Definition:

A friend is someone you like spending time with because they make you feel happy and special, and help you when you need it. 

In short:

Build bonds that last forever.

Summary:
Melissa struggles with making friends; she doesn’t know how to do it. This story, written in poetic format, describes how a dream helps Melissa understand the art of friendship. Melissa visits a world inhabited by animals who are all friends. She learns from zebras that “true friends share both good and bad.” Monkeys teach her that a friend in need is a friend indeed. More advice comes from a giraffe:  find things you both like to do, offer help and support when friends are upset. Before she leaves, the lion tells her that every time there is a true act of friendship, a new star appears “to remind others you’re a friend on which to rely.” Melissa wakes from her dream and begins her day with new enthusiasm, because now she knows how to make and keep friends. Teacher’s note: At the end of the story is a helpful list of friend making strategies. 

Lesson Objectives: 

1. Students are empowered to try out the strategies in this story and make new friends. 

Guiding Questions: 

1. Why is Melissa all alone in the beginning of the story? 
2. What happens when Melissa is invited to play with other kids in a sand castle building contest? 
3. Where does Melissa go in her dream? 
4. What advice does the giraffe give Melissa about how to start to talk with someone new?  
5. How did the zebras teach Melissa good sportsmanship (to be a good loser)?
6.  Who taught Melissa about being helpful when a friend needs support? 
7. What’s the best gift you can get? 
8. Do you think that every time there’s an act of friendship, a new star appears? 
9. Share about a time when you started a friendship with someone? What did you do first, next? Or share about when someone else started a friendship with you. 
10. Is it hard for you to make friends? If it is, try out some of the ideas in this book and see if it helps. Get your parents to help you out. If it’s easy for you to make friends, find someone who needs some help and offer your support.