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Copyright © 2020
Lift Bridge Publishing 1888-774-9917
ISBN: 9781648583728
Author: Tamara Norman
Editor: Malory Wood /The Missing Ink
Illustrator: Naira Tangamyan
[email protected]
This book is dedicated to my daughter,
DEYANA (Angel)
You were my inspiration for this story and you are
my inspiration in life.
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The great Amazon Forest in South America is
the beautiful home to thousands of amazing
animals.
All of these amazing animals, from the really big to
the very small, were created with many unique
abilities.
Their unique abilities help them each thrive every
day in the great Amazon Forest.
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One such animal is a friendly little
Tortoise named Tito.
All of Tito’s friends in the forest have amazing
abilities which makes each of them special in their
very own way.
However, Tito didn’t feel like he was special at all
because he didn’t have amazing abilities like his
friends.
No matter how hard he tried he could never find a
unique ability of his own. Sometimes this made Tito
really sad. He felt that his friends would like him
more if he could do amazing things too.
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“It’s a beautiful day Tito,
you should go outside and play with
your friends in the forest for a while,”
his mom suggested. “I have a ton of
housework to do and I really don’t want
you getting in the way,” she added.
“Okay Mom!” Tito agreed as he grabbed his favorite
old worn out hat off the hook.
“Do you have to wear that dirty old hat everywhere
Tito?” his mom asked as she laughingly shook her
head.
“Of course I do Mom, you know it’s my favorite hat
in the whole wide world!” Tito exclaimed as he threw
the old hat on his head and bolted out the front
door.
Tito had absolutely no idea that the real reason
his mom wanted him to go play in the forest
was so she could prepare for the surprise
party she had planned for his
birthday!
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Tito hurried off into the forest to find
his friends. After a few minutes of walking
he spotted his good friend Motongo the
Spider Monkey.
Motongo was able to swing from trees or vines by
using his arms and legs. Sometimes he even used
his long tail! Tito thought Motongo’s ability to
swing like that was really awesome!
“Hello Motongo!” Tito shouted up to his friend
sitting comfortably in a tall tree.
“Hey Tito! Happy Birthday my friend!”
Motongo shouted back.
“Thank you Motongo!
What are you doing up there?”
Tito asked curiously.
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“Oh, just gathering my lunch.”
Motongo answered as he swung down
holding a hand full of ripe bananas.
“I can do that!” Tito blurted out as he
watched Motongo swing closer to him.
Motongo looked puzzled, “Do what?” he asked Tito.
“Swing from tree to tree!” Tito answered proudly.
“Wow, I would love to see that! Could you show me
now?” Motongo asked as he tried not to laugh at
Tito’s silly claim.
“I’m sorry Motongo but I can’t right now, maybe
later.” Tito quickly answered as he waved
goodbye to his friend then scurried off
into the forest.
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Tito was continuing with his walk
through the forest when suddenly......
THUMP!
He tripped and fell over something!
“Oh no!” Tito shrieked.
It was his buddy Calil the Chameleon.
Calil can do special things too. He has the unique
ability to hide anywhere he wants by camouflaging
himself so that no one can see him!
“Oops, I’m sorry Tito! Are you okay?
I didn’t see you coming.”
“Yes, I’m fine Calil, how about you?”
Tito asked as he dusted the dirt off himself.
“I didn’t see you down there either.”
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“I’m okay now, but it was a close call a
few minutes ago,” Calil sighed in relief.
“What happened? Why were you hiding down
there anyway?” Tito asked curiously.
“I spotted a predator creeping around so
I had to camouflage myself to hide.
That’s why you didn’t see me,”
Calil explained.
“So where’s the predator now?”
Tito whispered nervously.
“Don’t worry we’re safe.
He’s gone for good now since his predator
saw him first!” Calil assured Tito.
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“Having the ability to
camouflage yourself really does come
in handy!” Calil boasted proudly.
“It sure does!” agreed Tito.
