A Book Can Send Us Past

[Verse 1] At two o’clock the children come in, trailing bits of sun, I set the day’s small kingdom out and say, “all right, everyone.” A paper map, a painted moon, a ship with a silver sail— Then one small voice says, “what if we could turn the whale?” [Pre-Chorus] Their eyes go far beyond the shelves, And i can almost see it too: A thousand doors swing open When a story finds its way to you. [Chorus] Come on in, the world is wide, There’s a dragon on the mountainside. There’s a sea where the lost stars learn to swim, And a brave little crew that can follow them. We make a place from words we know, Then watch it stretch and start to grow. Right here, right now, beneath this afternoon, A book can send us past the moon. [Verse 2] Maya gives the captain wings; young eli names the sea. Two twins build a city on a turtle’s back for me. I turn the page; they add a bridge of purple, blue, and gold— And suddenly the smallest voice is steering us all. [Pre-Chorus] Their laughter lifts the far-off hills, The quiet pages start to fly. I only read the opening line— They paint the rest across the sky. [Chorus] Come on in, the world is wide, There’s a dragon on the mountainside. There’s a sea where the lost stars learn to swim, And a brave little crew that can follow them. We make a place from words we know, Then watch it stretch and start to grow. Right here, right now, beneath this afternoon, A book can send us past the moon. [Bridge] When they’re grown and out exploring, Past the maps they drew today, May they keep that little compass That a tale can tuck away. And when a hard road asks them If they’re small or strong or brave, They’ll remember how a whole wide world Once rose from what they made. [Final chorus] Come on in, the world is wide, There’s a dragon on the mountainside. There’s a sea where the lost stars learn to swim, And a brave little crew that can follow them. We make a place from words we know, Then watch it stretch and start to grow. Right here, right now, beneath this afternoon, A book can send us past the moon. [Outro] The day keeps shining as the last page turns, They head for home with worlds to learn.