Kiya stepped onto the loud concrete sidewalk of her brand-new neighborhood. VROOM went the cars! Tall grey buildings stretched way, way up into the sky. She waved her bright yellow umbrella at a hurrying lady. "Hello, shiny shoes!" Kiya called out, skipping happily forward.
Swish, scratch, swish. A teenager was busy sweeping the apartment steps. Kiya marched up and tapped her umbrella against the metal railing. "Good morning, broom!" she announced very loudly. He pulled off his headphones, blinked twice, and gave her a tiny, surprised smile.
Further down the block, a grumpy orange cat sat on a cold brick garden wall. "Hello, whiskers!" Kiya chirped. She held out a very crinkly, dry brown leaf. The cat sniffed the crunchy edge, let out a loud MEO-WOW, and trotted right after her with its tail held high.
Kiya marched proudly into the neighborhood park. Three kids were quietly pushing toy trucks through the gritty sand. "Hello, trucks! I'm Kiya, and this umbrella is a parade baton!" she yelled. She spun the yellow fabric so fast the wind whistled, making the kids drop their toys to stare.
One kid grabbed a stick to join the brand-new parade! The sweeping teenager walked over, tapping his broom against a metal trash can with a heavy CLANG! CLANG! Neighbors opened their creaky wooden doors to investigate. Someone brought out a tray of sweet-smelling lemonade, and soon, the whole street was buzzing with excited chatter.
Kiya led the dancing neighbors right down the middle of the sidewalk, her yellow umbrella bobbing up and down like a giant flitting bird. Plastic cups clinked, dogs barked, and dozens of shoes tapped the pavement. The once-quiet street was suddenly a beautiful block party. Kiya flashed a fierce grin and shouted, "Hello, everybody!"