This story is for young children who are learning about friendships, kindness, and acceptance. The hope is that Poppy Potato and Tommy tomato can be role models in celebrating diversity, helping others, and growing together as friends.

In a brightly colored garden full of plants, various types of vegetables had made their home.

These included carrots, onions, pumpkins, potatoes, and tomatoes.

Living among all these veggies was a happy potato, named Poppy.

Poppy was a nice brown potato, always ready for adventures.

Poppy enjoyed seeing the butterflies flitting by and hearing the birds chirping from the trees.

But sometimes, he longed for a friend who could play with him.

One day, Poppy saw a lovely red tomato that grew near her.

Her name was Tommy Tomato.

She was grinning while she swayed in the wind.

"Hi there!" greeted Poppy.

Tommy smiled at him.

"Hi there! I am Tommy."

Poppy and Tommy chatted all morning long.

They chatted about butterflies.

They chatted about flowers.

They chatted about their hobbies in the garden.

It didn’t take much time before they both started laughing.

They felt as if they had always known each other.

Poppy and Tommy shared time together every single day.

They watched bees flying from one flower to another.

They heard birds chirping overhead.

They looked for strange-looking shapes formed by the clouds.

The more time they spent together, the closer they became.

At one time, Poppy observed Tommy and remarked,

"We aren’t the same at all."

Tommy laughed.

"I agree with you on that."

"You’re bright red."

"Then you’re round and brown," she chuckled.

But Tommy just grinned and said,

"It’s that which makes us unique."

And Poppy took note of that and smile

Poppy loved rolling about the garden paths.

Tommy loved leaping from leaf to leaf.

Rather than play just one game, they played them both.

Roll, roll, roll!

Leap, leap, leap!

Before long, they were having such a good laugh that the carrots were laughing too

A few days after that, the veggies organized a garden race.

Everyone wanted to participate.

The peas were excited.

The carrots were excited.

Even the pumpkins were excited to race.

Poppy rolled up to the start line as Tommy cheered on the side

"Ready, set, go!"

And off they went.

Poppy ran as fast as possible.

The vegetables clapped and encouraged him.

"Go, Poppy!" screamed Tommy.

Though Poppy was not the first to reach, he did not care.

His achievement made Tommy smile at him

That day evening, some dark clouds gathered in the sky.

Wind started blowing.

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

The leaves were flying in the air.

The vegetables seemed scared.

Tommy was trembling.