Cubby
position words
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Cubby was a little gray mouse who loved to tuck himself into spots. Over things, under things, inside things, right next to things. And he had a word for every spot. "Words for where," Cubby said, "help everybody find each other."
"Watch — I'll go OVER the box," Cubby said, and hopped up on top. "Now UNDER," and he scooted beneath it. Over meant on top. Under meant below. Same box, different spot, different word.
His friend the beetle was looking for her acorn. "It's INSIDE the cup," Cubby said, pointing. She peeked in — there it was! "Inside" meant tucked within. If Cubby had said "next to," she'd have looked beside the cup instead. The right word led her right to it.
They played a game. "Put the pebble NEXT TO the leaf." Cubby set it beside. "Now put it UNDER the leaf." He slid it beneath. Each position word told him exactly where to go. Over, under, inside, next to — a whole map made of words.
At bedtime, Cubby curled up INSIDE his cozy nest, with his blanket OVER him and his favorite pebble right NEXT TO his paw. He said each word softly as he settled in.
Knowing the word for every spot made the whole world feel findable — and it made his own little nest feel exactly, snugly right.
Hear it as an audio drama
A short play starring Cubby, from BlockTots. Different voices, same idea. Listen any time after you read.
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- Narrator: From Spark and Anvil and Blocktots — this is Cubby, in chapter 1 of the Blocktots cast.
- Narrator: This drama uses an AI-generated voice. Voiced via Gemini 2.5.
- Narrator: Cubby is a little gray mouse who loves to tuck himself into spots. Over things, under things, inside things, right next to things.
- Cubby: I have a word for every spot! Words for where help everybody find each other.
- Narrator: Watch Cubby show you.
- Cubby: I'll go OVER the box — hop, up on top! Now UNDER — scoot, down below. Over means on top. Under means below. Same box, different spot, different word.
- Narrator: Cubby's friend the beetle was looking for her acorn.
- Cubby: It's INSIDE the cup! Peek in — there it is! Inside means tucked within. If I'd said "next to," you'd have looked beside the cup instead. The right word takes you right to it.
- Narrator: The beetle found her acorn right away.
- Cubby: Where are you hiding? Over, under, inside, next to. When you know the words for where, you can always say exactly where you are.
- Narrator: And everybody can find each other. That's what makes Cubby, Cubby.
- Narrator: You've been listening to a Spark and Anvil chapter, written by the Spark and Anvil writing team for ages 9 to 14.
- Narrator: Apps stay free forever.
- Narrator: Curriculum aligned to Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards.
- Narrator: Released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 for educational reuse. Visit Spark and Anvil for the full transcript.
Reading together with a grown-up? A card for the grown-up
For the grown-up: ask one question, then wait. When they answer, add one word to what they said. Tap the button when they have said something — that is one turn each, a circle. Nothing is recorded or kept.
Let them finish it
Say “Over, under, inside, next to — Cubby knows …” and stop. Let them finish it.
Now wait. Count slowly to five in your head. Their answer is worth the quiet.
Circles together: 0
The BlockTots ensemble
Cubby is one of the friends in BlockTots. Each friend shows you one idea by how they act; meet them all and you have the whole subject.
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Spindle
Mental rotation — a squirrel who turns a piece in her paws until it drops into the hole; rotating-to-fit IS mental rotation
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Fitz
Composition / decomposition — a bird who fits small shapes together to build a bigger one; composing a whole from parts IS spatial composition
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Timber
Visuo-spatial construction — a beaver who copies a shown block model, stacking to match; reproducing a build IS construction
