Wobbly Wheels Win the Race

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

Wobbly Wheels Win the Race — an illustrated stories story. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Books.

Wobbly Wheels Win the Race — book cover — Wonder Books
Wobbly Wheels Win the Race — an illustrated stories story. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Books.

Page 1

A gust of icy wind whipped across the frozen tundra, stinging Anya's cheeks. "Faster, Mishka! The race starts soon!" Anya yelled to her best friend, who was…
A gust of icy wind whipped across the frozen tundra, stinging Anya's cheeks. "Faster, Mishka! The race starts soon!" Anya yelled to her best friend, who was struggling to keep his balance on his wobbly homemade sled. He wobbled precariously, then tumbled into a snowdrift with a muffled yelp. "Easy for you to say, Anya! Your sled's not trying to buck me off into the abyss!"

A gust of icy wind whipped across the frozen tundra, stinging Anya's cheeks. "Faster, Mishka! The race starts soon!" Anya yelled to her best friend, who was struggling to keep his balance on his wobbly homemade sled. He wobbled precariously, then tumbled into a snowdrift with a muffled yelp. "Easy for you to say, Anya! Your sled's not trying to buck me off into the abyss!"

Page 2

"Look what I found near the old trading post, Mishka!" Anya exclaimed, brushing snow off a small, intricately carved wooden wheel. Mishka squinted.
"Look what I found near the old trading post, Mishka!" Anya exclaimed, brushing snow off a small, intricately carved wooden wheel. Mishka squinted. "What's so special about a dusty old wheel?" Anya shrugged. "I don't know, but it feels... different. And look at these tiny symbols etched into the wood. Maybe it's from one of the ancient tribes that used to cross this land!"

"Look what I found near the old trading post, Mishka!" Anya exclaimed, brushing snow off a small, intricately carved wooden wheel. Mishka squinted. "What's so special about a dusty old wheel?" Anya shrugged. "I don't know, but it feels... different. And look at these tiny symbols etched into the wood. Maybe it's from one of the ancient tribes that used to cross this land!"

Page 3

"We need to win this race, Mishka!" Anya declared, her breath misting in the cold air. "If we win, we can get enough supplies to last the whole winter." Mishka…
"We need to win this race, Mishka!" Anya declared, her breath misting in the cold air. "If we win, we can get enough supplies to last the whole winter." Mishka sighed. "My sled is hopeless, Anya. It's more wobbly than a newborn penguin." Anya placed a hand on his shoulder. "Remember what Leonardo da Vinci said, 'It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them.

"We need to win this race, Mishka!" Anya declared, her breath misting in the cold air. "If we win, we can get enough supplies to last the whole winter." Mishka sighed. "My sled is hopeless, Anya. It's more wobbly than a newborn penguin." Anya placed a hand on his shoulder. "Remember what Leonardo da Vinci said, 'It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.' We can fix your sled, Mishka. Together."

Page 4

With a flurry of activity, they gathered spare pieces of wood and rope. "Maybe we can reinforce the runners," Mishka suggested, his eyes gleaming with newfound…
With a flurry of activity, they gathered spare pieces of wood and rope. "Maybe we can reinforce the runners," Mishka suggested, his eyes gleaming with newfound hope. "And I have some extra straps from my pack," Anya added, pulling them out. They worked feverishly, the cold biting at their fingers. But as they secured the last strap, a blizzard suddenly descended, swirling snow blinding them.

With a flurry of activity, they gathered spare pieces of wood and rope. "Maybe we can reinforce the runners," Mishka suggested, his eyes gleaming with newfound hope. "And I have some extra straps from my pack," Anya added, pulling them out. They worked feverishly, the cold biting at their fingers. But as they secured the last strap, a blizzard suddenly descended, swirling snow blinding them.

Page 5

Huddling behind a large ice formation for shelter, they noticed something glittering within the ice. "What's that?" Mishka asked, pointing.
Huddling behind a large ice formation for shelter, they noticed something glittering within the ice. "What's that?" Mishka asked, pointing. Anya carefully chipped away at the ice with a small pickaxe, revealing a frozen stream, and trapped within it, tiny glittering fish. "They look like glowfish," Anya whispered. "Old tales say they can glow if properly released from the ice," she added, recalling a story from her grandmother.

Huddling behind a large ice formation for shelter, they noticed something glittering within the ice. "What's that?" Mishka asked, pointing. Anya carefully chipped away at the ice with a small pickaxe, revealing a frozen stream, and trapped within it, tiny glittering fish. "They look like glowfish," Anya whispered. "Old tales say they can glow if properly released from the ice," she added, recalling a story from her grandmother.

