The Mystery Next Door

The Sunnybrook family, known for their bright yellow house and even brighter smiles, loved their quiet neighborhood. One sunny morning, a new family moved in next door. The new neighbors, the Glooms, had a gray house and always seemed to whisper. No one ever saw them smile. The Sunnybrook kids, Lily and Tom, were curious. They noticed the Glooms had a lot of boxes, and sometimes strange noises came from their house at night.

Around the same time, two friendly squirrels, Nutsy and Pip, moved into the big oak tree in the Sunnybrook's yard. Nutsy and Pip were super smart and loved to solve problems. They had noticed some odd things happening with the Gloom's trash and late-night deliveries, too.

One day, a prized cookie jar went missing from the Sunnybrook’s kitchen! Lily and Tom, along with Nutsy and Pip, decided to become detectives. They peeked through the bushes and listened carefully. They found tiny colorful paper scraps in the Glooms' trash—pieces of paper just like the ones the baker used to decorate cookies. Could the Glooms be taking more than just cookies?

Nutsy and Pip followed a strange delivery truck to the Glooms' house. They saw the Glooms loading boxes onto it. Meanwhile, Lily and Tom found a hidden compartment in their own house that had a secret passageway overlooking the Glooms' kitchen. They saw the Glooms were making colorful paper, not decorating it! They were using a special machine that stamped pictures. They weren't stealing cookies – they were making fake money!

Realizing the danger, Lily and Tom quickly told their parents, and Nutsy and Pip used acorns to signal for help from their friends in the park. Soon, friendly park rangers came to investigate. The Glooms, realizing they were caught, gave up their silly scheme, promising to try something good instead. The cookie jar was returned, the squirrels got extra treats, and the Sunnybrook kids learned that even though some people might seem gloomy, teamwork and bravery can solve any mystery!