cream, Lily Lollipop, and Johnny Jelly all lived.
Next, Henry saw a lemonade stand,
where Michael Mango Smoothie, Scarlet Strawberry Milk, Mr. Milk Man, Piney Pineapple, Chai the Chai Latte, and Lemoine Lemonade were busy serving drinks. The big sign on the awning said Archie welcomes you to stop by and have a cool drink. Then, he found a stall that said Sizzle Squad is here Harold Hamburger, Tomasina Sauce, Samantha Sausage, Brenda Bread, Fred Fish Finger, Gem the Potato Cake, Charlie Chip, Tony Taco, Lucy Lettuce, Chad Cheese, and Sally Salsa were all part of the sizzle Squad, there was a sign saying that every month they helped at the local Market At Annie's fruit and veggie shop, Henry met Tom tomato, Oscar the orange, Ruby the raspberry, Wally the watermelon, Bobby the banana, Chloe the carrot, Stella the Strawberry, Zarah Zucchini, Mike Mango, Rosie Raspberry, and Billy Beetroot weren’t home they were out shopping at the Veggie Market,
In Cereal Lane, Henry saw a milk carton sweeping the front veranda. The sign said Fox's breakfast bar, Ricky Rice, Chokkie, Corny, Fruity, and Wheetie are all chatting together.
Henry’s eyes sparkled. He had never seen anything like this before. There was laughter, the soft hum of happy chatter. Henry parked his blue bike under a shady tree. Daisy, Annie, Fox, and Archie joined him—they all needed a break from their busy day. They sat on a tartan picnic rug, sipping cups of tea and enjoying the treats they had brought along.
Henry was happy. This place was special, and he was glad he had followed the map that day. As the sun began to lower behind Fun Food Town, Henry knew it was time to go home. Henry thanked his new friends, waved goodbye, and carefully packed his map, compass, and empty thermos back into his basket. He wheeled his blue bike onto the winding hill road, taking one last look at Fun Food Town.” It was funAs he pedalled home, Henry felt grateful for the new friends he had made and the wonderful surprises the day had brought. He couldn’t wait to tell Queenie and everyone else about Fun Food Town And as Henry drifted off to sleep that night, he thought to himself:“That was a perfect day.”