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When "I quit" really means "I'm not good enough."
Riki Rabbit and the Craft Table Tangle (A Story and Activities Gift!)
As educators and parents, we've all been there: a child pushes their paper away, tears up their drawing, and mumbles, "I quit."
Navigating perfectionism and frustration in early childhood is tough. That’s why we created Riki Rabbit and the Craft Table Tangle, a gentle story from the world of Heartwood Forest.
What started as a small sample grew into a complete 23-page mini-unit packed with reading comprehension, vocabulary building, and creative drawing prompts.
Included: A personal note from the author
We want you to experience the joy of Heartwood Forest risk-free!
Head over to our Teachers Pay Teachers store (green button below) to download the entire packet for free, and while you're there, explore the rest of the forest characters!
First Book in the Series: The Great Heartwood Forest Contest
New Resources!
Why Is Everyone Petrified of Penny Porcupine?
Explore two differentiated Heartwood Forest reading resources built around the same engaging Penny Porcupine story.
Students learn to check facts, question rumors, speak up when misunderstood, take responsibility, and build empathy.
Choose Grades 1–4 with two reading levels or the Advanced Grades 4–5 version with deeper work in evidence, inference, vocabulary, and critical thinking.
Great for classrooms, homeschool, and ESL learners
Visit English Basics Store TPT for all resources. (Click the button above or scroll down--and don't forget the free resources!)
Heartwood Forest Books
Anna Belle Sparkles and the Hidden Hollow
Anna Belle Sparkles and the Hidden Hollow
Anna Belle Sparkles (a unicorn with the power of telekinesis) and Alchemi Watts (a logic-driven firefly) are building a crystal tower in Mystic Moss Hollow. When their tower keeps "tumbling," they feel discouraged. Sage Alder Owl introduces the "Grand House" metaphor, teaching them that success—whether in engineering or in learning—starts with a strong foundation.
Riki Rabbit and the Twig Hoop
Anna Belle Sparkles and the Hidden Hollow
Riki Rabbit envisions a rolling hoop made of willow twigs. The "Doubtful Trio" tells her it's impossible, and Riki’s ears begin to droop. With the encouragement of Red Willow Fox and the help of her "Anchor Friend," Sammy Skunk, Riki navigates the "sticky, messy middle" of the creative process to prove that practice is the bridge between a dream and a reality.
The Mischievous Monkeys and the Golden Mangos
The Mischievous Monkeys and the Campsite Catastrophe
Fee Fee and Margie are full of energy and laughter, but their play leads to a giant "Mango Fiasco" that leaves the forest floor a sticky mess. Instead of shame, they learn the "Silent Fix" (Restitution). They discover that saying "sorry" is only the first step—fixing the "impact" of their actions is what restores the community.
The Mischievous Monkeys and the Campsite Catastrophe
The Mischievous Monkeys and the Campsite Catastrophe
The Mischievous Monkeys and the Campsite Catastrophe
When the impulsive monkey twins, Fee Fee and Margie, crash Professor Purrfect’s polite Ocelot Academy field trip, a quiet berry food fight quickly escalates into a full-scale raid on a human campsite.
From painting tents with mashed berries to turning toothpaste into "Minty Mud" and causing a colossal tomato-slick accident for their poor professor, the chaos is non-stop!
But when the adrenaline fades, the quiet voice of conscience steps in.
Guided by the wise Red Willow Fox, the twins learn about empathy and navigate the hard choice to fix what they broke through a secret, middle-of-the-night "Silent Fix."
Built to Bounce
The Mischievous Monkeys and the Campsite Catastrophe
The True Story of the Wolf
Students explore the fascinating world of wild rabbits, especially the Eastern cottontail. Students learn how rabbits use camouflage, powerful hind legs, alert ears, stillness, and quick changes of direction to survive.
The resource then uses the rabbit’s freeze response as a gentle, age-appropriate doorway into understanding what may happen when a child feels overwhelmed, confused, embarrassed, rushed, frightened, or unable to begin.
The True Story of the Wolf
The Mischievous Monkeys and the Campsite Catastrophe
The True Story of the Wolf
Wolves are often portrayed as frightening villains in fairy tales, but real wolves are intelligent, social animals that live and work together in family groups. Through engaging informational pages, students explore wolf pack life, communication, cold-weather adaptations, common myths, and the connection between wolves and domestic dogs.
New Resource!
Wolves Science & SEL Resource | Reading, Myth-Busting Activities
Help students discover the true story of wolves with this beautifully illustrated science and social-emotional learning resource.
Wolves are often portrayed as frightening villains in fairy tales, but real wolves are intelligent, social animals that live and work together in family groups. Through engaging informational pages, students explore wolf pack life, communication, cold-weather adaptations, common myths, and the connection between wolves and domestic dogs.
This 7-page, open-and-go resource combines science, reading comprehension, vocabulary, critical thinking, and meaningful SEL reflection.
Science builds knowledge. SEL builds character. Together, they help children thrive.
Heartwood Forest Science and SEL Resources
The Secret Life of Chameleons
Science Exploration: Chameleons
This resource invites students into the high forest canopy, where chameleons move slowly, watch carefully, and survive with some of the most remarkable adaptations in the reptile world. Through illustrated nonfiction lesson pages, students learn how chameleons grip branches, move their eyes independently, launch sticky tongues, change color, hatch from eggs, and live independently from day one.
Social-Emotional Learning: Body Cues, Empathy, & Respectful Boundaries
A chameleon’s body can show changes when it is stressed, alert, excited, frightened, too cool, or too warm. Its color, posture, movement, and behavior can all give clues about what it may need.
This resource uses chameleon science as a gentle bridge to human self-awareness. Students learn that people have body cues, too. A fast heartbeat, tense shoulders, restlessness, quietness, zoning out, or needing space can all be signals that a person is feeling something strongly.
Through this connection, students are invited to notice body cues, think about healthy calming strategies, and understand that every living thing deserves respect. The goal is not to make students share private feelings. The goal is to help students build empathy, notice signals, and respect boundaries — in animals, in other people, and in themselves.
Groundhog Underground!
Groundhog Underground! is a fun, visually engaging Heartwood Forest Nature Quick Lesson that helps students learn about groundhogs, burrows, pups, hibernation, groundhog family life, and the difference between groundhogs and gophers.
This resource combines short informational reading with vocabulary practice, labeling, comparison, a maze, life-stage learning, review activities, and a simple answer key. Students are encouraged to look back at the reading pages, making this a low-pressure activity that supports comprehension and confidence.
The pages are colorful, kid-friendly, and designed to be easy to print and use when you need a quick lesson that still feels thoughtful and complete.
Heartwood Forest Keeps Growing!
