One of our former federal volunteers has written a short children’s story titled A Bunch of Friends about a banana and even designed a matching book cover for it! We sincerely thank him for his creativity and dedication!

In a beautiful farm, where numerous fruits and vegetables grew and the sun shone brightly, is where we start our story.
In the hand of a banana bunch lived a sweet and shy banana named Berrie.
Berrie loved the farm and would spend his days hanging out happily with his many banana friends.
They would bask together in the warmth of the sun. With them by his side, the world was not scary.
One day, Berrie was picked from the farm and travelled far and wide.
He ended up placed in a fruit bowl in a cozy home.
Berrie felt lonely without his friends at his side.
This place was completely different from the farm where he used to roam.
Determined to make new friends, Berrie looked around the fruit bowl, checking for who else was there.
As he did so, he spotted an apple, a coconut, as well as a pear.
They seemed so different from him, making Berrie feel insecure.
Instead, he decided to look for fruits that were more like him for he thought that they looked more mature.
First, Berrie went to the cucumber, thinking its similar shape might make them good friends.
But the cucumber looked at the banana and said: “You’re weird, newcomer. I don’t like the way your body bends.”
Next, Berrie approached the sleeping lemon, drawn by its yellow hue. He went to him as his heart raced.
However, the lemon simply gave him a bitter look as he came to: “Sorry kid, but I think you’re just a bit to sweet for my taste.”
Finally, Berrie found a plantain in the edge of the bowl. It looked just like him and reminded him of his old life.
But the plantain stared back and said from deep in his soul: “I have no time for friends, I have been through far too much strife.”
Berrie sat on the bowl, his thoughts were grim.
Feeling lonely and desperate, Berrie started to cry.
He felt like he would never find anyone who could understand him
And that he would just have to be alone as the time went by.
Just then, the apple, coconut, and pear noticed Berrie’s state.
He continued to cry as they came to save him from that fate.
They sat down with him and offered him lunch,
reminding Berrie of how he used to be with his merry bunch.
They didn’t look like him, that’s for sure,
but they showed him real kindness and their intentions were pure.
Berrie realized that it didn’t matter if his new friends looked different.
What mattered was that they helped him, and they were considerate.
Feeling happy, accepted, and coming into his own,
Berrie knew he had finally found his place in this new home.