Page 6

Suddenly, a gruff voice boomed, "Well, well, what do we have here?" Boris, the bully from the next village, stood before them, his eyes narrowed.
Suddenly, a gruff voice boomed, "Well, well, what do we have here?" Boris, the bully from the next village, stood before them, his eyes narrowed. "Trying to cheat your way to victory, are you?" He kicked Mishka's sled, sending it skidding across the ice. "That wheel looks mighty familiar. Stolen, perhaps?" The glowfish went unnoticed at their feet.

Suddenly, a gruff voice boomed, "Well, well, what do we have here?" Boris, the bully from the next village, stood before them, his eyes narrowed. "Trying to cheat your way to victory, are you?" He kicked Mishka's sled, sending it skidding across the ice. "That wheel looks mighty familiar. Stolen, perhaps?" The glowfish went unnoticed at their feet.

Page 7

"We didn't steal anything, Boris!" Anya retorted, her voice trembling slightly. "And we're not cheating!" Mishka, remembering Anya's encouraging words, stood a…
"We didn't steal anything, Boris!" Anya retorted, her voice trembling slightly. "And we're not cheating!" Mishka, remembering Anya's encouraging words, stood a little straighter. "We earned our place in this race, just like everyone else." Anya whispered to Mishka, "We have to figure out how to work as a team and use our unique strengths to beat Boris!".

"We didn't steal anything, Boris!" Anya retorted, her voice trembling slightly. "And we're not cheating!" Mishka, remembering Anya's encouraging words, stood a little straighter. "We earned our place in this race, just like everyone else." Anya whispered to Mishka, "We have to figure out how to work as a team and use our unique strengths to beat Boris!".

Page 8

As Boris advanced, Anya grabbed the carved wooden wheel. Remembering her grandmother's stories, she whispered an ancient phrase, and the wheel began to glow…
As Boris advanced, Anya grabbed the carved wooden wheel. Remembering her grandmother's stories, she whispered an ancient phrase, and the wheel began to glow with a soft, blue light. She quickly attached the glowing wheel to Mishka's sled. "Now, Mishka!" she yelled. The glowfish, sensing the energy, began to emit light. He hopped on and pushed off, the sled gliding effortlessly, propelled by the magical wheel and the light of the glowfish.

As Boris advanced, Anya grabbed the carved wooden wheel. Remembering her grandmother's stories, she whispered an ancient phrase, and the wheel began to glow with a soft, blue light. She quickly attached the glowing wheel to Mishka's sled. "Now, Mishka!" she yelled. The glowfish, sensing the energy, began to emit light. He hopped on and pushed off, the sled gliding effortlessly, propelled by the magical wheel and the light of the glowfish.

Page 9

Boris watched in disbelief as Mishka sped away, leaving him far behind. The magic wheel and glowfish gave him an incredible advantage, the sled sailing…
Boris watched in disbelief as Mishka sped away, leaving him far behind. The magic wheel and glowfish gave him an incredible advantage, the sled sailing smoothly. With newfound confidence, Mishka navigated the icy course, skillfully dodging obstacles. Anya cheered wildly from the sidelines. The crowd gasped at the sight of the glowing sled.

Boris watched in disbelief as Mishka sped away, leaving him far behind. The magic wheel and glowfish gave him an incredible advantage, the sled sailing smoothly. With newfound confidence, Mishka navigated the icy course, skillfully dodging obstacles. Anya cheered wildly from the sidelines. The crowd gasped at the sight of the glowing sled.

Page 10

As Mishka crossed the finish line, a roar of applause erupted. Anya ran to embrace him. "We did it, Mishka! We won!" she exclaimed. Mishka grinned.
As Mishka crossed the finish line, a roar of applause erupted. Anya ran to embrace him. "We did it, Mishka! We won!" she exclaimed. Mishka grinned. "Together, Anya, we truly did. And as Albert Einstein said, 'In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.' If my sled hadn't broken, we never would have found that wheel or those glowfish."

As Mishka crossed the finish line, a roar of applause erupted. Anya ran to embrace him. "We did it, Mishka! We won!" she exclaimed. Mishka grinned. "Together, Anya, we truly did. And as Albert Einstein said, 'In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.' If my sled hadn't broken, we never would have found that wheel or those glowfish."

About this story

  • Audience: kids (ages 6–12)

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