Rose & Rue’s Magic Perspective Goggles
A free read-along sample.
Page 1
For the little hearts who see the world differently, and the grown-ups learning to look again.
Page 2
Rose and Rue were twins. They had matching pink spots, matching little noses, and matching giggles that sometimes turned into matching hiccups. But their goggles? Oh, their goggles were something else! Rose wore red flower goggles, as bright as the rose in her hair. Rue wore golden flower goggles, with little yellow blooms tucked into her curls. The twins shared toys, stories, and sometimes even socks. But they didn't always notice the same things. Not even when they were looking at the very same thing!
Page 3
One sunny morning, something fluttered through their bedroom window. Flip. Flap. Flutter! A little envelope landed between their beds. It was covered in flowers and sealed with a golden leaf. "Mail!" shouted Rose. "For us!" shouted Rue. Inside was a note. Beyond the fence, behind the trees, A secret waits among the leaves. Two pairs of goggles, two ways to see, Together you'll find the mystery. "A secret!" squealed Rose. "An adventure!" squealed Rue.
Page 4
Mom helped straighten their flower goggles. "Roses and rue grow in the same garden," she said, "but they're very different flowers." "Just like us!" said Rose. "Except we're twins!" giggled Rue. Mom smiled and kissed them both goodbye. They skipped past the houses, around the corner, and down a flower-lined path. Rose stopped beneath two enormous trees. "Rue! Look! The branches make an arch!" Rue looked up and grinned. Then she spotted tiny golden flowers beneath the trees. "Rose! Look! A trail!"
Page 5
The golden flowers twisted and turned. They wound past a crooked stone, around a sleepy snail, and beneath a bush that tickled their noses. "Achoo!" "ACHOO!" "I sneezed first!" said Rose. "No, I did!" said Rue. They giggled all the way around the next bend. Suddenly, the flower trail stopped. Before them stood a very old gate, covered in curling vines. Rose stepped back and noticed the vines made a great big heart. Rue leaned closer and discovered two tiny flowers on the golden lock. One rose. One rue. "That's us!" they shouted together.
Page 6
Rose pushed the gate. Rue tried the lock. Nothing happened. "Pretty please?" asked Rose. "With flowers on top?" added Rue. Still nothing. Then Rose noticed words above the gate, and Rue found more beneath the lock. The biggest wonders... read Rose. ...begin with the smallest things, read Rue. Rose touched the heart-shaped vines while Rue pressed the two tiny flowers. CLICK! The gate swung open!
Page 7
Beyond the gate was the most extraordinary garden they had ever seen. Flowers towered above their heads, butterflies fluttered between the branches, and a little stream giggled over shiny stones. Rose spun around. "Look at all of it!" Rue knelt beside a flower. "Look at this!" Rose noticed enormous branches twisting into beautiful shapes overhead. Rue discovered tiny leaf houses tucked between the flowers. Rose spotted a winding path that looked like a ribbon. Rue found sparkling shells beside the stream, and someone sitting beside them, gazing into the water. "Hi, Narcissus! What are you looking at?" asked Rue. "The clouds," he smiled. "They're swimming." "Come see!" called Rose. "No, YOU come see!" laughed Rue.
Page 8
At the center of the garden stood a beautiful old fountain. But there was no water. No splashing. No bubbling. Not even a drip! A little sign hung from its edge. To wake the garden's greatest surprise, Find what is hidden before your eyes. Rose read the words aloud. Rue tapped her goggles. "Well, we have eyes!" "And goggles!" said Rose. "Then we'd better start looking!"
Page 9
They searched behind the fountain. They peeked beneath the benches. They examined the flowers and even looked inside a suspicious flowerpot. "Hello?" called Rose. "Anybody home?" asked Rue. A startled beetle crawled out. "Oops!" whispered both twins. Rose climbed onto a stone bench to see the garden from above. Rue followed a trail of golden petals beside the fountain. Suddenly, they both shouted, "I FOUND SOMETHING!" Rose had discovered that the garden paths formed an enormous flower. Rue had found a tiny golden button hidden beneath a leaf.
Page 10
"Come see my flower!" called Rose. "Come see my flower!" called Rue. Rose pointed toward the winding paths. Rue pointed toward the tiny golden button. "You're not looking!" said Rose. "Neither are you!" said Rue. For the first time all morning, neither twin was smiling. "I wanted to show you something wonderful," said Rose. "So did I," whispered Rue. The twins looked at each other. "I thought you saw what I saw," said Rose. "I thought you saw what I saw, too," said Rue. They had been standing in the very same garden. But they hadn't been seeing the same things.
The end. Talk Cards for this book