“I have to do it myself sometimes.”
Calil looked very confused, “You do?” he asked Tito
“Uh-huh, I sure do.”
“Well I bet you can’t do it now,”
Calil challenged Tito.
“No, not now Calil, I don’t have time. I’ll have to
show you when I come back.”
“Okay, I’ll be here waiting,” Calil replied as he
watched his friend hurry off.
“Oh no, I almost forgot! Happy Birthday Tito!”
Calil quickly yelled out.
“Thank you!” Tito yelled back just
before he disappeared into the forest.
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As Tito walked on through the forest,
he looked up and notice his lovely
friend Pachewee the Parrot soaring in the sky.
Tito enjoyed watching Pachewee glide freely
through the air. He watched her make several
circles in the sky before she gracefully
landed high in a tree.
Pachewee was so beautiful with her bright
colors and her incredible ability to fly
anywhere she wants to.
“Maybe she could even fly to the moon!”
Tito excitedly thought to himself.
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“Hello Pachewee!”
Tito cheerfully waved.
Pachewee fluttered down from her
perch to greet Tito.
“Good afternoon and Happy Birthday my dear
friend!”
she replied in her dainty little voice. “Are you
having an enjoyable day?”
“I sure am!” Tito exclaimed. “How about you?”
“Yes Tito, I’m having a marvelous day.
Thank you for asking.”
“You’re looking awfully bright today Pachewee!
Much brighter than usual,” Tito complimented.
“Why thank you Tito!” she replied graciously.
“How nice of you to notice. My feathers had
become terribly dull. So I flew over to the
river this morning to spruce them up a bit.
They do look more vibrant now if I
may say so myself,”
Pachewee proudly boasted.
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“Wow,
if sprucing up in the river made you look
this beautiful today, then maybe I should
fly over there and spruce up my shell!”
“Fly?” Pachewee giggled.
“YES fly!” Tito sternly repeated.
“Forgive me Tito, but I wasn’t aware that tortoises
could fly.”
“Well I can!” Tito firmly stated.
“Would you care to show me then?” she urged Tito.
“I’m sorry Pachewee but I can’t right now,
maybe later.”
“Alright Tito,” she chuckled. “But if you do fly
to the river, please be sure to spruce up your
hat as well!” Pachewee laughingly
suggested as Tito hurried off into
the forest.
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Tito walked deeper into the forest until
he reached a small stream. On the other
side of the stream he could see his friend
Tiki the Tree Frog busily climbing up and down
a tree.
Tiki was bright green with big red eyes and long
sticky toes which helped him climb trees. He was also
super fast at catching small insects with his long
tongue!
Tito was very fascinated by Tiki’s amazing abilities
and loved watching him in action.
Anxious to find out what Tiki was busy doing, Tito
jumped into the cool water and quickly swam across
the stream to visit his little friend.
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“Hey there Tiki!” Tito smiled and waved as he
crawled from the cool stream.
“What’s up Birthday Boy?” Tiki cheerfully replied.
“What are you doing up there?” Tito asked.
“Oh, just trying to catch a few bugs for lunch.
I’ve been going up and down this tree for a while
but I’m not having much luck.
I’m ready to call it quits and go take a nap.”
“I’m sorry you’re not having much luck Tiki.
I would climb up there and help you but......”
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“YOU? NO WAY!” Tiki interrupted Tito.
“You can’t climb trees or catch bugs!”
Tiki laughed as he leaped to another tree.
“Yes I can!” argued Tito. “I do it all the time.”
“Since when?” Tiki asked.
“Since always!” Tito claimed.
“Why don’t you climb up here now and help me?”
Tiki insisted.
“I’m sorry but I don’t have time right now Tiki.
I’ll come back later and help you.”
“Whatever,” mumbled Tiki as he watched Tito
rush off into the forest.
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Tito was tired now from his long walk
through the forest. He found a large rock
to sit and rest on for a little while.
