Hoppy
KNIGHT MOVE
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Poppy has the bounciest friend of all: Hoppy, the knight — a little pony with a springy mane and hooves that just love to jump.
Hoppy moves in a funny, wonderful shape. "Hop-hop this way," says Hoppy, going two squares forward — "then step to the side!" — one square across. Two-and-then-one. It makes a little L shape every time. Hop, hop, step!
But here is the most special thing about Hoppy: Hoppy is the only friend who can jump right over other pieces. Rooky must stop if someone is in the way. The twins must stop too. Not Hoppy! "Whee — over I go!" Hoppy sails right over everyone's heads and lands on the far square.
"Can you go straight, Hoppy?" asks Poppy. "Nope! I only know my hop-hop-step," says Hoppy. Once Hoppy tried to slide straight like Rooky and got all tangled hooves. Wobble-wobble-plop! Hoppy just laughed, shook it off, and did a happy hop-hop-step instead — the right way, the Hoppy way. No one minds a wobbly try in Pawnmeadow.
Say it with Hoppy, out loud: "Hop, hop, then step to the side — Hoppy jumps right over!"
When Hoppy leaps over a whole crowd and lands just right, everyone cheers. Hoppy feels proud and giggly and light as air. "Nobody jumps like me," says Hoppy, doing one more happy hop. "That's what makes me ME."
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 “Hop, hop, then step to the side — …” 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 PawnPals ensemble
Hoppy is one of the friends in PawnPals. Each friend shows you one idea by how they act; meet them all and you have the whole subject.
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Poppy
Pawn — a tiny brave pawn who marches straight ahead one step (two on the first) and taps the corner to capture; never moves backward
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Rooky
Rook — a friendly walking tower who strolls in straight lines (up, down, side to side), never corners
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Bo & Bay
Bishops — twin bishop-kids each gliding on diagonals of ONE colour (Bo the dark squares, Bay the light squares)
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Queen Quill
Queen — a gentle, powerful queen who glides any direction (straight or diagonal), near or far
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King Cozy
King — a sleepy, gentle king who takes one slow step any direction; the piece everyone keeps safe (checkmate = trapped-and-safe, never captured)
