On a little island, blue waves went splash, splash, splash. White birds went flap, flap, flap. In the middle of the island stood a small castle with a bright yellow door.
A girl named Kyra Graves lived near the castle. Kyra was a tiny apprentice witch. She wore purple boots and a round green hat. Her wand was small. It had a silver star on top.
Kyra was kind. Kyra was brave too. But sometimes she felt shy when her magic made silly bubbles.
One morning, Queen Mara came to Kyra’s garden. The Queen wore a soft gold crown.
“Oh, Kyra,” said the Queen, “the island colors are going away!”
Kyra looked around. The red flowers were pale. The blue sea was gray. Even the Queen’s gold crown looked like oatmeal.
“Oh no,” said Kyra.
From behind a big rock came a little Living Snowman. His name was Poff. Poff had a carrot nose, pebble eyes, and a scarf with orange stripes.
“I saw a wiggly Living Shadow,” said Poff. “It went swish, swish, swish. It took the colors into the Misty Cave.”
“Let’s go!” said Kyra.
Poff clapped his snowy hands. “I can come! I am good at rolling. And I have a very nice scarf.”
At the castle door, they met Nello, the Potion Maker. Nello carried bottles in a big blue bag. One bottle went plink. One bottle went plonk. One bottle sneezed, “Achoo!”
“I made a Color-Calling Potion,” said Nello. “But it needs three things. A red berry. A blue shell. And one happy laugh.”
“I can find them,” said Kyra.
The friends walked across the island. They passed the sleepy palm trees. They crossed the soft sand. Soon, Kyra saw a red berry under a leaf.
“Red berry!” she said.
Poff rolled under the leaf. “Brrr! It tickles!”
Kyra picked up the berry. Plop! Into Nello’s little bottle it went.
At the shore, a wave brought a blue shell to Kyra’s boots.
“Blue shell!” said Kyra.
Plink! Into the bottle it went.
Now they needed a happy laugh.
Poff tried to tell a joke. “Why did the snowman sit on the island?”
“Why?” asked Kyra.
“Because he could not sit on the sea! He would go splash!”
Kyra laughed. “Hee hee hee!”
The Queen laughed too. “Ha ha ha!”
Even Nello laughed. “Ho ho ho!”
The bottle glowed pink, yellow, and blue. “We have it!” said Nello.
They came to the Misty Cave. It was dark inside. The Living Shadow waited by a pool of gray water. It was long and wiggly. Its eyes were two tiny moon dots.
“Stop!” said Kyra, though her knees felt wobbly. “Please give back the island colors.”
The shadow made a sad sound. “Huuuum.”
“Are you cross?” asked Poff.
The Living Shadow shook its shadowy head.
“Are you lonely?” asked Kyra.
The Living Shadow became very small.
“Yes,” it whispered. “In the cave, everything is gray. I wanted pretty colors near me. I did not know the island would be sad.”
Kyra held out her hand. “You can have colors. But you must not take them away. We can share.”
Nello poured one tiny drop of Color-Calling Potion into the gray pool.
Fizz! Fuzz! Pop!
A rainbow jumped out of the water. Red berries shone. Blue shells sparkled. Green palms danced in the wind. The sea turned bright blue again.
The Living Shadow gasped. It now had little rainbow spots all over its wiggly shape.
“I am beautiful!” it said.
“You are,” said Queen Mara. “And you may live by the castle lamp, where there is light and color every night.”
The shadow swished happily. “I will be gentle. I will make cool shadow shapes for children.”
Back at the castle, the Queen opened a special treasure chest. Creak! went the lid.
Inside were four magic prizes.
For Poff, there was a shiny new scarf with tiny rainbow stars.
For Nello, there was a golden spoon for stirring potions.
For the Living Shadow, there was a bright lantern that made friendly star shapes.
And for Kyra Graves, there was a little wand with a rainbow star on top.
“Kyra,” said the Queen, “you are now the Island’s Helper Witch.”
Kyra smiled. She was still a little shy. But she lifted her new wand.
“Color, color, shine so bright,” she said. “Make our island warm tonight!”
Tiny lights danced over the sand.
Poff rolled in a happy circle. Nello’s bottles sang plink-plonk songs. The Living Shadow made a bunny shape on the castle wall.
Kyra laughed. The island was bright. The island was kind. And every night, Kyra’s rainbow wand gave one small, sparkling goodnight.