Our friend Sunny is a bully? Luna and Carmen confront a mean little frog!

The sound of the school bell signaled that it was time for lunch. The little creatures made their way to the school cafeteria, their tummies rumbling with hunger. They all came in an orderly manner; running was strictly prohibited as the little animals carefully carried their lunch trays filled with nutritious and healthy options.

Luna and Carmen were on their way to their table to have lunch when they noticed that their friend Franky, the possum, was sitting all by himself. He seemed very upset and was not even touching his food. The girls stopped and asked him what was wrong and why he was alone. He explained that Sunny had kicked him out of his usual spot because he said only cool kids were allowed there, and not smelly and weird-looking creatures wearing big glasses. Franky wanted to cry; his lips quivered, but he held back his tears.

Luna and Carmen were in disbelief that their good friend, Sunny, had been so cruel. They had enjoyed playing with him ever since he arrived in the neighborhood. They knew his mother, brother, and sisters. They had never seen him behave in such a mean manner before. While sitting at the table, Mindy, another red-eye frog, approached them and shared that Sunny had also kicked her out for not being a cool frog.

As they sat around the table, Danny, a little raccoon, joined in and shared that Sunny had been pulling his hair and calling him ugly names during the football game. He also revealed that he heard Sunny calling kids who wore glasses terrible names, saying that glasses were not cool. However, he would change his behavior when he saw teachers or other friends who knew his mom. Upon hearing this, Luna exclaimed, "Wow, he's a sneaky little frog, but we'll put an end to this."

Luna and Carmen were not going to allow this deceitful and mean frog to continue his ugly ways. They made a plan and decided that all the animals that had been bullied by him would sit at Sunny's table the next day and talk to him. Carmen offered to be the first to speak to Sunny because she was good at choosing her words carefully and remaining calm.

The next day, the time for lunch came, and all the little brave animals rushed to get their lunch and sat at the bully's table. Sunny approached the table, waiting to see if anyone would get up to offer him a seat, as no more seats were available at the table. His face turned purple with anger, and he couldn't hide his bullish ways. He let out a screen and said, "All of you are not permitted at this table; this is my table, and you need to go or else!"

Luna turned to Sunny and said, "You are welcome to join us at this table, but only if you change your ways and apologize to everyone here. We will give you another chance, but you must stop being cruel to your friends. If you continue to harass them, we will inform your mother and teachers about your unacceptable behavior. Or you can eat on your own from now on, but be aware that nobody wants to be friends with someone mean and unkind."

Sunny turned to Luna and Carmen, asking, "Why are you bullying me now?" The entire table was surprised that he felt bullied. Luna and Carmen walked with him to another table and sat down to offer comfort. Luna said, "Dear Sunny, we have always liked you. You are smart, funny, and one of the fastest frogs in school. You don't need to be mean to show that you are strong. The other animals look up to you, and you can be an example of how to be a cool frog while being kind."

Sunny shared that he felt uneasy being alone and that when he first arrived at school, he didn't feel like a cool frog, so he felt excluded. He just wanted to be accepted and liked. Carmen and Luna reassured him that it's normal to feel anxious and uncertain when you're new, but there's no need to be mean to others to prove yourself. True confidence comes from being kind and accepting. You can believe in yourself while supporting others because they will support you back.

After school, Luna and Carmen stayed up late to create signs for each table. The next day, each table had a sign that read, "This is a Cool Kids Table" and "Wearing Glasses is Cool!" They also crafted paper glasses for all the little animals to wear during lunch.

When the little creatures sat down to enjoy lunch, they had huge smiles and felt confident and welcomed. Everyone in the lunch hall was wearing paper glasses, and it was a cool sight to see!

Sunny apologized to all the little animals and was warmly greeted at the table where Luna and Carmen were cracking jokes and having a great time with all their friends!

Bullying is a serious issue that affects many children! If you or someone you know is being bullied, it is important to speak up and seek help from a trusted adult or friend. Don't stay silent; talk to someone!

But bullying takes many forms....and one of them is when your inner voice talks down to you and calls you ugly names. Quiet this negative inner voice, and start telling yourself how wonderful and unique you are, capable of BIG things! You are Cool!