Best Friends Build a Bridge

An illustrated stories story from Wonder Books — free to read, with narration.

Best Friends Build a Bridge — an illustrated stories story. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Books.

Best Friends Build a Bridge — book cover — Wonder Books
Best Friends Build a Bridge — an illustrated stories story. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Books.

Page 1

Anya floated through the pastel sky, her cloud-shoes barely touching the shimmering pathways. "Hurry, Elara!" she called, her voice echoing among the floating…
Anya floated through the pastel sky, her cloud-shoes barely touching the shimmering pathways. "Hurry, Elara!" she called, her voice echoing among the floating islands. Elara, lagging behind, adjusted the strap of her seed-gathering bag. "I'm coming, Anya! These cloud-berries are heavier than they look."

Anya floated through the pastel sky, her cloud-shoes barely touching the shimmering pathways. "Hurry, Elara!" she called, her voice echoing among the floating islands. Elara, lagging behind, adjusted the strap of her seed-gathering bag. "I'm coming, Anya! These cloud-berries are heavier than they look."

Page 2

Anya stopped abruptly near a towering cloud-tree. "Look!" she exclaimed, pointing to a discarded blueprint fluttering in the breeze.
Anya stopped abruptly near a towering cloud-tree. "Look!" she exclaimed, pointing to a discarded blueprint fluttering in the breeze. Elara peered at the faded parchment. "It's a design for a... bridge? Across the Great Divide?" Anya gasped, recognizing the legendary chasm separating their city from the Whispering Isles.

Anya stopped abruptly near a towering cloud-tree. "Look!" she exclaimed, pointing to a discarded blueprint fluttering in the breeze. Elara peered at the faded parchment. "It's a design for a... bridge? Across the Great Divide?" Anya gasped, recognizing the legendary chasm separating their city from the Whispering Isles.

Page 3

"Someone actually tried to build a bridge?" Elara asked, skepticism lacing her voice. Anya nodded, her eyes shining. "Imagine! Connecting us to the Isles.
"Someone actually tried to build a bridge?" Elara asked, skepticism lacing her voice. Anya nodded, her eyes shining. "Imagine! Connecting us to the Isles. Maybe they hold secrets, new berries!" Elara sighed. "Well, as Helen Keller said, 'Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.' We should at least try and find out more about it!"

"Someone actually tried to build a bridge?" Elara asked, skepticism lacing her voice. Anya nodded, her eyes shining. "Imagine! Connecting us to the Isles. Maybe they hold secrets, new berries!" Elara sighed. "Well, as Helen Keller said, 'Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.' We should at least try and find out more about it!"

Page 4

They followed the blueprint's markings to an abandoned workshop. Dust motes danced in the sunbeams slanting through the broken windows.
They followed the blueprint's markings to an abandoned workshop. Dust motes danced in the sunbeams slanting through the broken windows. "This place is a mess," Elara observed, wrinkling her nose. Anya ignored her, already rummaging through a pile of discarded tools. "Maybe we can find something to help us understand the plans better!"

They followed the blueprint's markings to an abandoned workshop. Dust motes danced in the sunbeams slanting through the broken windows. "This place is a mess," Elara observed, wrinkling her nose. Anya ignored her, already rummaging through a pile of discarded tools. "Maybe we can find something to help us understand the plans better!"

Page 5

Anya pulled out a small, intricately carved compass. "Look!" she exclaimed. "It's a cloud-navigator. Old sky-farers used these to find the strongest air…
Anya pulled out a small, intricately carved compass. "Look!" she exclaimed. "It's a cloud-navigator. Old sky-farers used these to find the strongest air currents!" Elara raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. But how does that help us build a bridge?"

Anya pulled out a small, intricately carved compass. "Look!" she exclaimed. "It's a cloud-navigator. Old sky-farers used these to find the strongest air currents!" Elara raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. But how does that help us build a bridge?"

Page 6

Suddenly, the floor beneath them trembled. "What was that?" Elara cried, grabbing Anya's arm. A crack snaked across the floor, widening rapidly.
Suddenly, the floor beneath them trembled. "What was that?" Elara cried, grabbing Anya's arm. A crack snaked across the floor, widening rapidly. "The island is breaking apart!" Anya shouted. "The bridge blueprints... they must have destabilized the island's core!"

Suddenly, the floor beneath them trembled. "What was that?" Elara cried, grabbing Anya's arm. A crack snaked across the floor, widening rapidly. "The island is breaking apart!" Anya shouted. "The bridge blueprints... they must have destabilized the island's core!"

Page 7

"We have to get out of here!" Elara yelled over the roaring wind. "But how?" Anya replied, her voice laced with fear. Elara quickly thought.
"We have to get out of here!" Elara yelled over the roaring wind. "But how?" Anya replied, her voice laced with fear. Elara quickly thought. "Remember those air currents the navigator measures? If we can find a strong one, maybe it can carry us to another island!"

"We have to get out of here!" Elara yelled over the roaring wind. "But how?" Anya replied, her voice laced with fear. Elara quickly thought. "Remember those air currents the navigator measures? If we can find a strong one, maybe it can carry us to another island!"

Page 8

Anya grabbed the cloud-navigator just before it fell into the chasm, its needle spinning wildly. "This is it!" she yelled.
Anya grabbed the cloud-navigator just before it fell into the chasm, its needle spinning wildly. "This is it!" she yelled. They held the compass high and stepped into the strongest current, leaping off the crumbling island. The air rushed past them as the navigator began to glow, guiding them. Anya grinned. "We're flying!"

Anya grabbed the cloud-navigator just before it fell into the chasm, its needle spinning wildly. "This is it!" she yelled. They held the compass high and stepped into the strongest current, leaping off the crumbling island. The air rushed past them as the navigator began to glow, guiding them. Anya grinned. "We're flying!"

Page 9

They landed safely on a small, uncharted island covered in shimmering crystals. Exhausted but relieved, they collapsed onto the sparkling ground.
They landed safely on a small, uncharted island covered in shimmering crystals. Exhausted but relieved, they collapsed onto the sparkling ground. "We did it!" Anya exclaimed, hugging Elara tightly. Elara smiled. "We sure did. And maybe those bridge blueprints weren't such a bad thing after all..."

They landed safely on a small, uncharted island covered in shimmering crystals. Exhausted but relieved, they collapsed onto the sparkling ground. "We did it!" Anya exclaimed, hugging Elara tightly. Elara smiled. "We sure did. And maybe those bridge blueprints weren't such a bad thing after all..."

Page 10

"Maybe," Anya said, gazing at the Whispering Isles in the distance. "But it taught us that even when things fall apart, friendship can build a bridge." Elara…
"Maybe," Anya said, gazing at the Whispering Isles in the distance. "But it taught us that even when things fall apart, friendship can build a bridge." Elara smiled. "And sometimes," she added, "the best discoveries are made when you least expect them."

"Maybe," Anya said, gazing at the Whispering Isles in the distance. "But it taught us that even when things fall apart, friendship can build a bridge." Elara smiled. "And sometimes," she added, "the best discoveries are made when you least expect them."

About this story

  • Audience: kids (ages 6–12)

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