cover
Early morning grey light fills a small kitchen. Lumi sits at the breakfast table, chin on hands, staring through the window at the distant old oak tree where a single tiny sparkle glints.
Lumi woke up to another grey day in Willowbrook. Everything was grey—the sky, the houses, even the flowers. She missed the colors from her grandmother's old photographs. "Why is everything so sad?" she asked her mother at breakfast. "Nobody knows, sweetie," her mother replied softly. Lumi stared out the window. A tiny sparkle caught her eye near the old oak tree. Her heart jumped. "Maybe I can find out!" she whispered to herself, already planning her adventure.
Midday outside, Lumi kneels at the old backyard oak. Her fingers touch a knothole glowing blue as Lumi's mother watches wide-eyed; a streak of blue light shoots upward, repainting the grey sky brilliant azure.
Lumi ran to the oak tree. There, hidden in a knothole, glowed a tiny blue light. She reached inside carefully. "Come back," she whispered, believing it would listen. The blue light danced around her fingers, then suddenly burst across the sky! "I did it!" Lumi shouted. The sky turned beautiful blue. Birds began singing again. Her mother rushed outside, amazed. "Lumi! How did you do that?" Lumi smiled big. "I just believed I could help," she said proudly.
Overcast afternoon at the school playground, everything draped in dull grey. Lumi stands alone beside a silent swing set, shoulders hunched, while two children from Willowbrook point and laugh near the slide.
The next day, Lumi searched for more colors. She looked everywhere but found nothing. "Maybe yesterday was just luck," she thought sadly. The grey seemed darker now. Other children laughed when she told them her plan. "Colors can't come back!" they said. Lumi felt small and unsure. That night, she almost gave up. Then she remembered the blue sky she'd created. "I did it once," she whispered. "Maybe I can do it again if I really believe."
Sunny morning in Willowbrook's main square. Lumi stands with arms high, tossing glowing red, yellow, and green orbs skyward; brilliant colors splash onto houses and trees as cheering townspeople surround her.
Lumi closed her eyes and believed with all her heart. Suddenly, she felt warmth in her pocket. She pulled out glowing lights—red, yellow, green, and more! "I knew it!" she cried happily. She tossed them into the air, believing they'd find their homes. Colors splashed everywhere—on houses, trees, and flowers. Willowbrook transformed into a rainbow! Everyone cheered and hugged Lumi. "You brought back the colors!" they said. Lumi grinned. "We all can, when we believe in ourselves," she said wisely.