A girl’s story on strength, weaknesses

The book, Lizzy, the teensy-weensy lizard, is a 25-page picture book for kids, written by seven-year-old Maryann Emike Alegieuno.

Set in the forest, the book is about Lizzy and her three unlikely friends; the big bear, the fast fox and the pretty flying flamingo.

Lizzy has always gotten along quite well with her friends, who protect her and treat her well despite the fact that she is different from them and can’t do what they can.

One day, Lizzy feels she can compete against her friends to prove she is as good as they are.

First, she competes with the big bear in strength, and she fails.

• Two hours as a ‘prisoner’

She then competes against the fast fox with speed and lost.

She finally competes with the flying flamingo as to who can fly fastest, but fails as well.

Lizzy then becomes so sad and starts avoiding her friends, who start mocking her for not being able to do any of those things that come easily to them.

She becomes miserable until she meets Willy, the wise owl, who makes her understand that no one is useless and everyone has something they’re good at, and it only remains for each one to discover their strength and uniqueness.

She perches on the wall for some time, pondering on this when it occurs to her that she is very good at climbing walls.

Excitedly, she calls her friends to share the good news, and at first, they mock her, but later accept the challenge. None of them can, however, climb walls.

There are different lessons in the book for everyone, as everyone has something unique in them and no one is completely useless.

Another lesson is that one shouldn’t mock others or make them miserable because one thinks he/she is better than them.