Tito sat quietly on the rock thinking and scribbling
in the dirt with a stick he’d picked up along the way.
He thought about his good friends in the forest and
all the untrue things he’d told them.
“Why did I do that?” he thought to himself.
Tito was feeling pretty guilty now about what he
had done.
“I have to go back and tell them all the truth.
I hope they will still want to be my friends.
I was only trying to be special like everyone else,”
Tito sadly thought.
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Tito hopped off the big rock and quickly headed
back through the forest. He was anxious
to find his friends and tell them all the truth.
He stopped everywhere he thought they would be
but he didn’t see a sign of anyone.
“That’s odd, I don’t see my friends anywhere.
I guess I’ll just come back later and look for them,”
Tito thought to himself as he decided to finally
head back home.
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Happy to be home again,
Tito rushed to his front door.
And just as he opened it.......
“SURPRISE!”
they all yelled.
Tito couldn’t believe his eyes! It was his mom and
all of his friends from the forest standing there
holding the most beautiful birthday cake
he’d ever seen in his life!
“WOW!” Tito exclaimed. “Is this all for me?”
Tito’s mom laughed,
“Of course it is you silly tortoise! You’re the
Birthday Boy aren’t you?”
“This is great!
I can’t believe you all did this for me.”
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No one knew why but suddenly
Tito didn’t look very happy anymore.
“Thank you everybody but I don’t deserve
any of this,” Tito sadly announced.
“Sure you do!” Tiki shrieked as he hopped over
to Tito. “Why would you say that?”
“No I really don’t,” Tito shamefully replied.
“I haven’t been a very good friend.
I’ve been untruthful to all of you.”
“What are you talking about Tito?” his mom asked.
“Well mom, while I was in the forest today,
I saw Motongo and I told him I could swing
from trees just like he does.
Then after I tripped over Calil, I told him I could
camouflage myself like he can.
I even told Pachewee I could fly and I told Tiki
I could climb trees and catch bugs!
None of the things I told my friends
today are true,”
Tito sadly confessed.
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“I know I shouldn’t have made up
those stories. But I thought if I had
awesome abilities like all of you, that you
would like me more and think that I was
special too,” Tito explained.
“I’m really sorry everyone.
Will you please forgive me?” he pleaded.
With a big smile Motongo shouted,
“Of course we forgive you Tito!”
“You’re already special to us!” Calil added.
“And nothing you can or can’t do will ever
change that!”
“Most definitely not!” confirmed Pachewee.
“You’re awesome just being YOU!”
Tiki exclaimed as they all hugged Tito.
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“Now pleeeease open your present!”
Motongo begged.
“Yeah open it!”
Tito’s friends all cheered handing him the
beautifully wrapped gift they’d gotten him
for his birthday.
Tito slowly lifted the lid off the lovely box and was
absolutely thrilled by what he saw inside!
His friends had gotten him exactly what he’d been
wanting and needing for a very long time.....
A COOL NEW RED HAT!
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When Tito put on his new red hat he
became so excited that he defied all odds!
He started jumping so high that he somehow
magically went soaring through the air and
landed right on his mom’s chandelier!
No one could believe their eyes as they stared
up at Tito hanging from the chandelier by his
little tail!
“WOW, that was amazing Tito!”
they all shouted excitedly.
His mom was in total shock,
“How in the world did you do that?!”
she asked as Tito still dangled in the air.
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But before Tito could say anything his
tail lost its grip and he slipped and fell
right on top of his beautiful birthday cake!
He was so covered with cake that you
could barely see his face!
“OH BOY!”
Tito shrieked as he looked at everyone’s
shocked face through his cake covered eyes.
“I guess wearing my new red hat can make me do
awesome things too!” Tito chuckled shyly as they
all burst into laughter!
THE END
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The Moral
If your friends can’t accept you just the way
you are then they’re not real friends.
Be proud of who you are and about everything
that makes you special.
Remember that being yourself is your
“unique ability” because no one can be more
awesome at being you, than you!
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