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Pockets chapter opener illustration

Pockets

EVERYTHING'S ALREADY HERE

Pockets the Kangaroo Has Plenty

Pockets is a gentle, roomy kangaroo with the softest, biggest pouch you ever saw. And her pouch holds a wonderful secret: it is ALWAYS full, and it never, ever runs out.

Every colour is in there. Every hat. Every pair of shoes. All of them, all the time. And best of all - they are FREE. You do not earn them. You do not buy them. You just reach in and pick the one you like.

One afternoon a little fox comes by, looking worried and small. He points at a bright red hat. “That one,” he says quietly. “Is that one… rare? Is it special and hard to get? Do I have to win it, or wait for it, or trade something for it?”

Pockets kneels down and gives the warmest smile. “Oh, little one,” she says softly. “Nothing here is ‘rare.’ Nothing is locked away. That red hat? It’s right here in the pouch, and it always will be. Reach in and take it. It’s yours.”

The fox blinks. “I… I don’t have to earn it?”

“You never have to earn it,” says Pockets kindly. “There’s always plenty. That’s the whole calm secret of my pouch: everything is already here, and it never runs out. So you can pick ANY colour, ANY hat, ANY shoes you like - today, tomorrow, always.”

The little fox reaches in, slow at first, then happy, and takes the red hat. He waits for someone to say “no, that’s too special.” Nobody does. He feels a big, calm, glad breath go out of him. “It’s just… mine?” he whispers.

“It’s just yours,” says Pockets warmly. “And there’s still plenty left for everyone else, too.”

That is Pockets’ calm, roomy idea.

Everything is already in the pouch - and it never runs out - so nothing is rare, and nothing costs a thing.

A grown-up can play too! When you play dress-up, remember Pockets: there is ALWAYS plenty. Any colour, any hat, any shoes - pick as many as you like, change your mind, try them all. Nothing runs out. Nothing is “too special” to have. Isn’t that a lovely, calm feeling?

The little fox bounds off wearing his red hat, light and easy and happy. And Pockets pats her big soft pouch, still full to the brim, feeling the quiet, warm gladness of someone who has plenty - and loves that everyone else does too.

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 “Pockets says: everything is already in the pouch - and it never runs out - …” and stop. Let them finish it.

Then say the whole line together: “Pockets says: everything is already in the pouch - and it never runs out - so nothing is rare, and nothing costs a thing!”.

Now wait. Count slowly to five in your head. Their answer is worth the quiet.

Circles together: 0

The DressTots ensemble

Pockets is one of the friends in DressTots. Each friend shows you one idea by how they act; meet them all and you have the whole subject.