Enjoy the adventures of Gigi the Giraffe and her animal friends, as they learn important lessons on respecting differences and understanding that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. This book won second place in the 2021 WETA PBS Kids Writers Contest, Third Grade category and is recommended for children of all ages. By Carina Araujo

1. Gigi, The Very Friendly Giraffe
By Cari na Araujo
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I can't wait for you to read this amazing story.
ln the savannas of Africa lived a gentle giraffe named Gigi, who
loved to make friends. One day, while strolling around, she found
Leo, the lion, standing alone. She asked him, "will you be my
friend?"
"NOOOOO," roared Leo, "l don't want to be your friend because
your neck is too long."
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3. Gigi sadly walked away and met Zeze, the Zebra, admiring her
graceful stripes. Gigi asked again, "will you be my friend?"
"No!" sneered Zeze, "l don't wish to be your friend because your
legs are way too slim."
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4. Gigi became upset and rushed to a field filled with flowers. There
she found Beauty, a beautiful, colorful butterfly and asked her,
"could you be my friend?"
Beauty whispered, "no! I can't be yourfriend because I don't like
your spots."
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5. Gigi burst into tears and ran away disappointed to a nearby pond.
There she saw Turtie, the turtle, who came to her and asked,
"why are you crying?"
Gigi said, "nobody wants to be my friend because I have a long
neck, slim legs, and spots."
Turtie said, "l also cannot make friends because I am slow and
have a hard shell and a short neck."
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6. They both stood quietly close by the pond, staring at the water
and saw their reflection on the water. They suddenly realized how
beautiful they were. They turned to each other and asked at the
same time, "would you like to be my friend? I like you."
They giggled and both said "YES!"
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7. Gigi and Turtie became best friends forever, caring for each
other. Gigi reached for things that were too high for Turtie, and
Turtie reached for things that were too low for Gigi. The other
animals, seeing Gigi and Turtie happily playing together and
always laughing, decided to become friends with them too!
What I wanted to tell you is that never judge a person by the way
they look. We are different but beautiful the way we are. We
should be friendly and help each other.
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