The Talking Blackboard

In Ms. Lila Morrow's classroom, an old blackboard with a curling wooden frame and dark green slate starts to communicate through riddles written in white chalk rather than speech. When Maya, a small girl with a red clip in her springy curls, wonders why the sky is blue, the board responds with a puzzle instead of a plain fact. Together with Theo, a tall, gap-toothed boy who keeps a pencil behind his ear, the class works through clues about letters, time, maps, pencil lead and clocks, learning to slow down, share ideas and listen to one another.

As the riddles become harder, Maya records clues in her notebook while Theo's jokes keep everyone smiling. Ms. Morrow steps back with her sleeves rolled up and lets the students investigate for themselves, and the children come to see questions as keys that make you think and listen. This gentle tale by Yavuz DEMİRKIRAN suits early primary readers and adults reading aloud, and it can be read on Online Masal.